SHOPLIFTERS in Bishop Auckland will receive festive greetings, together with a seasonal warning from police this Christmas.

Officers from Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood Police Team will be delivering Christmas cards to known offenders in the area in a bid to reduce crime during December.

PC Kimberley Marshall said: “As the shops become busier over the coming weeks we want to remind regular offenders that we are watching them.

“They’ll be receiving a Christmas card from Durham Constabulary, along with a little note reminding them that they are banned from the shopping centres in an and around Bishop Auckland.

“We’ll be running extra patrols, both uniformed and plain clothed, in the Tindale and St Helen Auckland retail park and the town centre.

“The stores have also been issued with photographs of known offenders and will be using the Shop Watch scheme to keep them out of stores.”

For more details about the scheme or to speak to a member of the Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood Police Team, call 101.