A POLICE officer has criticised motorists for turning their backs on a free offer of help.

Sergeant Glynn Bass of Cleveland Police is "disgusted'' that only six people have taken advantage of a Force invitation to motorists to have the metal casing of their stereos engraved with the car registration, or postcode.

The project was launched this month in a bid to make stolen radios harder to sell. In the time only six people took up the offer, 37 car stereos were stolen from the same locality.

Sgt Bass, a crime prevention officer, said: "I find it disgusting. If people are thinking this won't happen to them, then they should think again. More than 800 motorists have had their cars broken into this year and their radios stolen, and that's just in Middlesbrough."

Motorists who live, work or visit Middlesbrough can have their radios etched by Car Sound in North Ormesby Road for a nominal fee of £1.