A CRACKDOWN on crime over the festive period in Salisbury saw a drop in the number of shoplifting incidents reported to police.

Operation Hamper has been hailed a success by police.

It was launched in response to the seasonal rise in reported thefts and anti-social behaviour around the city centre in previous festive periods.

Prior to Operation Hamper being launched on November 21, the city had seen a rise in shoplifting incidents. In November, there were 53 reported incidents.

In December, there were 27, with just six reported in the final two weeks of the month.

Wiltshire Police says that with "improved recording of evidence and quicker reporting of offences" it has also seen a "significant improvement" in detection rates, with only three offences reported in December where no suspects have been identified.

Inspector Pete Sparrow said: “Operation Hamper has been a huge success over the festive period. By working closely with partners including Salisbury BID, CCTV, Venture Security, ShopWatch and PubWatch, we’ve been able to ensure Salisbury was a safe place to enjoy the many different activities and attractions in the city during December.

“Research shows that preventative measures used by shops before offences occur are far more effective than enforcement options after the event – the use of the ShopWatch and PubWatch radios has been invaluable during the operation and we will continue to utilise the systems."

As part of Operation Hampshire officers maintained a visible presence throughout the city to detect offences as they happened and deter offenders from coming to Salisbury to commit crime.

They also worked closely with partners and made better use of the ShopWatch and PubWatch radio systems, linking the city CCTV and police to shops and licensed premises.

Inspector Sparrow added: “I’d like to thank all those involved in Operation Hamper – now that it has come to an end, it does not mean that we will be complacent. Officers will continue to conduct regular patrols, both overtly and covertly, throughout the coming weeks and months as the city no doubt continues to be busy with the January sales. We will also continue our close partnership working to ensure offenders are caught and put before the courts.”