Plainclothes police have been out in force on the streets of Oxford in the past few days to hound the city's worst criminals.

Officers have arrested 41 people and stopped and searched 150, since Operation Backlash started last week in a mission to target criminals and drive down burglaries, robberies and car crime.

Police said suspected burglars, drug dealers and a teenager with two knives were among those arrested, although they could not say how many people had been charged.

Officers have also filed away 33 "intelligence" reports and tips for future use.

On some days up to 30 officers have been drafted in to support the city's robbery, autocrime and burglary teams in the operation. Over the Bank Holiday weekend more than 50 were involved.

Oxford's police commander Supt Jim Trotman said: "If you are a criminal I want my officers on your back as often as I can put them out there.

"Operation Backlash is an intensive period of targeting criminals in areas where crime is being committed in Oxford."

Police officers who normally wear uniforms have been drafted in from their normal duties for the operation.

Officers on bikes, on foot and in cars have been on the lookout for known offenders or people who raise their suspicions. So far they have targeted Blackbird Leys, Headington, Barton, Risinghurst and East Oxford.

Operation Backlash is linked to Operation Brazen, which saw 77 people arrested, seven houses raided and 500 people stop-searched in the four weeks before Christmas.

Supt Trotman said: "This gives our priority burglary, autocrime and robbery teams added resources to go and push it for a couple of weeks.

"You can reduce a lot of crime by targeting someone who is a pickpocket, a bike thief and a minor drug dealer. By arresting them you reduce overall crime. I think the operation has gone well. We have had a lot more intelligence gained, we have had criminals who have been arrested as they have committed crimes."

He added: "Where we have evidence of crime, we are arresting and robustly dealing with these people in a concerted drive to get them off our streets.

"Criminals and their associates should realise that we know who they are and we will find them.

"The figures so far show how successful this is being and I am confident that the level of disruption will bring about a reduction in crime."

A spokesman said the operation was not linked to research by an insurance company which ranked Oxford fifth in a list of burglary hotspots - a claim police reject.