A NEW initiative is under way to keep a town’s businesses safer from criminals.

The Business Crime Reduction Partnership has seen Skipton’s ShopWatch, pubs network STAND, the town partnership and the police join forces to reduce thefts from shops and tackle other anti-social behaviour.

The use of radios by shops and pubs to warn others of potential troublemakers has been developed in the town before.

But the new Skipton scheme will make available, for a small monthly fee, the latest digital radios to all members, plus access to a secure internet-based database of offender details.

Businesses will be able to check on and identify people acting suspiciously as well as report incidents.

Launching the scheme at the town’s Swadford Centre, Susan Trinder (pictured), of Skipton Town Partnership, said: “This is a chance to develop a network where all businesses can look out for each other and therefore reduce crime and anti-social behaviour across the town.”