POLICE plan to introduce tough measures to prevent vulnerable witnesses and victims of crime being intimidated.

Officers say there is a growing culture of reprisals and intimidation, particularly in Ripon.

The problem was highlighted by the collapse of a recent trial when the main witness to a serious assault was too frightened to attend court.

Police are considering seeking civil injunctions to stop intimidation, providing the victim and relatives of those giving evidence with a mobile phone, using cameras to monitor the victim's house and giving support in the run-up to a court appearance.

PC Ian Parker, of Ripon police, said: "It is things that give them that extra peace of mind to say that you have gone out of our way to help us by coming forward, so in return we give them a little bit of our professionalism to help them from the time when they make that statement to when they go to court, which can be a long time."

The intimidation comes in forms including text messages, verbal threats and phone calls, damaging property and people being assaulted in their homes.

"It has got to the point where people don't even get as far as making a complaint," said PC Parker.

"They may get assaulted or property damaged, and because certain names are bandied around, they just say 'I don't want to make a complaint, I'll just leave it as it is'."

He said the problem was not exclusive to Ripon, but the nature and size of the place had made it worse.

"Ripon is a place where people are known, not only by name but by reputation as well.

"When certain people or certain groups of people are named as being offenders, some people haven't got the willingness to step forward and give evidence.

"We are trying to get that reputation and that fear away from people."