A RADIO scheme has been reintroduced in town centre shops to tackle high levels of crime in the area.

Police officers are working with 10 shops in Padiham to deter crimes such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour across the town, including Tesco supermarket, I G Todd Pharmacy, Tony’s Cooked Meat, The Factory Shop and Central Cafe, Boyes, Padiham Angling Centre and Padiham Hardware Store.

Each of the 10 store owners now have radios which all link each other and have a direct link to the local police and monitored CCTV department.

They will be able to transmit descriptions and direction of travel of suspects making it easier for CCTV to capture them and for the police to locate them.

Shop owners and managers have said the revived radio scheme makes them feel safer and think it will be a useful tool to help lower rates of crime in Padiham.

The Original Factory Shop manager Gill Taggart said: “I think it will be really useful because Padiham is a small town and we really need it because of the crime in the area.

“It’s early days but the reaction from people has been really good.

“We have links to the CCTV and if we get a potential shoplifter we can monitor them and find them.”

Central Cafe owner Kevin Curry, who has owned the store for 15 years, said he feels much safer with the revived radio scheme, and if any shop received counterfeit money they can talk to other shops about it.

He said: “We tried it a while ago and it worked then so it should work again this time.”

Councillors have said the scheme will help to make Padiham a better place to live in.

Cllr John Harbour, who is the deputy leader of the council and represents the area, said: “I think it’s good for businesses and the town and just proves their commitment to making Padiham a better place to live in.”

County Cllr Alan Hosker, who also represents the area, said he thought it was a ‘cracking’ idea and would be an effective deterrent for criminals.