PLAIN clothes police officers will be going undercover in Darlington’s shops from this week as part of a crackdown on festive shoplifting.

Thefts from retailers traditionally peaks in the run-up to the festive season, and police in Darlington are planning an increased presence in the town’s shops – both from plain clothes and uniformed officers.

While shoplifting figures are down by three per cent on last year in Darlington, safeguarding and neighbourhoods inspector Dave Barker said it tends to peak from now until Christmas.

Police in the town started using a new system earlier this year, Sentrysis, which allows them to share information and intelligence about offenders with businesses.

Sentrysis also gives retailers an alternative way of reporting crime, and the option of uploading witness statements and CCTV evidence directly to police.

Police can also circulate appeals about wanted criminals.

Insp Barker said the system had proved successful since its introduction, enabling police to catch shoplifters who were visiting Darlington with the sole intention of stealing goods.

“It enables us to put names to faces very, very quickly and bring people to swift justice for shoplifting,” he said.

The force is also involved in a Shopwatch scheme and has a “shoplifting squad” on the look-out for crime.

Insp Barker added: “The message this December is that we don’t want to spoil your Christmas, but if you shoplift we will take action.

“We do a campaign in the run-up to the Christmas period every year and the majority of times it is plain-clothes and uniformed officers out and about as a deterrent.

“But it is also the fear factor, putting the shoplifters on the back foot.

“They could go into a shop where there is a policeman in plain clothes with a radio and he could catch them red-handed.

“We don’t have a big issue with shoplifting but in the run up to Christmas we see repeat offenders not just feeding a habit, but perhaps tempted to steal presents for loved-ones.”

Darlington Police are among the first to be using the Sentrysis system, in partnership with Durham Constabulary, the North East Retail Crime Partnership and Darlington Business Against Crime.

More forces nationally are starting to use the software, which also provides retailers and police with data about the peak times for shoplifting as well as frequently stolen items.