A CRIME-FIGHTING charity is celebrating after new figures revealed a quarter more crimes were solved in the last year compared to the previous 12 months.

On average more than 17 criminals are arrested each month thanks to West Country Crimestoppers.

Gordon Chisholm, of Crimestoppers, said: “We’re extremely proud that Crimestoppers continues to play such a vital role in helping to make our local community a safer place to live.

“I’d like to reassure the public that our service is completely anonymous and in the 23 years that the charity’s been running no one has ever been identified.

“We’re not part of the police or government, we’re an independent charity, so by contacting us you’ll never have to give a statement to the police or go to court.”

Nationally, there has been a one per cent increase in information received and a 10 per cent increase in the number of people arrested and charged as a result of information passed to Crimestoppers.