Police are calling on Andover shop owners to review their security ahead of the festive season.

It comes as their zero-tolerance Christmas shoplifting campaign gets under way in the town.

Sergeant Glenn Curtis and PC Rachel Noble from Andover Town Centre Safer Neighbourhood Team met with representatives from businesses across the region this morning to launch Operation Scrooge.

The scheme will see patrols stepped up across the town from Monday December 1 until January 12, with both high visibility and plain clothed officers scouring the town centre, retail parks and shops on the outskirts of the town to help prevent the usual rise in thefts at this time of year. As part of the operation, store owners have been encouraged to enhance their CCTV, keep records of stock and making sure that high-value goods are not displayed in shop windows.

Sgt Curtis said: “What we have said to retailers is that it is about communication and we will be working alongside them. This will be a mix of high visibility patrolling in the town and plain clothes work.

“In the meeting this morning we have discussed crime prevention because the onus must be on them to look at their own security and to let them know we will be out there in uniform.

“We have identified a group of prolific shop lifters that we will be targeting and they will be dealt with robustly.”

During the same six-week period last year officers received 32 reports of shoplifting in the town.

Shops will be given a zero-tolerance poster to put in their windows and three A frames will be moved around the town to make people aware of the Test Valley-wide campaign.

The Neighbourhood Policing Team is also working to make shoppers aware of the increased danger of credit card fraud and thefts from handbags at this time of year.

Sgt Curtis added: “The reality is that there is a spike in crime at this time of year because Christmas puts more pressure on some people.”