Crimestoppers, the crime-reporting line charity that runs the dedicated ‘Report Doping in Sport’ line on behalf of UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has seen information double on doping in sport over the last three years.
The charity has been working with UKAD since 2010. It has released the figures in support of the organisation’s first ‘National Clean Sport Week’ (July 10 to 17), which aims to highlight the work by UKAD, sports, athletes and others to protect clean sport in the UK. The Report Doping in Sport line allows those with information on drugs cheats, to tell Crimestoppers and UKAD what they know, anonymously.
Between the financial years 2014/2015 and 2015/2016, the charity saw a 114pc increase in information passed through the line, with the number of reports rising from 49 to 105, while there was also a 15pc increase during the same period through Crimestoppers’ own anonymous service – the 0800 555 111 number and anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org. This saw a rise from 295 reports to 338.
That number further increased between 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 by 29pc through the Report Doping in Sport line (105 reports to 135 reports), and 41pc through the Crimestoppers service (338 reports to 477 reports), further indicating that the public see clean sport as integral to its honesty and integrity.
In 2016, Crimestoppers and UKAD also ran a pilot campaign called ‘Protect Your Sport, Protect Rugby’ in South Wales, using social media to encourage anyone with information about doping in rugby to come forward. The campaign saw a 42pc increase in the number of pieces of information compared with the same period the previous year covering all sport. Crimestoppers and UKAD are looking at how they can extend this pilot into other sports through funding and sponsorship opportunities.
Crimestoppers Chief Executive, Mark Hallas, said: “Our work with UKAD is vital in attempting to keep sport clean and the year on year increase in information we’ve received since 2014 is an indication that clean athletes, support staff and the public are not prepared to stand for this. By giving information through the Report Doping in Sport Line you are doing your bit to ensure your sport is fair, clean and retaining its integrity. Pick up the phone and tell us what you know, safe in the knowledge that nobody will know you contacted us.”
And UKAD Director of Operations, Pat Myhill said: “Our Report Doping in Sport line and our partnership with Crimestoppers is critical in the fight against doping. The gathering of intelligence and information is at the heart of our anti-doping programme as it drives investigations, shapes our testing programmes and can provide crucial evidence during prosecutions.
“Every piece of information we receive is important – no matter how small or innocuous it may seem. We encourage anyone with information to come forward and talk to us in confidence. Everyone deserves the right to fair and honest sport. By telling us what you know, you can help us to protect sport.”
If you have information on anyone doping, you can contact the Report Doping in Sport line by phoning 08000 32 23 32 or visiting forms.theiline.co.uk/UKAD.
