POLICE officers will hand deliver Christmas cards to the North-East's 300 top shoplifters this week, warning them not to spend the festive season in a prison.

The card will warn the most prolific shoplifters across Durham, Cleveland and North Yorkshire they are being watched, and says: “Spend your Christmas at home with your family, not in a police cell.”

The picture on the front of the card was specially designed by a Darlington primary school pupil.

Inside, the card tells the thief: “You are strongly advised to stop taking part in theft.

“We would hate to have to deprive you of your liberty over the festive season.”

The card is the brainchild of the North East Retail Crime Partnership, which has teamed up with Durham, Cleveland and North Yorkshire police forces to try to reduce shoplifting in the run-up to Christmas.

Sarah Bird, head of business crime at the NERCP, said: “We have delivered this initiative for the past two years with some great results, seeing on average 83 per cent of recipients not being detected as taking part in retail crime over the festive period after receiving the card.”

The offenders are all known to retailers as prolific shoplifters who are active all year round as well as Christmas. Some also travel to other local areas to commit crime.

Ms Bird added: “By working with all three forces along with national and local retailers, we have created a regional message for the offenders, which will not only deter them from committing crime in their own local area but also in the surrounding areas, tackling a great deal of displaced crime.”