Serial shoplifters are being hit with restraining orders in a bid to reduce thefts in one city centre.
It is believed to be the first time a Welsh police force has used the technique to prevent repeat offenders from entering shops.
North Wales Police’s Operation Blizzard, which was launched in Wrexham earlier this month, means restraining orders can be used to prevent someone from entering a store because they could cause harm to store staff due to their previous behavior .
Wrexham business owner Aaron Purvor said he had noticed “a huge drop in shoplifting and also a lot of anti-social and drunken behaviour”.
Police said two restraining orders have been issued since the operation began and Supt Jon Bowcott said there have been 731 reports of shoplifting since April 1, compared to 817 in the same period last year.
Earlier this year, a survey by the British Retail Consortium estimated the annual cost of shoplifting at £1.8 billion, with more than 45,000 incidents per day, with 60% of retailers describing the police response as poor or very poor.
They can be applied to one named store or to a chain of stores across the country.
While such orders are only sought from repeat offenders who are often responsible for a disproportionate number of shoplifting incidents, Operation Blizzard goes further.
Aaron Purvor (left) along with business partner Mido Ringer welcomed Operation Blizzard as a way to reduce theft (BBC)
Mr Purvor, who runs Ringer Geckos, a Pokemon merchandise store, with his business partner Mido, said: “When we originally opened, shoplifting was a problem.
‘But we have managed in the last 12 months to reduce the amount to perhaps £1,000 or £1,100 worth of stolen goods.
“It’s been good so far on Blizzard. We’ve noticed a huge drop in shoplifting, as well as a lot of antisocial and drunken behavior.”
Supt Jon Bowcott said patrols are being carried out in conjunction with issuing restraining orders (BBC)
Supt Bowcott said that in addition to the restraining order, the operation also involved “uniformed officers patrolling certain hotspots, areas suffering from shoplifting – as well as plainclothes officers trying to track down offenses that alert those committing offences”.
Police hope to apply the lessons learned from Operation Blizzard to other areas.