A SHOP-to-shop community radio system to combat crime has been given a new lease of life by police public inquiry assistant Lisa Bell.

The system was introduced into shops in Bacup in 1997 but had fallen into disuse.

Lisa, 26, has worked in the police service for 12 months, and when she was appraised one of the objectives she was set was to cut crime.

She said: "There had been a spate of shoplifting from the town's main supermarkets and the radio system was no longer being used to report crimes direct to the police station.

"At one stage Bacup had no public inquiry desk so there was no one to pick up on the messages and respond immediately.

"Now there are three of us permanently based here we can pass the message on quickly to officers on duty. "I contacted the shops that had been involved with the system and they were pleased to resume using the equipment."

Lisa said the radios can be used to contact the police about crimes and also to warn other shopkeepers in the network about known criminals.

She said: "It will improve the levels of communication between the police and the shopkeepers of Bacup and give them the confidence to know we are concerned about what is happening in the town centre."

Shops involved in the scheme include Healds, Co-op, Bacup news, Bacup Travel and Cheers.

Other shops are welcome to join the network but will have to purchase their own radio set.

Sheila Kershaw, manager of Healds Day and Nite, King Street, said: "We are happy to be back involved with the radio scheme. It builds up a rapport between shopkeepers so we are all aware of what is going on in the town and it is a good crime prevention tool."