TAX disc holders are being handed out across east Durham to help thwart thieves.

The theft of vehicle licences from cars has been a minor, but persistent, problem for some time in the area.

As part of a campaign targeting vehicle crime, funding has been made available to buy more than 3,000 tamper-proof tax disc holders.

These secure the licence firmly to the windscreen and are designed to come apart if interfered with.

When the time comes for the owner to renew their road fund, they scrap the old licence and its container and get one of the new replacement holders.

The project has been funded by the District of Easington Community Safety Partnership and is part of Operation Molten, a crackdown on vehicle crime in east Durham.

The holders will be available free from Seaham and Peterlee police stations, main post offices and selected car dealerships.

Acting Detective Inspector Steve Chapman said: "We hope this move will go a long way to combat what has been a small-scale, but persistent problem. A number of vehicles have been broken into in the last few months and the tax discs removed.

"Replacing the licence itself is fairly straightforward, but the real inconvenience is caused by the owner having to find the time and money to repair the damage caused.''

The initiative is one of a number aimed at raising awareness of vehicle crime.

Last month, the safety partnership paid for thousands of air fresheners bearing crime prevention advice, which were distributed throughout the area by Neighbourhood Watch groups and police.