POLICE in Accrington are tackling festive crooks by manning a mobile station in the town centre.

The special mobile police station will be taking pride of place over the next few weeks, to help cut back the seasonal rise in pick-pocketing and theft.

Sergeant Julian Platt, town centre Sergeant for Accrington, said: "Accrington doesn't have a particular problem, but most town centres can predict an increase in crime over Christmas. We expect an increase in pick-pockets, shoplifters and car crimes."

The mobile police station will sit on the car park in between the market hall and bus station, and will be staffed throughout the day and into the evening during late-night shopping.

It is hoped that an increased town centre presence by the police, along with the regular police station on Manchester Road, will put off criminals.

And Sgt Platt issued a stern warning to anybody looking to cause trouble over the festive season. He said: "We are committed to the town centre. And to anyone committing crimes, the likelihood of being arrested will be higher than any other town centre in East Lancashire."

The unit, a 30-foot-long trailer used as a mobile incident unit and communications room during big investigations, will be manned by officers from throughout the county.

Sgt Platt added: "We are not reducing the number of officers on the beat in Accrington to staff the station. We have got extra money to pay overtime, so we are staffing it with officers from around the division.

"At nights we are also running the pub watch scheme, where if anyone gets barred from one pub, they get barred from all 16 in the town centre.

"The mobile station is just one strategy. It's just another way of keeping officers in the town centre and letting people interact with them."

The mobile unit will be in Accrington this week until Sunday, then from December 20 to 24. The station will be manned from noon until 8pm on late-night shopping days, and from 10am to 4pm on other days.