SHOPLIFTING has fallen by 17 per cent in the last year at Europe’s largest out-of-town shopping centre.

The significant drop at the intu Metrocentre, near Gateshead, was achieved by a partnership between Northumbria Police and businesses and is part of the force’s Operation Soundwave, tackling opportunist thieves and burglars .

The centre, built by Sir John Hall in the 1980s attracts thousands of shoppers from across the region and beyond.

Sergeant Silvo Recchia, who manages the centre's neighbourhood police team, said: ""We consistently implement an effective range of tactics to either prevent offending in the first place or identify those responsible when offences do take place, and deal with them appropriately.

"Overall recorded crime within the centre dropped by 10 per cent in comparison to the previous year. The shopping centre has an excellent reputation as a safe and pleasant environment in which to visit and socialise and it's one of our objectives to ensure that reputation continues for the benefit of the millions of people who attend every year."

Centre security manager Paul Bentley said: "The partnership we have with the team is unique and is without doubt a significant factor in achieving these tremendous results. As a centre, we are really pleased with the reductions in crime and the fact that businesses within the centre are provided with this enhanced level of support."