Police officers from all over the country are visiting Warwickshire to find out the model way to combat crime in town centre shops.

The Warwickshire Retail Crime Initiative is being promoted by the Home Office as an example of best practice.

Officers from a number of forces have already visited the town at the suggestion of the Home Office and tomorrow a delegation will arrive from North Yorkshire.

Warwickshire Police are committed to seeing the scheme role out throughout the county with Atherstone the latest town in the county.

Kenilworth joined the scheme in January and within two days had arrested an offender with seven outstanding warrants.

In Bedworth retailers have been as reported being "overwhelmingly appreciative" of the scheme which has seen a significant decrease in retail crime over the Christmas period.

With the expansion of the Warwickshire Retail Crime Initiative a working party has been set up to look at how the structure will operate.

Plans on the way forward will be announced by early April.

Chair Paul Smedley said:

"The organisation has grown out of all recognition since Royal Leamington Spa was awarded the Safer Town status back in October.

"We are therefore meeting with all the partners in the organisation to agree how best to move it forward.

“The way the organisation is growing requires us to have a highly professional structure in place and a detailed business plan is being developed to achieve this aim.

Ian Coker, Leamington town centre manager, added:

"The Warwickshire Retail Crime Initiative has proved to be good for all its partners. The close relationship we have with those partners is the important strength of the Initiative.

“It has had a beneficial impact in every town it has been introduced in and will help Warwickshire businesses, local authorities in Warwickshire and Warwickshire Police in the continual fight against all forms of town centre crime."
 

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