New Shopwatch scheme launches in Thame in effort to improve communications between town's retailers

Under the scheme, shoplifters could be banned from all the town’s shops while shop owners will be given radios to improve communications between each other and the police.

Police Community Support Officer James Hopkin, based at Thame, said: “The stores that have signed up will be receiving a radio which will be linked to each other and the force itself.

“This will enable faster and better communication between the shops.

“The purpose of Shopwatch is to enable instant communication between retailers.

“An example of when Shopwatch would show its full potential would be if a group were trying to spend counterfeit currency in one store.

“They could then contact any other stores in the Shopwatch to make them aware.

“Secondly there will also be a scheme similar to Pub Watch, where a person banned from one shop will be banned from them all.

“This will cover any offence they have committed and hopefully reduce the number of issues in the town.”

All the shops that have signed up so far will display either a yellow Shopwatch sticker or a red Thame Shopwatch exclusion zone sticker.

The scheme is being run as a partnership between Thames Valley Police, South and Vale Crime Partnership, Thame Town Council and MRS Communications.