Police have arrested 30 people for shoplifting in Bedford since January

In Bedford, high-visibility patrols have led to 30 shoplifting related arrests since January

Officers say it’s down to their close relationship with town centre shops

Police in Bedford have arrested 30 people for since January.

It’s part of a Operation Belleville, with high-vis patrols pounding the town centre streets.

And, more importantly, in those three months, 149 crimes have been solved and there’s been 91 charges as part of the shoplifting crackdown.

Bedfordshire Police says it’s down to close relationships between shops and community policing teams – and across the county, the shoplifting solve rate has tripled because of this.