SHOPLIFTERS could find themselves hit hard after police and retail chiefs launched an anti-shoplifting campaign.

County Durham has been chosen to take part in a scheme which could see offenders facing civil action as well as criminal prosecution.

Durham Constabulary, Durham Agency Against Crime and the North-East Retail Crime Partnership are leading the way in the drive to tackle thieves who cost the county's economy hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

Under the two-year trial scheme, shops in the partnership will be able to ask police for the names and addresses of anyone arrested for shoplifting at their store.

Shops and businesses will then be able to take action through the civil courts to claw back some of the costs incurred in maintaining security at their stores.

Partnership chairman Elaine Carey said: "The real beauty of retail civil recovery is that it increases the costs of shop theft to the criminal.

"Instead of passing the costs on to the consumer through an increase in the cost of goods, shop thieves are paying for their own crime."

The organisation's chief executive Anne Tate said it was definitely time that thieves paid for their crimes.

She said: "It's not about the value of the goods stolen, but a reflection of the costs that stores incur in order to prevent shop theft through various security systems."

The civil penalty system is said to have a proven track record after being successfully adopted by Northumbria Police last year.

One Newcastle department store, already using the system, reported that none of the 59 people arrested in a 12-month period came back to steal from the shop.

The County Durham project was unveiled by police and members of the partnership in the Cornmill Centre, Darlington.

Durham Chief Constable Paul Garvin said: "This pilot scheme is the first time we've allowed the release of details of shop thieves for the purposes of retail civil recovery.

"We know it will have a positive effect, reducing the levels of theft from shops and preventing repeat offending."