FESTIVE thieves are being targeted by the most widespread Christmas crime prevention scheme ever to hit Blackburn town centre.

Operation Mistletoe will begin in the next few days, even though its official launch will not be until December 1.

And police, Blackburn Council and town centre staff are hoping it will be the most effective anti-theft drive the town has ever seen.

Crooks who traditionally target town centre shops during the busy Christmas period will face a barrage of crime prevention measures.

They will include:

Ten uniformed officers patrolling the shopping precinct and nearby shops on a daily basis.

Police motorcyclists monitoring car parks and the edges of the town centre looking for car crooks.

Officers and horses from the force's mounted branch along with members of the Special Constabulary carrying out high-visibility policing.

Plain-clothed officers from Lancashire Police's operational support unit moving into town to try and catch thieves in the act.

Use of the town's closed circuit television cameras and the Radio Link scheme to track suspected crooks and monitor stores.

Police will also apply to the courts for people arrested in the town centre to be barred from returning until their cases have been heard. Last year Christmas crime crackdown, Operation Yuletide, resulted in 82 arrests and around £3,000-worth of property being recovered.

But Sergeant Alan Holt, of Blackburn Police's crime prevention team, said: "We are confident this will be the most effective Christmas operation the town has ever had.

"We will be paying special attention to auto crime but anti-social behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated and we aim to create a feeling of confidence, security and safety in the town centre."

The operation, which will run until the end of December, has been organised in conjunction with Blackburn Council, town centre managers, the Association for Prevention of Theft in Shops and the Chamber of Trade.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.