PEOPLE are being urged to pass on anonymous tip-offs as calls to a leading charity about knife and gun crime continue to rise.

Crimestoppers has launched a new campaign with a stark warning that 'silence won’t stop violence' after knife crime incidents continue to spiral in the region's communities.

According to it's latest figures knife crime reports to the charity are up more than 340 per cent in four years, with gun and firearm information rising by a third.

It highlights a 93 per cent rise in UK hospital admissions for knife attacks on under-16s since 2012.

Now Ruth McNee, North East Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, is urging people to pass on information to help tackle the growing problem and help to ease the pressure on the NHS.

She said: “Violence in all its forms, has a significant impact on communities in the North East and across the UK; from victims of domestic abuse, to young people carrying knives, its ripple effect can fuel the fear of crime, tear apart families, and overstretch our health service who have to deal with the resulting physical and emotional trauma.

“A public health approach recognises that violence is a preventable problem requiring a society-wide response. We’re supporting this through early intervention and education to help prevent violence happening in the first place.

"We recognise that you may be close to crime, but may also want to do the right thing and bring violence in your community to an end. If you know who may be carrying weapons or threatening or harming others, you can tell us 100 per cent anonymously.”

The three-week campaign will highlight the charity's youth service Fearless.org, which gives young people access to information and advice about crime and criminality.

To find out more about the campaign, visit Crimestoppers-uk.org or if you have information about violent crime, including knife crime, call freephone 0800 111 555.