MAYDAY, Mayday for louts and thieves - Blackpool police are leading a hard-hitting campaign to cut crime over this May Bank Holiday weekend.

Operation Arrival, launched at Easter to combat a customary upsurge of trouble over the summer season, is at full strength on bank holidays.

The operation homes in on car crime and anti-social behaviour with high-profile police patrols around pubs, clubs and shopping centres and volunteers from organisations such as the AA handing out anti-crime leaflets in car parks.

Scores of officers involved in Operation Arrival will again target known offenders, effectively taking them out of the picture for the weekend, backed up by a drive to promote Crimestoppers (0800) 555111 - a free confidential phoneline for the public to provide information to the police.

DCI Michael Gradwell, leading the operation, said: "We had a particularly successful operation over the Easter period and it was always our intention to continue this initiative over the major holiday weekends.

"We're aiming to make the May Day weekend operation just as effective in targeting car crime and anti-social behaviour."

Rowdy visitors boost central Blackpool's annual crime rate to seven times the national average - a figure the police have pledged to fight.

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