COMMUNITY leaders have urged residents on an estate to take heed of the progress made to reduce crime.

Criminal activity in the Firthmoor area has declined over the past five years, following significant investment in the estate and the formation of new partnerships between residents, the police and local authorities.

At a community safety meeting at Maidendale House yesterday, residents were told they should not have a great fear of crime because of recent developments.

Over the past month, there were no house burglaries, two shed break-ins, nine cases of criminal damage, two thefts of vehicles and two thefts from vehicles.

Seventeen cases of youths causing annoyance were reported - one of the lowest figures recorded in any part of the Darlington borough.

Councillor Lee Vasey, who chaired the meeting, said: "I think this is wonderful - five years ago we were one of the worst areas, but we have totally changed."

She said residents should now have greater confidence in their local area.

"We have got CCTV, we have taken houses down, we have traffic calming, a new school, a new community centre and more people into work," she said.

"There are many things going on here. We are an exemplar to the rest of the town and this should up everybody's confidence in the area they're living in."

Resident Bill Cook said: "This issue of fear of crime goes back six or seven years and it still lives.

"Today, there is not the fear there was, but some people still go back six or seven years, when it was hell to live here.

"We need to publicise our community safety work and tell people what it is all about."

The meeting also heard that complaints about youths in the area had included reports being made to the police about children simply playing football.

Darlington's anti-social behaviour co-ordinator, Rob Jones, said: "A lot of this is about people's intolerance. There is quite a bit of work we need to do on the issue of intolerance."