You can call Crimestoppers anonymously about any crime or criminal activity that you know about.

Sometimes you might have information about an activity that your local police or council are better suited to help you with, e.g. anti-social behaviour, or vehicle offences. The following information will help you decide who to call in different situations:

In an emergency

Crimestoppers is not a replacement for 999 because we're not an emergency service. You should call 999 when:

• Someone's life is in danger e.g. in a car crash when people in the car need help.
• There is a risk that someone could seriously hurt themselves or somebody else, e.g. you might see somebody threatening somebody else with a weapon, like a knife.
• A crime is happening or is about to happen e.g. you see someone breaking into a house or a car, someone is driving under the influence of drink or drugs.

Contact the police directly

If you have information about a crime and are happy to give the police your name and address you should contact the police directly. You can find contact details for your local police force at www.police.uk. You can also visit the Ask the police website to find a bank of frequently asked police questions.

Anti-Social behaviour

Both your local police and council can help with many of the things that upset us in daily life including noisy neighbours, abandoned cars, vandalism, graffiti, litter and intimidating groups. This is often known as Anti-Social Behaviour.

If you have concerns about anti-social behaviour in your area, talk to your local anti-social behaviour co-ordinator or Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) representative about what's happening. They can both provide support and advice and help you tackle the problem. See Direct Gov's website for more information and contact details.

You should contact your council for the following issues:

• abandoned vehicles
• fly tipping
• graffiti that needs cleaning
• noisy neighbours e.g. loud music.

You can find your local council's contact details by looking on Direct Gov's Council A-Z.

If the anti-social behaviour is serious enough to make you fear for your safety or the safety of others, you should contact the police directly. Some examples of this might include:

• alarm sounding
• vandalism or suspected vandalism taking place
• noisy neighbours e.g. loud music
• mini motorbike riding
• fireworks being let off inappropriately.

You can find contact details for your local Police force at www.police.uk (http://www.scottish.police.uk/ in Scotland).

Breaching an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) is a criminal offence and the punishment for this may be a fine or even imprisonment. Therefore, if you know anyone who is breaking the conditions of their ASBO you can ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or the local Police.

Graffiti or tagging

You can ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 if you know someone who is responsible for graffiti or tagging. If you wish to report some graffiti so it can be cleaned please contact your local council.

Driving and vehicles

Contact your local Police directly with any of the following issues:

• using a mobile phone while driving
• speeding on the roads
• not using seat belts when driving
• bald tyres on a car
• children not using booster seats.

For abandoned vehicles, contact your local council

For driving with no tax disc, report online to the DVLA

You might also wish to ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 with information about:

• someone who often drives whilst under the influence of drinks or drugs
• driving with no licence or suspended licence
• driving with no insurance.

Animal welfare

If you have urgent concerns about the treatment of an animal contact the RSPCA's 24-hour cruelty and advice line on 0300 1234 999 or visit the RSPCA's website.

Benefit fraud

If you know of anyone falsely claiming benefits you can report it via the National Benefit Fraud Hotline 0800 854 440 or on the Benefit Fraud website.

Cash machines

If you think a cash machine has been tampered with don't use the machine, contact the local Police and never attempt to remove the device yourself as you may be at risk of attack.

Child welfare

If you are worried about a child? Call the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit NSPCC's website.

Crime prevention

Crimestoppers call handlers cannot give you advice on crime prevention. However we have an extensive Crime Prevention section on this website that should help.

Drugs

If you want help for someone who is taking drugs then contact FRANK for advice and guidance: 0800 77 66 00 or visit the FRANK website.

You can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 if you know of people who are dealing or selling drugs, or people who are growing or manufacturing drugs.

Environmental crime

You can pass information to Crimestoppers about waste and fisheries crime. For example, we take information on:

• Illegal waste activity such as illegal vehicle disposal.
• Large scale illegal dumping of 18 or more tonnes of waste. This is roughly two, 12 cubic yard skipfuls. 
• Illegal export of waste tyres, waste electrical equipment, and municipal waste.
• Eel and elver poaching.
• Illegal fishing, fish theft and illegal fish stocking.

Fraud

You can pass on information to Crimestoppers about fraudsters. If you are a victim of fraud, contact Action Fraud directly. Note that Action Fraud is not an anonymous route.

Parking issues

Crimestoppers cannot help if you have received a parking fine or clamp. Please contact the organisation who issued the ticket.

Police complaint

Crimestoppers does not take complaints about the police. You can make a complaint directly to the police or via the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Victims of crime

If you are a victim of crime or need to report a crime then you should contact the police. They will give you a unique crime reference number. You'll need to keep this if you want to contact the police about the same incident in the future. If you're reporting a theft, you'll also need to use this reference number if you're making an insurance claim.

Crimestoppers cannot give out crime reference numbers. If you already have a crime reference number please contact your local police.

Victims of fraud can contact Action Fraud. Note that this route is not anonymous.

Key contacts:

Crimestoppers: To give information about crime or criminals anonymously, call Crimesoppers on 0800 555 111 or use our anonymous online Giving Information Form.

Local council: You can find your local council's contact details by looking on Direct Gov's Council A-Z.

Local police: You can find your local police station's contact details on the police website.