THE centre of Darlington will benefit from a week-long campaign against crime and anti-social behaviour.

The StreetSafe Action Week will bring together the police, Darlington Borough Council, fire service, primary care trust and numerous voluntary and community organisations.

It has been organised through the Darlington Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership and will take place from Saturday until Sunday, May 27.

Police and council wardens will increase their patrols and action will be taken at a number of hotspots that are plagued by anti-social behaviour, including motorbike crime.

The DVLA will be targeting untaxed cars and council licensing officers will be visiting various off-licences and shops to ensure they do not sell alcohol to minors.

Free home safety checks will be carried out by the fire service and Street Scene teams will be cleaning graffiti, removing dumped rubbish and tidying up overgrown areas.

The initiative follows a similar project piloted in Nottingham, which saw crime and anti-social behaviour levels drop by the end of the campaign week.

Chief Inspector Helen McMillan, from Darlington police, said the work carried out during the week would not finish at the end of the seven days.

She said: "It's not as though we're going to come and go.

"Hopefully, after this is finished, people will have a lot more pride in the environment.

"Also, if we take a particular offender out of the community, or close a particular premises, it can make a huge difference and the community gets a huge respite because the problem's not there any more."

Residents will be encouraged to take part in litter-picks and planting sessions to help make neighbourhoods look better.

The borough council's youth service and community partnerships have also arranged events to encourage young people in the area to take part in organised activities.

All residents in the area will receive a leaflet telling them about the week of action and encouraging them to get involved.

Councillor John Williams, the leader of the borough council, said: "This week is a great example of partnerships working for Darlington residents."