Police launch blitz on festive crime

Plans aim to protect shoppers, retail workers and revellers as incidents tend to spike at Christmas...

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CRACKDOWN: Shop crime.

NATIONWIDE festive crackdown on crime and antisocial behaviour in town and city centres has been launched.

Police, councils, and businesses are uniting to protect shoppers, retail workers and Christmas revellers.

Police will use hotspot patrols and locally tailored approaches to clamp down on shop theft and street crime.

The Winter of Action builds on the Safer Streets Summer initiative, which took place in almost 650 town centres and resulted in more than 16,000 arrests and fines, mostly for shop theft and antisocial behaviour.

The summer also saw targeted visible patrols up almost 20 per cent compared to the previous year.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, below, said: "Shoplifting and antisocial behaviour are tearing at the fabric of our communities.

"This winter we are launching a crime-fighting blitz with police patrolling our high streets across the country.