Crime-busting groups in the region are to benefit from a £1m fund to cut crime further.

The Home Office has pledged the cash to the Safer Communities Initiative, which will filter the award to 23 Crime and Reduction Partnerships in the North-East.

Those to benefit include Darlington, Durham, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Hartlepool and Teesdale.

The awards are part of a £20 million national fund with higher crime areas receiving the largest funding boost.

Crime Reduction Director for the North-East, Alan Brown said: "These funding allocations allow us to tackle crime, and the fear of crime, throughout the region.

"Where crime is falling, we want to ensure that it continues to fall, where the fear of crime is greater than crime itself we can try and eradicate that fear, where crime is highest in the region we want to try and bring it down.

"We work closely with all 23 partnerships in the North-East to ensure a targeted approach to tackling crime.

"This money will help go towards continuing the good work which these partnerships have already started."

The money will be used to tackle anti-social behaviour, drugs-related crime, persistent offenders, vehicle and street crime, race and hate crime.

Partnerships will be able to decide where best to spend the money-targeting crime priority areas.

They will be asked to plan for future initiatives on the basis that they will receive at least the same funding in 2003-2004.