A HIGH-PROFILE police offensive against Christmas criminals has led to more than 70 arrests in the space of 18 days.

Extra uniformed and plain clothes police officers have been drafted in to Blackburn town centre since Operation Christmas Cracker started on November 28.

And the move, run jointly by Blackburn Police crime prevention unit, town centre management, Blackburn Chamber of Trade and the Association for the Prevention of Theft in Shops, was today said to have exceeded expectations.

Blackburn Police crime prevention officer Sergeant Alan Holt said the scheme was working well in partnership with the town's CCTV and radio link systems. He added: "It has been very successful. Much better than we had hoped.

"Arrests have mainly been for shop lifting and other related offences.

"There have been some repeat offenders."

Operation Christmas Cracker is one of a number of crime prevention initiatives to operate in Blackburn town centre during the festive season.

Another has been the introduction of a Pub-link radio system operating in a similar way to the communication link between shops and stores. Sergeant Holt said it was too early to calculate the benefits of Pub-link, a system which allows landlords to exchange early warning information about rowdy gangs and trouble causing revellers.

Sergeant Holt added: "It has been very well used by landlords."

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