TO make this Christmas a safer and crime free shopping experience for shoppers and shopkeepers alike, St Helens Police have teamed up with St Helens Chamber of Commerce for a massive crackdown aimed at wiping the smile off crooks' faces.

Retail crime increases by up to 20 per cent in the busy period leading up to Christmas.

Large numbers of shoppers with cash in pockets act like a magnet and provide tempting territory in town centres for thieves and pickpockets.

The six-week community safety initiative, codenamed 'Operation Safer Shopping', starts in St Helens town centre today (Thursday, November 20).

St Helens Police and St Helens Chamber of Commerce will be working in partnership with the St Helens Town Centre Traders and St Helens Crime Prevention Panels to make St Helens a safe and pleasant place for Christmas shoppers.

Chief Inspector Richard Williams, operations manager at St Helens police station, said: "St Helens town centre does not suffer significantly in terms of crime and public disorder, it is our intention to keep it that way.

"We are setting up six co-ordinated operations aimed at minimising street crime, theft of and from motor vehicles, public disorder and drink/driving.

"This will involve both high visibility policing supported by plain clothes officers, combined with a heightened public awareness of how to avoid and reduce the risk of crime.

"By adopting this approach we will transfer the fear of crime and disorder from the law-abiding members of the public to those who set out to commit crime. We are determined to let the criminal fraternity know that they are not welcome in St Helens."

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Dale, added: "Throughout the initiative there will be high-profile policing throughout St Helens town centre, with uniform and plain clothes officers taking to the streets. Our aim is to make members of the public more vigilant and lessen opportunities for would-be thieves."

THROUGHOUT the six-week initiative St Helens police will be providing readers of the St Helens Star with advice on how to enjoy crime-free Christmas shopping.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.