POLICE are sending a clear message to criminals planning to prey on shoppers this Christmas – there will be nowhere to hide in Chester.

On the day the big wheel returns to the city skyline to help attract even more shoppers to Chester, extra officers will take to the streets to clamp down on opportunistic thieves and troublemakers.

Inspector Ian Thorp, head of Chester Inner Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “The message from Cheshire police is simple.

“Anyone out to commit crime – be it shoplifting, anti-social behaviour or drink-related violence – is not welcome in Chester this Christmas.”

Police will be working closely with Chester Against Business Crime (CABC) – a partnership of 200 city shops – to make sure shoplifters and sneak thieves do not go unpunished.

“We have got it all sewn up, we know exactly who to look out for,” said city centre crime manager Bob Lelliott.

Member stores are equipped with state-of-the-art digital radios providing a direct link to Chester Town Hall’s CCTV suite, where staff will scrutinise feeds from 150 security cameras placed around the city.

Mr Lelliott added: “If anything happens on the streets of Chester someone, somewhere is going to see it. That really makes our city extremely safe.”

Members will meet on a weekly basis in December to pinpoint persistent offenders – who can be issued with a year-long shop ban by police.

Forty individuals are currently excluded from all 200 member shops in the city, including those in Grosvenor Shopping Centre.

“These aren’t elderly ladies stealing cat food because they can’t afford to feed their cats,” said Mr Lelliott.

“They are proper shoplifters who every member has said they want excluded from stores. There are some shops being particularly hammered at this time of year.”

In recent months CABC has distributed more than 2,000 ‘jingle bells’, which can be attached to purses or wallets to deter thieves from pouncing on unwitting late-night shoppers.

Insp Thorp added: “Theft is often mistakenly regarded as a ‘petty’ crime but has a significant impact on retailers which in the long-term impacts on the shoppers themselves, not to mention the business owners, their families, and the local community.

“We have a successful history of working closely with local retailers, businesses and city centre licensees to ensure everyone has an enjoyable and safe Christmas.”