CALLS from the public reporting crime have led to £1m of ill-gotten gains being seized by police.

So far this year, 255 criminals have been arrested and charged as a result of 1,297 ‘actionable’ calls to Lancashire Crimestoppers.

The anonymous charity organisation takes tip-offs from people concerned about criminal activity and thanks to it in the last five months, from April 1 to August 31, 2010, £750,000 of drugs have been taken off the streets.

Nine firearms and five knives have also been found and destroyed from Crimestoppers information.

Now Lancashire police is backing a Crimestoppers push to increase caller numbers, particularly about people handling ‘dirty money’ such as the proceeds of drug crime.

The campaign is also trying to encourage more Asian-Muslim callers who they claim don’t have ‘full confidence’ in the police.

Neighbourhood policing team are handing out 500 posters and 3,000 leaflets and PC Kay Armstrong from Lancashire Crimestoppers said: “Here in Lancashire, Crimestoppers is incredibly successful.

“Our total conversion rate of calls leading to arrest and charge is 19.6 per cent, compared to a national average of 7.3 per cent.

“However, one of our aims at Crimestoppers is to increase the number of calls we have from Asian-Muslim communities.

“We know from our research that many in those communities do not have full confidence in law enforcement agencies and we want this to change.”

Through this latest campaign, Crimestoppers will now engage with these communities directly in order to detect, reduce and prevent crime by providing police with information that comes from callers.

All callers will remain anonymous and may qualify for a reward if their information brings about a conviction.

To report an incident to Crimestoppers contact 0800 555111.