UNRULY youngsters have been given a "short, sharp shock" by police to bring relief to residents in some outlying areas of the North-East.

Police set up a rural taskforce to boost cover in villages and smaller communities in the Durham and Chester-le-Street division, some of which receive no permanent cover.

The rural support unit, comprising a sergeant and six constables, has worked in areas covered by a designated beat officers and those without a regular police presence.

Chief Superintendent Eric Suddes, the divisional commander, said: "In the past, we've had a number of complaints with regard to young people making a nuisance of themselves with intimidating and unruly behaviour.

"For a week, the mobile unit has been patrolling a number of villages, targeting youngsters bent on making a nuisance of themselves."

Villages earmarked for the first crackdown were Bear-park, Bowburn, Brandon, Esh Winning, Great Lumley, Pelton, Perkinsville, Quarrington Hill, Sacriston, Ushaw Moor and West Rainton.

During a week of activities by the support unit, officers spoke to 22 youths, who were taken home to be reprimanded in front of their parents.

The effect of the patrols is underlined by statistics which reveal that during the following week nuisance figures rose by 29 per cent.

Chief Supt Suddes said: "There are only a minority of young people involved in this type of behaviour but they make life a misery for other members of the community, in particular the elderly, who see them as a threat.

"By talking to the youths responsible and taking them home to their parents, we are giving them the opportunity to think about what they are doing and act more responsibly, rather than continuing to misbehave and, possibly, ending up in the criminal justice system.

"It is clear the unit is effective while it is in place and has given the youths in these communities a short, sharp shock.

"But we need to find more long-term solutions to these problems," added Chief Supt Suddes.

During the week other arrests were made for driving with excess alcohol, for drunk and disorderly and for driving while disqualified. Officers involved also investigated other incidents and gathered intelligence over vulnerable houses and vehicles