The police rely heavily on paid and unpaid informers: without them, clear-up rates would fall, and many crimes remain undetected. Yet little is known about the informer system and how it works. For example, who are these informers? How are they recruited? How are they handled? What are their motives in informing? Who handles them? What sort of information do they provide? How are they regulated? Recent high-profile cases have drawn attention to the use of informers, and there has been a growing debate about the subject, particularly in the light of new human rights legislation. Many feel that stricter controls are needed -- but how is this to be achieved without undermining the effectiveness of the system? This is the first book of its kind on informers in Britain, providing an invaluable source of information and analysis from key authorities in the field, both academics and practitioners. The book addresses a wide range of issues relating to the use of informers, from informing in drugs-related crime and the ethics of informer handling, to gender issues in informing, the use of juvenile informers, the experience of the Crimestoppers scheme, witness protection schemes and the impact on the regulation and use of informers of the Human Rights Act 1998. It will be essential reading for all those with an interest in the subject of informers.