There has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of calls made to Crimestoppers during the last year but the charity is still keen to work with Northamptonshire Police to improve the figure.

A series of posters encouraging people to keep their cars and homes locked are now set to go up around the county in the coming weeks as part of a campaign asking more people to call Crimestoppers.

And its launch has been timed to beat the rise in crime that traditionally comes in the autumn, when criminals take advantage of the darker nights to break into houses or steal from cars.

Chairman of Northamptonshire Crimestoppers, an independent charity which allows people to report crimes and give information to police anonymously, Martin Lawrence said: "This campaign is an opportunity for the citizens of Northamptonshire to help keep burglary and car crime low and to help make the county a safe place to live and work."

The location of anyone ringing Crimestoppers cannot be traced and calls are not recorded.

The first posters promoting the campaign were unveiled at a launch at Wellingborough's Olympic Way Co-op store – an area which has had crime problems in the past.

And it is hoped they will stop people worrying about reporting crimes or providing information which may help lead to the arrest of a criminal.

Supt Simon Blatchly said: "We rely on people coming forward with information about crime and criminals, and Crimestoppers offers people a way of passing on what they know without fear of being identified.

"We strongly support anything that encourages people to come forward and help us take action on crime."

Police officers and PCSOs in the 41 safer community teams across the county will distribute the posters in local crime hotspots.

The launch comes just a week after Wellingborough Police urged residents on the Hemmingwell and Queensway estates to take care after a spate of burglaries, many of them at unlocked homes.

If you have any information about criminal activity and you would like to report it you can either contact the police on 08453 700700 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.