A new weapon in the fight against crime has been launched by Northcliffe Electronic Publishing.

www.crimezone.co.uk is the third national website to be launched by staff based at the Derby Evening Telegraph.

The project has been developed in partnership with Derbyshire police and is unique in the UK.

The site will report on crime and crime issues throughout the UK and also offer sound advice on everything from securing the home against burglary and being safe on trains, to hiring a babysitter.

One of the features that makes www.crimezone.co.uk different is the way it combines news and advice.

Editor Peter Pheasant said: “If a celebrity assaults his wife, for example, we wouldn’t just publish the story.

“We know that many other women are in the same boat and suffering in silence. Our coverage of the attack would link them to advice on how to cope with their own problems, with contacts for groups that could help.

We will have information on how to set up Pubwatch and Farmwatch schemes, but these will be linked to stories on schemes in operation.

“Our news coverage will be local and national – from a smash-and-grab in Derbyshire to a multiple murder in Devon.

“But we will also report on successful and innovative projects to combat crime.

There are links to police forces and other useful websites, factual information on bodies such as the National Crime Squad and the Youth Justice Board, a guide to crime museums and reports on major crimes down the centuries.

www.crimezone.co.uk will cover Neighbourhood Watch activities around the country, and the site’s discussion forum will allow volunteers to talk to each other so that they can share good ideas and learn from mistakes.

Inspector Howard Frost, Derbyshire police’s crime reduction officer, called the site “a very exciting development”.

He said: “There are a few police/crime websites but this is the first and only one that has the resources of a major publishing company behind it. It will be fresh, interesting, fast and up-to-date. It’s a wonderful step forward.”

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