Student crimebusters were celebrating today after big-hearted benefactors set them on their way to Canada to work with the famous Mounties.

The Telegraph & Argus revealed last month how a proposed fact-finding mission organised by Shipley College students was threatened by a funding shortfall.

The multi-agency Shipley Constituency Anti-Crime Partnership made a last-minute plea in the T&A for sponsorship to ensure the £8,000 trip could go ahead, and the report prompted donations of more than £1,000 from the Yorkshire Sikh Forum, Killip's Carpets in Shipley, RK Services in Bradford, and several anonymous sponsors.

Now the team of nine anti-crime volunteers is due to leave for Vancouver on April 21.

The Shipley College students have already helped the police with several initiatives, including a Cop and Shop event and pre-Christmas town centre patrols in Shipley.

During their seven-day visit to British Columbia, where volunteering with the police is firmly established, they will work alongside the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in various areas of Vancouver, including Chinatown and Burnaby.

They hope to learn about anti-crime initiatives which will boost police volunteering in the Shipley area.

Anti-crime volunteer James Perkins, 17, said: "We thought the trip was going to be scrapped so we're very pleased to actually be going. Hopefully we'll bring back a lot of good anti-crime ideas that can be used in Shipley.''

Anti-crime partnership development officer PC Andy Tate, who is also going to Canada, said: "These donations have made the difference and I'm ecstatic that the trip can now go ahead. It would have been a great disappointment if it didn't.

"We'll be looking in depth at volunteering and what's happening over there to tackle crime and fear of crime over here.''

The trip will help the anti-crime partnership formulate an action plan and guidelines for police volunteering as well as applying for funding to pay for an organiser to recruit more volunteers.