Antisocial behaviour hotlines allowing people to report problems to local services are to be set up across England.
Over the next six weeks, people in half of the 50 areas deemed by the Home Office as having high rates of antisocial behaviour will be given access to an It's Your Call phone line.
It's Your Call will allow people to report incidents including graffiti and littering. Gateshead, Newcastle, South Tyneside and Sunderland will be the first areas to get access to the service, which is backed by a 400,000 promotional campaign.
Chris Stanley, head of youth crime at Nacro, cautioned that the phone line should not be used to "simply administer more antisocial behaviour orders".
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