Children have come up with ideas to improve communication with elderly people while reducing their fear of crime.

They range from talking alarms warning old people to check identification cards to a mobile skate park, to help keep skaters off the streets.

Tonight, five teams of young people, aged from 11 to 18, will be at Cleveland Police Headquarters, in Ladgate Lane, Middlesbrough, for a chance to enter the National Crimebeat Competition.

All the schools and youth centres on Teesside were invited to take part in the Crimebeat Youth Against Crime Initiative 2003.

The finalists are: Fear of Crime and Friends of Carter Park by groups from Whinney Banks Youth and Community Centre, Middlesbrough; the Litterpick Project by Kader Youth and Community Centre, Middlesbrough; Safe and Secure Project by High Tunstall School, Hartlepool and the Wheel Based Project by West Redcar Youth Inclusion Project, Redcar.