Police are clawing back more of criminals' ill-gotten gains every year.

Sussex Police took back more than £2.5 million last year in forfeiture and confiscation orders of money and assets that had been earned through crime.

The amount of money being confiscated from criminals has been going up by a third year-on-year as detectives claim back more valuables from crooks.

Under the Proceeds of Crime Act police officers can seize cash found in amounts of more than £1,000 if they believe it has come from crime or will be used in crime.

They can then go to court to get permission to hand the money to the Government rather than give it back to the criminals.

Figures released by Sussex Police under the Freedom of Information Act show that from April 2009 to March 2010 the force confiscated £2,388,002 in cash and assets, such as cars and houses, from 179 suspected criminals.

In the 12 months before that officers recovered £1.7 million and in the year before that £1.1 million of criminals' money was taken off Sussex's streets.

Sussex Police's money laundering team said that the improving results were down to detectives continuing investigations to track down crooks'

cash after the offenders served their sentences and were released from jail.

Detectives have been targeting some of Sussex's highest earning criminals to recoup their illegal earnings.

Detective Constable Nicola Balkham, of Sussex Police, said: “We will do everything we can to make sure we get back as much criminal earnings as possible. Sometimes that takes a while, but we won't give up on it.”