LONG-distance crooks who are responsible for a crimewave in two South Ribble villages are to be targeted as part of a new police crackdown.

Dozens of officers are being drafted in to Bamber Bridge and Penwortham in an attempt to catch the villains who travel from Preston, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to raid properties in the South Ribble area.

Police believe the two villages have become targets for offenders because of their closeness to the local motorway network, which means crooks from Merseyside and Manchester can be back at home within 20 minutes of committing an incident.

The areas are also suffering because they are the nearest villages to Preston - and excellent crime prevention initiatives in the town have pushed lawbreakers onto the other side of the River Ribble.

Detective Sergeant Dave McKenna, of Bamber Bridge Police, said: "This operation will run for two to three weeks from July 2.

"Both areas have become the victims of criminals travelling from other areas. Hopefully we will be able to catch them and deter people who might be considering it in the future.

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