SHOP theft in Hartlepool has fallen to an all-time low.

Statistics show there were 52 recorded incidents of theft in January, the lowest since records began five years ago. The figure for January last year was 110.

The drop in cases of theft is being attributed to the success of the Crime Net initiative, which uses shared intelligence to reduce retail crime and protect staff, customers and property.

Positive working relationships between the Safer Hartlepool Partnership and local businesses have also helped.

Keith Robson, Crime Net manager, said: "We want to send a clear message to shoplifters targeting shops in Hartlepool - we intend to try to eradicate this type of crime and you will have nowhere to hide."

Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond, who is chairman of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, said: "People are more likely to come to the town to do their shopping if they feel safe, so achievements such as this are a boost."

Two campaigns over Christmas, which involved attaching bells to shoppers' purses and putting crime warning messages on clothes hangers in shops, also helped to reduce purse thefts by 50 per cent when compared to November and December of the previous year.