Thousands of pounds of illegal Drugs money, seized by police, is being pumped into a community football project in Bradford.

Senior officers at four Yorkshire police forces teamed up yesterday to kick off the Why Should They campaign, aimed at curbing the benefits criminals gain from the misery of others.

A Bradford hotel was the venue for the showcasing of success stories about the use of the Proceeds of Crime Act and how local communities had profited from it.

One project to benefit is the Zara Sports Project which has been presented with a £5,000 cheque by West Yorkshire Police to continue its work with a football project in Heaton.

The money was presented after Bradford District Drugs Team seized £872,000 from a house in Heaton. The cash was forfeited under the Proceeds of Crime Act and is now being used in the community.

Youngsters between 13 and 16 in the Zara Sports Project receive professional football coaching every Friday night, alongside expert education on topics such as drugs, alcohol, guns, knives and anti-social behaviour.

The launch of the campaign was based on a game show theme – ‘Look At What They Could Have Won, if it wasn’t for POCA.’ Among the items on display were two Range Rovers, examples of the cars, cash, houses and other assets police are seizing from criminals. Courts can then order the assets to be repaid.

West Yorkshire Police’s Deputy Chief Constable David Crompton said: “Criminals do make profits from ill-gotten gains and we will not stand by and allow it to happen.

“Using the Proceeds of Crime Act we have the powers to take away from those who have made money out of making the lives of others a misery.”

The four forces used POCA to recover more than £4m of assets from criminals in October and November.

Anyone who suspects someone is living off the proceeds of crime can ring Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. They can also visit whyshouldthey.com.