A PILOT scheme to reward people who provide information about crimes has been launched in the police Pennine division, which covers Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

The Crimestoppers initiative provides money directly to the division, giving local police the opportunity to offer a cash incentive for information about specific crimes.

If it is a success it could be extended to cover the whole of Lancashire.

The first two crimes highlighted are street robberies in Nelson for which a minimum award of £100 has been offered for the arrest and charge of the offenders.

Initially, Crimestoppers have donated £500 to the division for rewards for specific information.

Ann Carr, area manager for Crimestoppers Lancashire, said, hopefully, most people were aware of Crimestoppers and its function to offer people a freephone number, 0800 555111, to give information in absolute anonymity about any crime in any area.

She said: "This pilot initiative of donating money directly to a division gives them the opportunity to offer a cash incentive for information about specific crimes in their area and builds upon their already successful awareness campaign targeting domestic burglaries." In Lancashire, Crimestoppers receive about 16,000 calls a year, of which about 10 per cent lead to arrests. Many of the calls relate to the use of illegal drugs. Nationally, one murder a week is solved as a result of information given to Crimestoppers.

John Davies, Lancashire Crimestoppers chairman, said often people could not understand how they could remain anonymous if they were to give information and receive an award.

He said names were not asked for. The informant was given a personal number and the cash award could be picked up in a brown envelope at any nominated bank by giving that number.

He stressed that calls to Crimestoppers could not be traced.

Det Chief Insp Gary Stephenson said any breach of anonymity would spoil the whole scheme nationwide.

The first two crimes highlighted are a robbery in Leeds Road, Nelson, at about 10am on Saturday, January 16 when an 89-year-old woman was pushed to the floor and stole her bag and a second street robbery at 5.40pm on Wednesday, January 13 when a 68-year-old was forced to the floor. Her handbag was stolen.

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