Okehampton business owners are banding together to fight shoplifting in the town centre.

Shopkeepers who are at the end of their tether over a spate of thefts held a meeting  recently to discuss emergency action.

They are considering a ‘banned from one, banned from all’ scheme and a range of other measures in a bid to tackle the problem.

Business owners in the town centre have also set up a WhatsApp group in which images and CCTV footage of perpetrators and other individuals suspected of shoplifting from their premises can be shared with one other, thus allowing for wider identification of those targeting their stores.

They were also reminded at the meeting, attended by the local police, that they have the right to ban anyone they want to from their own premises.

Mark Turner, owner of Donalds Menswear who called the meeting, told his fellow business owners that the most effective way of doing so was to hand them a banning notice.

This can be for a set timeframe or even for life, informing them that if they enter the premises again they are trespassing and should they shoplift again they will be charged with burglary — a more serious offence.

Neighbourhood beat manager for Okehampton PC Matt Hawke, who was at the meeting, said he supported this action. He also stressed that business owners should continue to report incidents to the police as and when they happen.

However, shopkeepers at the meeting told the police officer that they felt that when they had done this, they had been dealt with ineffectively. They also felt there was a lack of police presence in the town.

They made the comparison with Tavistock which has three officers and three PCSOs, and said the felt that Okehampton was short changed in comparison.

A fact sheet given out at the meeting highlighted that Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez’s Police and Crime Plan for 2021-25 did not focus on retail crime, with this only being mentioned briefly on page 18 of the document.

PC Hawke admitted that more serious crimes are prioritised, with incidents graded on the risk to people they pose when officers are sent out to them,

Responding to the question of police resources, he confirmed that a new neighbourhood beat manager for the town would be starting in five weeks’ time, another officer would also joining them, returning to work from long-term sick leave on limited duties and that there was a PCSO vacancy which would hopefully be filled soon.

New sergeant for the neighbourhood team of West Devon Police Tom Ottley said: ‘There are five response teams working out of Okehampton. Early May will be the earliest we will see the new neighbourhood beat manager start in uniform in Okehampton.

‘I have spoken with the clerk of the town council about this issue. We are looking at preventative measures as I believe prevention is better than a cure; specifically long-term measures.

‘Having a Business Improvement District can really help in fighting retail crime, I saw this in Plymouth where BID was used to good effect.

‘I would stress to shop owners to engage and interact with people shoplifting or suspected shoplifters and let them know their presence is felt.

‘Tell them you know who they are and that you suspect their activity. Reduce their opportunity to be unsupervised and put them off. Dial 999 if a crime is in progress However depending on what is happening at the time, we can’t always guarantee someone will be there in a short time.’

A further meeting will be taking place on May 16 at the London Inn in Okehampton at 7pm at which shopkeepers will rally once more to devise a plan which helps businesses communicate and report incidents effectively.

Sergeant Ottley has expressed his intention to attend.