A SCHOOLBOY who successfully tracked down 90 bears is to be given a police reward.

Over the summer, dozens of teddy bears were hidden in shop windows around Durham City, each emblazoned with a safety message such as "say no to strangers" or "keep valuables out of sight".

The bear hunt, organised as part of the Safe City initiative, was won by 11-year-old Cameron Brown, from Wingate.

This afternoon he will visit Durham City police station to collect his prize of a £25 WH Smith gift voucher from Deputy Chief Constable Mike Barton, Mayor of Durham Coun John Wilkinson and Durham’s city centre manager Carol Feenan.

PC Kay Howarth said: "Cameron made four separate trips to Durham with his mother until he found all 90 bears. The most difficult one to find was the Crushed Chilli Gallery, but he got there in the end.

"The Bear Hunt was not only about having fun in the city during the school holidays, it also helped get across valuable messages to the people who live, work and visit Durham City.

"As a neighbourhood policing team we have been able to use it to engage with the community in a unique way." Runners-up were Joshua Smith, aged seven, from Sherburn and Holly Richardson, also aged seven, from Wheatley Hill who each receive a £10 gift voucher.