A GLOBAL phenomenon is sweeping the streets of Darlington today just hours after the release of mobile game Pokemon Go.

The app allows players to catch, train and battle Pokémon with other users of the game by using their phone’s GPS location data.

The Northern Echo:
Darlington reporter and Pokemon Trainer, Charlotte Bowe, makes friends with a magnemite in The Northern Echo newsroom

And would-be Pokemon Trainers in the North-East have already vowed to “catch ‘em all” after the app appeared in the iOS App Store and Google Play this morning.

In Darlington, the town centre has been taken over by augmented reality gamers with St Cuthbert’s Church serving as a Pokemon Gym for players to battle their beasts.

And enthusiastic fans of the free-to-play Niantic-developed game have already set up a Facebook group dedicated to helping others find hotspots for rare Pokemon.

After an hour of hunting across the Market Place and Crown Street, The Northern Echo has six handy hints for players getting used to the game.

  • Factors such as the weather and time of day will affect which Pokemon are present in your area, but gamers in Darlington have spotted an average of around 50 Pokemon so far
  • All-important Pokeballs can be found at Pokestops. Crown Street’s The William Stead and the Post Office are both Pokestops, as well as the Dolphin Centre, off Horsemarket, and the Town Hall
  •  Pokestops in the town will refresh once every five minutes
  • St Cuthbert’s Church has doubled up as a Darlington Pokemon Gym, and rewards there will be refreshed every 21 hours
  • Town-based Pokemon Trainers will have to travel outside their immediate area to catch more creatures and complete the Pokedex
  • Pawprints on the app represents a 100-metre distance from the nearest Pokemon