Crooks cracked; POLICE EXTEND SUCCESSFUL CRACKDOWN ON FESTIVE THIEVES.

Byline: ADAM JUPP

A FESTIVE blitz on shop thieves is spreading to the suburbs.

Police in Newcastle launched Operation Cracker to combat the annual rise in shoplifting in the run-up to Christmas.

It was kicked off in the city centre, with a series of persistent crooks already stopped in their tracks.

Now, police in the Gosforth and Great Park areas are staging a similar crackdown.

Extra teams of uniform and undercover officers are flooding key retail areas, including Kingston Park and Gosforth High Street.

And they are working with the force's Metro Unit and Nexus to stop travelling thieves on the network, with suspects being stopped and searched.

Anyone arrested for theft will, where possible, be given bail conditions banning them from coming back into the area they were arrested.

Neighbourhood Insp Ronnie Lowes said: "One of the key parts of the operation is targeting criminals travelling on the Metro system and on buses.

"If we suspect anyone of shoplifting we'll be putting them straight back on the bus or Metro. They won't even be allowed the opportunity to attempt to steal anything."

Crime prevention advice will also be issued to shoppers to raise awareness of purse-dipping in Newcastle, and how they can keep their property safe.

The operation in Gosforth and Great Park, launched at the weekend, complements the ongoing city centre operation, which has so far seen 82 people arrested for shoplifting.

City Centre Neighbourhood Insp Darren Sweeney said: "I want to warn people thinking about coming here to steal that we are doing everything in our power to prevent offences taking place."

CAPTION(S):

CHECKS: Insp Ronnie Lowes, right, and Sgt Mark Sutcliffe on the platform at Kingston Park Metro station as part of the operation