POLICE have launched a campaign to target thieves who use busy market days to steal purses and bags, mainly from elderly women.

Officers in Northallerton will be carrying out high-visibility patrols, distributing leaflets and offering advice to shop staff on how to beat the thieves.

In the past four months, 22 purses have been stolen in Northallerton, half of them on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Officers said criminals were taking advantage of the extra crowds on the market days and that the main targets for the thieves were elderly women.

Police and community support officers in Northallerton have now joined forces with Hambleton CCTV, Northallerton Shopwatch, the United Reformed Church, charity shops and cafs to launch Operation Exclude.

Posters are being displayed in the town's cafs, charity shops and other retail outlets, and staff are being recruited and trained to spot potential victims and give them an advice leaflet.

They also hope to educate visitors on security, especially the importance of keeping purses out of sight and in a secure place.

PC John Trueman, who leads Operation Exclude, and a team of community support officers, will be making extra market day patrols giving advice to potential victims and acting as a visible deterrent to thieves.

The campaign was launched at this week's farmers' market and PC Trueman is already hailing it a success.

He said: "Thieves are taking purses and sometimes bags on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and elderly ladies are the most frequent victims.

"Wednesday's launch was very successful, and we had a positive response from everyone we spoke to about purse and bag security. Good advice never goes amiss."

"This is a real community effort. Everyone is behind the aim of preventing crime by teaching potential victims the best way to protect their property."

He said the targeting of elderly ladies by the thieves was simply not acceptable.