Light-fingered Shoppers Beware

Police in Torbay are running an operation to crack down on retail theft across the bay in the weeks leading to Christmas.

From now until Christmas Eve police officers and PCSOs from the Torbay Neighbourhood team are running the high-profile uniformed campaign, seven days a week.

An extra six uniformed officers will be patrolling Torquay town, Paignton and the Willows out-of-town shopping centre as part of Operation Action.

They'll be a high visual deterrent to would-be thieves  while adding to the store's own prevention measures by liaising with the private security officers.

They'll be able to stop and search people they believe are shop-lifting, as well as providing crime prevention  and personal security advice to shoppers. 

A similar campaign last year resulted in 70 people being caught thieving. 

 PC Nick Holland's been talking to our reporter Wendy Buckingham CLICK HERE