Metro travel will be made safer as part of the CCTV plan

Home Office minister Lord Falconer joined government chief whip and North West Durham MP, Hilary Armstrong, to open a new section of the state-of-the-art digital security network.

When it is operational across the system the digital CCTV will work in all boroughs including South Tyneside, Sunderland, Newcastle and Gateshead.

The ministers were at North Tyneside Council's Killingworth control centre with Nexus' director General Mike Parker.

North Tyneside is the first phase of the upgrade project, which has been funded as part of the Home Office's crime reduction strategy.

'Wish list'

Lord Falconer and Ms Armstrong opened the North Tyneside phase of the project, which has seen more than 150 high-quality digital cameras fitted at the area's 16 Metro stations.

Pictures from the cameras are suitable for use as evidence in court in the event of a prosecution against an individual for crime or the breaking of Metro bylaws.

Andy Bairstow, commercial director for Nexus, said: "Improved personal security figures are pretty high on the wish list of what our passengers tell us they'd like to see on the Metro and this new system addresses that in style."