THE first ever cyber crime awareness meeting organised by Thames Valley Police for local businesses will take place next month.

The event, the first of its kind to be organised by the police force will take place on November 30 at The Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot from 9am until 12.15pm.

It is open to small businesses across the Thames Valley with experts on-hand to talk about the risks of cyber-crime.

Det Supt Nick John, Head of Specialist Operations at Thames Valley Police, said: "It is easy for business owners to be complacent about IT security, or to think they won't fall victim to scams.

"However, there are businesses being affected by cyber crime on a daily basis and it is vital that this is taken seriously.

"This free event is a fantastic opportunity for small businesses to find out first-hand about the threats that exist and could affect them and their business.

"We know those involved in running small businesses are busy, but I would encourage them to take the time to come along to this event and get this valuable advice from experts to ensure their business is protected."

Along with specialists from TVP, there will be key experts from Get Safe Online, Lloyds Bank, Kaspersky Lab and the London Digital Security Centre each giving presentations and answering questions on cyber crime.

Representatives from the Oxford Cyber Security Cluster will also be in attendance to run a series of interactive workshops demonstrating how businesses can be vulnerable to cyber crime.