POLICE cracking down on drink-fuelled violence have praised the behaviour of Bank Holiday weekend revellers.

Northumbria Police have launched a summer-long campaign on drunkeness, violence and disorder.

The good weather attracted thousands of drinkers to Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, and the Orange Evolution music festival on Newcastle's Quayside drew a crowd of 30,000 people on Monday.

But police say the level of violence in the force area was less than they had expected.

New chief constable Mike Craik, who toured Whitley Bay, where 12 people were arrested for disorder, said: "We have instigated this campaign because we want to reclaim the streets for ordinary people.

"People are talking about what we are doing, and I think this first weekend has been a good start, but we will continue right though the summer."

Police in Sunderland made 111 arrests. Incidents included a youth being hit on the head with a bottle and a 12-year-old girl throwing stones at a moving police car. She was charged with causing danger to road users and attempted criminal damage.

Chief Inspector Kevin Wellden praised Newcastle festivalgoers. He said: "There were three different locations on the Quayside, with around 30,000 people attending, and we had only four arrests for drunkenness.

"The crowd was good-natured, it was well stewarded and to have just four arrests shows how well behaved everyone was."