PEOPLE on Teesside will have to pay an extra £24 a year in council tax to cover the cost of fighting crime and antisocial behaviour.

The rise will enable Cleveland Police to recruit 60 officers and 60 community support officers.

Members of Cleveland Police Authority yesterday voted for a 25 per cent rise in their precept as opposed to an alternative 54 per cent increase.

The larger rise would have meant a further 180 police officers and 220 community support officers but members agreed training them would be a drain on resources.

Chief Constable Barry Shaw said the rise, which amounts to 46p a week, was the same as a packet of peanuts and would be used to continue the war against drug dealers and antisocial behaviour.

"If you put additional resources in you get better results," said Mr Shaw, who was speaking at his last police authority meeting before retiring next month.

"There is always scope to increase efficiency, but you have to get the levels of resources right to start with, and this force area is difficult to police.

"It has extensive areas of acute social deprivation and associated high crime rates and we police a major petrochemical complex and a busy port, which imposes additional policing requirements.

"The position has been made worse in recent years by the growth in organised crime and terrorism."

The extra money will be used to finance the increasing fight against computer crimes including joining the nation-wide paedophile investigation Operation Ore.

A major investigation unit is being set up with two teams to deal with serious crimes, such as murder.

Mr Shaw said the force was also looking at high-tech ways to trap criminals, using an automatic number plate recognition system, which led to 123 arrests a week when it was piloted in other forces around the country.

Police authority chairman Councillor Ken Walker proposed the smaller increase in the precept and was backed by 12 other members, with the exception of Alan Clark, who abstained.

Coun Walker said: "I believe that most people are saying to us give us more police so we can improve our quality of life and make sure the people who are causing the problems are dealt with."

* The police authority precept levels for the coming year will be:

Band A £80.14

Band B £93.50

Band C £106.86

Band D £120.21

Band E £146.93

Band F £173.65

Band G £200.36

Band H £240.4