A CAMPAIGN to stop "drugs tourism" in the North-East has won more support.

Dave McLuckie, lead member for community safety for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, has backed a petition calling for the Government to clamp down on landlords who let their property be used by drug dealers, many of whom are from London and the South-East.

The petition has been organised by Ken Walker, chairman of the Cleveland Police Authority, after it was revealed Cleveland has one of the country's worst drugs problems.

Ken Walker has also written to Home Secretary David Blunkett and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott asking that landlords' property be confiscated if they are found to have allowed drug dealing.

He said that in recent police raids the majority of those arrested were from London and the Home Counties. It is feared that criminals are being attracted to Teesside by low housing and rent costs.

Mr McLuckie, who is also a member of the police authority, said: "I wholeheartedly support this initiative because the issue of drug tourists is something which affects the whole of the Cleveland force area.

"It is clear that some landlords are willing to rent properties with no questions asked, and I fear that the problem may be made worse by absentee landlords who actually own properties but have no direct interest or knowledge in them beyond pocketing the rent."

Mr Walker, who is a Middlesbrough councillor, said: "I have been greatly heartened by the strong support I have received from Councillor McLuckie. This is an issue that all of us in the Cleveland force area should be speaking on with one voice."