Home Secretary David Blunkett has praised a newspaper crime campaign.

He hailed the York Evening Press's Ratcatcher initiative while he was in York launching a scheme to equip community support officers with video cameras.

They are among the first in the country to be given the digital devices to help them prosecute street corner hooligans and drink-fuelled yobs.

The Ratcatcher campaign was launched last year by the Evening Press and police to cover the York area, but it was such a success it has recently been expanded across the whole of North Yorkshire.

The minister said the innovative campaign, which aims to get information from residents about criminal activity and led to 130 calls and 65 arrests in the York area last year, was "excellent".

The campaign was mentioned in the House of Commons earlier this year and applauded by the Prime Minister.

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