A national crime fighting charity which offers cash rewards for tip-offs is opening a new branch in Derbyshire.

Crimestoppers is setting up the local group to raise money for its work with the police.

The national organisation runs a telephone hotline where witnesses can give information to the police anonymously from anywhere in the country.

This latest branch will focus on raising funds within Derbyshire to help run the national hotline.

Recovered goods

The only other area of the East Midlands to have a fundraising branch is Leicestershire, according to Crimestoppers' website.

Since the hotline has been set up information from 11,000 calls have been passed on to Derbyshire Police.

From those calls 70 have led to arrests and drugs and stolen property valued at nearly �50,000 has been recovered.

Tony Rogers, the chairman of the Derbyshire branch, said the rewards of up to �500 for information are not the main reason for the charity's success.

"Very few people claim any rewards.

"They do it because they know it is very important that we don't have to respond to crime if we are in front of it."