A hike in the cost of policing this year is already paying dividends, it is being claimed.

A 38percent rise in the Cleveland Police Authority precept sparked fury and calls for inquiries into the organisation's financial management.

But the extra police patrols the £2.4m of extra funding is helping to pay for has led to more stop checks at night in Middlesbrough, a drop from 22 to four burglaries a night, a fall in thefts from vehicles from 39 to 19 and a reduction from 14 to five street robberies a day.

In the first three months following the funding increase house burglary detection has increased to 38 percent, car crime detections are up 75 percent and drug detections by 140 percent in Middlesbrough.

Acting Detective Superintendent Colin Green is heading a 40-officer strong police operation to catch crooks who use the cover of darkness to commit crimes.

The force is linking up with neighbourhood wardens, gathering information from the public, and target known offenders.

"We are out to break their habits, disrupt their activities and lock them up,'' he said. "Operation Twilight is turning the spotlight on them.''

In the five days the operation has been running there have been 69 arrests, ranging from burglary and robbery top possession of drugs and 349 stop checks.