Junior Crimestoppers

Nottinghamshire is the only force outside London's Metropolitan Police to run a Junior Crimestoppers scheme in schools.

Children at 23 schools in Nottinghamshire have been learning how they can use Crimestoppers to give information about crime anonymously. Aimed at under 17s, Junior Crimestoppers uses the same 0800 555 111 number as the adult version and promises up to £500 in mobile phone top-up vouchers for information leading to an arrest or conviction, or the recovery of property.

PC Neil Radford, schools liaison officer in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, said: "It's the children who tend to be the first to hear what's going on in an area - good and bad.

"They also tell their parents about Junior Crimestoppers, who then phone up the adult version of the service with information.

"Getting Junior Crimestoppers up and running in so many local schools has given us a huge, new intelligence network."

As a result of Junior Crimestoppers, a gang dealing drugs to children has been exposed and numerous other criminals, street robbers and burglars have also been identified. Furthermore, 2 kilograms of amphetamines and half-a-kilo of heroin - with a combined street value of £10,000 - were found by police after a raid at an address in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, prompted by one call.

Junior Crimestoppers is being spread to more schools around Nottinghamshire.