The activity organised in an initiative to help shoppers in Guildford enjoy a crime-free Christmas led to the number of offences committed on Saturday (19 December) to fall by 75 per cent in comparison to the same day last year.

The Guildford Borough Day has been hailed an overwhelming success by the borough’s Crime Reduction Advisor PC Steve Cake. He said: “The day’s activities were received extremely well by members of the public and shop keepers alike. The aim of the operation was to provide high visibility reassurance for shoppers and retailers on what is traditionally the busiest day for Christmas shopping in the town.”

As a result of the operation which ran between the hours of 9am and 3.30pm there were twenty two officers from the Safer Neighbourhood team out in different locations across Guildford. They were joined by staff from partner agencies including the Fire and Rescue Service and Guildford Borough Council and together they kept an eye out for any suspicious behaviour whilst providing reassurance advice to shoppers.

The number of offences committed during the day was a total of four, of which three were for shoplifting and one was for obstructing police. This compares with a total of twelve offences for the same day last year.

PC Cake added: "This shoppers’ reassurance event is demonstrably effective in that it has reduced crime by three-quarters. The neighbourhood team will continue to carry out similar operations across the borough in its ongoing work to ensure Guildford remains a safe and pleasant place to live and work.”