CHILDREN from the Darlington area are being asked to help an anti-crime group establish a new identity.

Darlington Rural Watch is the new name for Darlington Farm Watch, which brings together farmers, police, the Youth Offending and Community Safety Service, and volunteers.

They help to tackle problems, such as poaching and vandalism on agricultural land in the area by reporting suspicious individuals and incidents.

The scheme is being expanded to cover a wider range of rural areas, not just farmland, to reflect its growing membership.

Now a competition has been launched in which children can design a logo for the new organisation.

Two pantomime tickets, courtesy of Darlington Civic Theatre will be awarded for the ten to 12-year-old category, and mobile phones, courtesy of Vodafone Darlington, will go to winners in the 13 to 15 and 16 to 18 sections.

Rural Watch co-ordinator Brian Pavey said: "I believe it is necessary to involve the younger generations and to make them aware of the scheme and instill the need to respect private farmlands, rivers and the like, and to protect our wildlife and its habitat."