Four police forces in the eastern region are to benefit from a major Home Office crime-fighting initiative.

In the package unveiled by Home Secretary David Blunkett, Essex, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire will all get extra cash to provide teams of community support officers.

The civilian officers will soon be on patrol as part of a recruitment drive to increase the visibility of officers on the beat and tackle anti-social behaviour.

The Hertfordshire force will have �161,465 for 14 community support officers, Norfolk will receive an extra �136,000 to pay for 12 officers, Essex will receive �118,000 for 10 staff and Cambridgeshire's police budget will be boosted by �77,000 to provide six extra officers.

The announcement reveals that a total of 27 forces will receive extra funding.

Six forces outside East Anglia will take part in a trial to give the support officers the powers of police detention.