GIVEN that we are generally in favour of greater transparency and increasing public access to information, the idea of holding the police to account via a Government crime mapping website has its attractions.

In the internet age, it is right that we maximise the use of technology to make public services more efficient.

But it has to be more than a technical gimmick – it has to have a positive end result.

The theory of transferring accountability from Whitehall bureaucrats to ordinary citizens is laudable. But we remain pessimistic that the crime mapping website will go on to prove its worth by making our streets safer.

To start with, there were the inevitable teething problems in the system on its first day in operation yesterday.

Apparently, there was not a single incident of anti-social behaviour in Darlington town centre during December.

Anyone who lives in Darlington knows that cannot be the case.

There has to be trust in the technology for it to have any real value, otherwise the £300,000 invested in developing it might as well have been spent on putting bobbies on the beat.

And beyond the question marks over the accuracy of the information, we remain sceptical about who will actually use the website after the initial rush of curiosity.

Will people regularly check to see what crimes have been committed in their street, then apply pressure on local police chiefs to up their game?

We are struggling to be convinced.