Shoppers in Seaham and Peterlee will be among the first in the country to benefit from text messages aimed at beating the crooks.

Durham Police will spread messages including appeals for help to find vulnerable missing people.

Drinkers in pubs across East Durham will also be targeted by the scheme.

A sending device would be activated in the town centres to send messages to all mobile phones with Bluetooth technology within 10 metres.

"The public will not get bombarded with multiple messages," said crime prevention officer Pc Graeme Davison.

"It is sent once and they have the choice of accepting the message or not.

"If they do, they immediately receive the actual message we want."

"It pops up on their screen straight away and they will read it."

The message will warn about the dangers of leaving valuables on show in cars, and urge shoppers to ensure their purse or wallet is kept safe.

There is no cost in sending - or receiving the texts.

Pc Davison said: "It is an innovative use of technology and a direct way of contacting groups who may not respond to the more traditional marketing methods such as leaflets.

"The device is fairly small, easily transportable and ideally suited to areas where there is a high density of people, such as supermarkets, town centres, pubs clubs and colleges."

Durham is one of only a handful of police forces in the country to use the technology.

"On this occasion we are sending our crime prevention messages," said Pc Davison.

"But it can also be used to send out photographs of missing people, or a wide range of other messages linked to policing priorities."