NETWORK Rail will offer a £1,000 reward for information to catch and convict thieves who have been stripping cable from the region's railways.

The reward, in conjunction with the charity Crimestoppers, forms part of a new campaign aimed at stamping out the problem which is particularly prevalent in the Tees Valley area.

The theft of copper cable, so it can be sold on as scrap metal, cost Network Rail £10m in the North-East alone in the last 12 months.

It also contributed to more than 145,000 minutes when trains were delayed as a result of the subsequent disruption to signalling.

The reward will be detailed in 4,000 leaflets and hundreds of posters which will be distributed in 'hotspot' areas for the crime such as Darlington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.

Network Rail has already been working with British Transport Police in a bid to prevent cable theft.

Since April 2006 police have recorded 1,158 such offences in the North-East and made 470 arrests as a result.

Dyan Crowther, route director for Network Rail, said: "We are doing everything we can to stop the cable thieves, including increasing dedicated security patrols and investigating the use of technology used by the security services to protect the cable.

"Now we are asking people who live in the areas which have been worst affected to help us to catch these thieves and to keep the railway running."

Steve Butcher, area director of train company Northern Rail, added: "Cable theft is the single biggest cause of delay to our services in the North-East at the moment resulting in disruption and inconvenience to thousands of customers.

"We welcome any information anyone can give to help catch the offenders and help eliminate this problem."

To contact Crimestoppers call 0800 555 111.