HOUSE-HUNTERS hoping for a crime-free life and an affordable home are being directed to the North-East.

New research shows five places in County Durham are among the 20 best in the country when it comes to value for money and safety.

Teesdale tops the best value table it shares with other local authority areas in the county - Easington, Derwentside, Sedgefield and Durham.

Experts from an Internet information site correlated property prices with crime rates in the council areas and discovered London was home to some of the worst value locations in the country.

County Durham was the best-performing area, while Lancashire and Wales both had four places in the top 20, and Cumbria had three.

News of the county's performance has not surprised police chiefs, who last month announced a six per cent fall in recorded crime and a 16 per cent decrease in burglaries.

Durham Constabulary's Assistant Chief Constable Gary Barnett said: "We have one of the lowest crime rates in the country and one of the best detection rates - the result of some excellent police work, a tremendous amount of help from a wide range of organisations and a wealth of public support."

Inspector Kevin Tuck, who works in Barnard Castle, said: "Traditionally, Teesdale has had a lower rate of crime than in other areas. This might be because as well as good policing, it's a very close-knit community and the local people are happy to work in conjunction with police."

Julia Grinham, commercial director of UpMyStreet,com, which carried out the research, said: "Close to half (43 per cent) of people worry that crime is a problem where they live.

"In general, the more expensive an area is, the lower the crime rate. However, the research will give Londoners pause for thought because not only do they pay well above the odds for property, they are also subjected to some of the highest crime rates in the country."