Police have warned shoppers to watch out for thieves in the run-up to Christmas.

The warning comes after a series of thefts of charity collection boxes and purses in Wallingford.

The nuisance of anti-social behaviour has led one resident to call for criminals to be named and shamed in a list.

Sgt Irfon Rees, of Wallingford Police, said charity boxes had been stolen from the post office in St Martin's Street and Unwins in St John's Road.

He added that wallets and mobile phones have also been targeted by thieves.

Sgt Rees said the festive season provided opportunities for thieves from outside the area, as people carried more cash and were distracted by shopping displays.

"This is the time there are rich pickings for thieves and people need reminding," he said. "With our resources being stretched, the public need to be more vigilant."

Leaving valuables unattended in shopping trolleys was a common mistake, he said.

The theft alert follows a spate of loutish behaviour in the centre of Wallingford.

Noel Frost, of Goldsmith's Lane, Wallingford, said troublemakers should be named and shamed.

Mr Frost, 64, said: "An antisocial list could be produced and advertised to encourage parents to be more responsible."

Sgt Rees said he sympathised, but said naming and shaming could be the modern equivalent of putting people in the stocks.

Sgt Jan Penny, a Thames Valley Police community and race relations officer for south Oxfordshire, said publishing names could infringe human rights.