A DRIVE to cut thefts from shops and stores in Lydney has been launched by traders and Forest police.

The new Storewatch initiative started on Monday this week. Tesco, The Co-operative, Co-operative Pharmacy, Dorothy Perkins, Lloyds Pharmacy, Bargain Booze, Martins Newsagents, The Factory Shop and Harry Tuffins have already signed up, with others expected to join them soon.

The scheme will involve local police providing information and photos of persistent and banned offenders to shop managers so that they can prevent further incidents.

It will also see increased communication between stores when shoplifting happens. Each shop will have a linked telephone line so that if a theft takes place the other businesses can be made aware immediately and potentially avoid becoming a victim themselves.

Police Community Support Officer Dan Wilce, from the Forest Local Policing Team, said: "We've got supermarkets, newsagents and general stores to agree to this.

"Each store has to sign a disclosure agreement before joining up and the information sharing is done in a very strict and regimented way. We will also meet regularly with the businesses to update them on the latest situation.

"There have been a number of shoplifting offences in Lydney in recent months and we're hoping this scheme will have a significant impact, as a similar initiative in Gloucester has.

"If it is successful we will look to roll this out across all the Forest towns."