CLOSER collaboration between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is to bring a swifter delivery of justice in County Durham and Darlington.

The two agencies have been working together as part of a national initiative to increase the number of offenders brought to justice.

From this week, the police and CPS will cement their relationship locally under the banner of "statutory charging".

As a result, officers will no longer be able to charge criminals suspected of serious offences or those in contested cases, without authority from crown prosecutors.

From the very start of an investigation, prosecution teams comprising uniformed officers and detectives will work with local CPS lawyers building cases with thorough inquiries and robust evidence.

The aim is to ensure more offenders are punished for their crimes and progressed through the criminal justice system quicker.

The system was introduced on a trial basis in March and has resulted in an 11 per cent increase in arrests across the force area while court convictions have risen by about nine per cent during the same period.

Chief Constable Paul Garvin said yesterday: "Durham Constabulary has an enviable record for investigating and detecting crime.

"These new working arrangements should, as one of a number of initiatives, see offenders brought to book more quickly, which can only be good news for victims and witnesses in County Durham and Darlington."

Durham's chief crown prosecutor, Portia Ragnauth, added: "This is an endorsement of the hard work and commitment of the prosecution team, with CPS and police working together from the earliest stage in an investigation.

"Our aim is to ensure we build the strongest possible cases to bring guilty offenders to justice and thereby increase public confidence in the criminal justice system.''