PROLIFIC shoplifters are being warned to stay away in the run up to the festive period.

Suspected offenders operating in the Redcar area will receive a personal Christmas card through their letterbox as police launch their annual seasonal crime prevention campaign - Operation Scrooge.

Timed to coincide with Redcar's Christmas lights switch-on, on Thursday, Operation Scrooge has run for a number of years and targets those suspected of being involved in retail crime in Redcar and Guisborough town centres and Skippers Lane Retail Park.

Cleveland Police has joined forces with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Commercial Investment Manager Pat Cambage and Redcar Business Against Crime to tackle the problem.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Helen Barker said: "My message to those who believe our town centres offer rich pickings from their shops and visitors is that we are watching you. We know who you are - as proven by our hand-delivered Christmas cards - and if you persist in committing crime, wewill do all we can to bring you before the courts."

Mr Cambage added: "Redcar and Guisborough have very effective shop link radio schemes, which are linked to the police and to the council's CCTV centre.

This allows the partners to respond quickly and effectively to any incidents and keeps town centres safer for businesses, residents, shoppers and visitors."

Offenders will get an exclusion order, banning them from whichever location they were caught stealing in.