Shoplifters and thugs in Walton will have to be on their guard in the run up to Christmas after the Elmbridge community safety partnership revealed the town's stores have increased their use of a town centre radio system after a two-year dip.
The radios are rented by individual stories from the provider, and are linked directly to radios held by the town centre police officers and the Elmbridge CCTV control room.
The partnership said recent successes included a store using the system to report an aggressive man, who was found to have stolen goods from a number of stores, two youths found in possession of stolen property, and someone selling pirated DVDs.
Peter Kipps, Elmbridge community safety partnership manager, said: "It's pleasing to see a return to premises actively using the radios to alert other businesses to potential problems or suspicious individuals.
"While the number of businesses on the system remains the same, transmissions are increasing and we are seeing results, which is particularly important in the run up to Christmas."
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