CRIME prevention patrols are being stepped up in a town, in response to calls from residents.

An extra £30,000 is being spent on funding more street warden and police patrols in an area of Middlesbrough over the next six weeks.

The money will be used to pay for warden patrols from 10pm to 2am, over several nights a week.

The West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust, which set up its own team of wardens in November 2003, says the night shift is a pilot scheme introduced to see whether the concerns of some residents about anti-social behaviour are justified.

A spokeswoman for the trust, which is overseeing a £52m revamp of the West Lane, Newport and Whinney Bank areas of Middlesbrough, insists crime generally is coming down.

Trust chairwoman Joan Ford said: "As a resident of the area myself, I for one feel even safer knowing that the West Middlesbrough Street Wardens are out there seven days a week, 365 days a year.

"The fact that they are currently doing extra patrols is a great boost and gives a bit more reassurance, especially on these long, dark nights."

The trust plans to fund four police operations to tackle prostitution, anti-social behaviour and burglary in the neighbourhood, two over each of the next two months, under the code name Dark Nights.

Two operations have already been held with three people arrested for attempted burglary and 12 arrested for prostitution offences.

Kath Hierons, the trust's community safety manager said: "Crime is already falling in West Middlesbrough and this initiative is another way we aim to maintain this downward trend.

She said: "The fear of crime often proves to be greater than crime itself. We want to get to grips with the levels of crime and anti-social behaviour in our neighbourhood late on a night so that we can decide how to combat this, if it proves to be an issue, and help make people feel safer."

A temporary telephone hotline on 07789 744698 is also being is set up for reporting crime between 10pm and 2am. It will be in use until the end of March.