AN AUTHOR joined campaigners and dignitaries to mark the 30th anniversary of a crime fighting charity.

Crimestoppers is a national charity that was set up in 1988, and gives the public the chance to report crime anonymously to the police.

A patron of the charity in Sussex is crime writer Peter James, who says the service makes a tremendous difference by giving detectives key information to catch criminals.

Mr James said: “Over the past 30 years and since the Government cuts to the police, Crimestoppers has become increasingly important.

“We have only 3,500 officers in Sussex and a lot of the time people are scared to report crime. So the charity enables everyone else in the county to become the eyes and ears of the police.”

He said he once attended a drugs raid in Hove with officers as part of his research and was recognised by neighbours in the block of flats who told him they had called Crimestoppers.

Mr James said: “For five years they had drug dealers on the floor below and the block became hell with addicts shooting up on the stairs and queueing to enter the flat.

“They were made prisoners in their own home. It’s just a tiny example of what people can see is possible by reporting crime.”

Sussex Crimestoppers says that last year there was a 35 per cent increase on the number of calls being made, which led to nearly 3,500 pieces of useful information being handed over to the police.

Sussex volunteer chairman Graham Bartlett said: “Organising events is a great way for Crimestoppers to build practical support, raise much-needed funds and spread the message about the important service we provide.

“Crimestoppers’ achievements in the last 30 years are not to be underestimated with 144,000 arrested and charged, over £346 million drugs seized and over £136 million stolen good recovered as a result of information received via our 100 per cent anonymous 0800 555 111 telephone line and online form.”

“We believe everyone has a right to feel safe from crime, wherever they live.”

For more information about the charity, visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org. To report a crime, call 0800 555 111.