A NEW radio system will help rescue teams and fight crime across the Durham Dales after £39,000 was raised.

The new digital radio system will be used by both the Teesdale and Weardale Farmwatch groups and the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team (TWSMRT) who currently use an analogue system.

It is also expected to benefit more urban communities such as Ferryhill, Bishop Auckland and Shildon.

Funds have been secured from the Police and Crime Commissioner, Durham County Councillors, local councillors and Action Partnership Groups.

It is hoped the new system will help tackle some of the current problems with the existing radios, which are more than 25 years old, including extending the coverage further afield and improving the signal during bad weather.

And farmers joined the police, TWSMRT team and councillors at a special celebration event at Barnard Castle Police Station, today (November 25), to learn more about the new technology.

TWSMRT’s deputy team leader, Adam Hearn, said he hopes to have the full system up and running within a year and is currently in the process of installing the new repeater system – eight individual units which will provide coverage for the whole of County Durham.

He said: “The new ones can be all linked together by a computer network and what that will mean is you could be standing in Middleton-in-Teesdale using the radio and heard in places like Consett or Seaham.

“You will be able to talk to every Farmwatch member and the mountain rescue team if you needed to.”

The radios also have built-in GPS tracking technology.

Farmwatch founder and chairman, Peter Stubbs, said the new system would be a “lifeline” for the group which currently has more than 800 members and about 100 volunteers who take part in Farmwatch operations in partnership with the police to crack down on crime in the dales.

“It’s a real lifeline for Farmwatch and the new radios and equipment will get us right up to date because the radios we have are from over 20 years ago,” he said.

“It’s absolutely brilliant and we have had wonderful support. Having good communications on these night runs is very important.”

He added: “We always have to be running around because the criminals came any time so wherever they can go we can go.”