REVELLERS who cause trouble in Darlington town centre are being warned the police will be watching them extra carefully from tonight - as officers take their newly-armed riot vans out for the first time.

The two vans have been equipped with £17,000-worth of closed circuit television cameras, which can record people from more than 200 metres away.

The images are of such high quality they can be used as prosecution evidence in court.

Sergeant Paul Robinson, of Darlington police, said the vans would be placed at locations in the town which are known trouble hotspots.

He said he hoped the vans would be a deterrent to people who might consider causing trouble in the town.

He said: "It has been shown in other regions that these CCTV vans can act as a deterrent. They can also be used to monitor large events, processions, football matches.

"Initially, they will be used on Friday and Saturday nights, but we are intelligence-led and will respond to changes in crime patterns."

There are two cameras in the van, one on the front dashboard and the other on the roof, and both can rotate. The pictures feed through to a monitor, which is controlled by a hand-held device. Police can record footage instantly.