POLICE chiefs have welcomed a significant drop in anti-social behaviour by youths in east Durham communities.

Seaham Neighbourhood inspector Vince Addison said there had been a 27 per cent reduction in the number of incidents reported in the Seaham policing area in the last six months - compared to the same period last year.

Insp Addison said: "Anti-social behaviour disproportionately affects the vulnerable in our society - and this means they are seeing an improvement in the quality of their lives.

"The Safe Durham Partnership and the police have done a lot of work to identify hotspot locations. And credit must go to the young people and their families for the improvement in behaviour."

Insp Addison said, in the last six months incidents of anti-social behaviour in the Seaham policing area - including Seaham, Murton, Hawthorn, Easington, South Hetton, South Hetton Haswell - had dropped by 27 per, from 2,082 in to 1,527.

In Murton incidents dropped by 30 per cent (from 373 incidents to 262 incidents); in Seaham town area by 28 per cent (from 1.029 to 743) and in Easington, Haswell and South Hetton, by 23 per cent (from 678 to 522 incidents).

Insp Addison said: "When youngsters come to the attention of police they get signed up to a Acceptable Behaviour Agreements (ABAs), which gives them the chance to correct their behaviour over a six month period.

"If they continue to cause problems they could be prosecuted or taken to court for an Asbo."

He added number of hotspots were continuing to get police attention, including outside the two shops in Woods Terrace, Murton The Safe Durham Partnership comprises officers of Durham County Council, the Police Authority, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, East Durham Homes and other housing providers.