Homebuyers will be able to go online to check crime trends in neighbourhoods thanks to a ground-breaking project.

The Crime and Disorder Data Information Exchange (Caddie) is being piloted in the Crawley and Horsham areas. It is the first project of its kind in the UK.

The scheme lets emergency services, councils, health services and voluntary groups share data with each other to give a complete view of what is happening in every neighbourhood.

The information will be available to all members of the public, including homeowners keen to discover issues affecting areas they are thinking of moving to.

A web site address allowing public access to the data is expected to be unveiled next month.

Sussex Police now plot crimes and anti-social behaviour incidents on maps to help identify the hot-spot areas that need assistance and resources.

But the maps rely on police databases and not all crimes get reported.

By including information provided by partner organisations, the analysis will be much more comprehensive.

Data about fires is one example of how Caddie will help agencies.

The fire brigade is called to many incidents, such as small bin fires, which do not get recorded as crimes.

Caddie will enable the brigade and police to combine their data, share information and tackle underlying causes.

For the first time, the system will give local councils and voluntary agencies access to the same information.

A housing department, for example, could target security improvements in an area with a spate of burglaries.

Don Edwardson, of Crawley Borough Council's community safety office, said Caddie would reassure members of the public.

He said: "In every survey, people overestimate crime rates in their areas. Now they can see exactly what is and isn't happening."

The modern system protects people's privacy by extracting information from a range of databases and removing anything that would identify victims.

The system, being launched today, is being funded by Crawley Borough Council, Horsham District Council and West Sussex County Council, along with a Home Office grant.

Sergeant Tim Hemsley, project manager, said: "The potential for Caddie is huge.

"The project will deliver a complete solution for any partnership involved in reducing crime and disorder to provide relevant up-to-date data."