CASTLE Point and Rochford residents are being urged to get behind a scheme to tackle burglars which could earn them a reward.

The organisation offers up to £1,000 for information leading to the charging of burglars.

The Crimestoppers’ ad-van was in the district yesterday following a campaign featuring Christmas cards, Bluetooth messaging, bus shelter, Facebook and radio adverts, encouraging residents to speak to police or the crime-fighting charity about what they know about burglaries and stolen goods.

The campaign follows Essex Police’s Operation Horton in Castle Point, in which officers leaflet and door-knock houses in the area around a burglary, to build up intelligence. Insp Chris Wood said the operation had yielded results.

He said: “We did have a period where there were a high number of dwelling burglaries and a short series of commercial robberies but we’ve put quite a lot of work in responding to those and, over the last month or so, we have seen a slow and steady reduction in the Castle Point area.”

Members of the public are eligible to claim a reward if their information given to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 leads to a successful arrest.