A CRIME-FIGHTING system of hand-held computers and satellite positioning technology has won a national award.

Stockton Borough Council started using the devices last spring to help deal with incidents of anti-social behaviour and disorder.

The team developing the system won the Local Government Chronicle IT and E-Government Award, presented by comic Rory Bremner at a ceremony in London, this week.

Until the equipment was introduced, council enforcement officers logged details of incidents on paper while out on patrol.

Office staff also filled in forms by hand when people telephoned to report a problem. All the reports were then put on computer, which could take several days.

Using hand-held devices, officers can now download details directly onto the computer and track any action taken. They can also plot the exact location of incidents to help identify problem areas, which helps to predict the most likely places to deploy officers.

Councillor Paul Kirton, cabinet member for community safety, said: "Our enforcement officers find the system gives them a real edge in helping target areas where incidents are likely to occur."