More than 60 businesses will be working together to crack down on crime as part of a new scheme launched in Wantage.

The town’s new Business Watch scheme will help to deliver information and alerts to local firms, helping to raise awareness around community safety issues.

Information will be delivered via telephone and email, in a system that has been designed to complement the successful Storenet radio scheme already running in the town.

Alison Smith, crime reduction advisor for the Wantage area, said: “This is a free scheme for businesses where they can sign up and be warned of local crime and, where they feel confident, provide a channel through which they can report suspicious people to the police.

“Wantage is a low-crime area. However this information-sharing initiative will hopefully give criminals the message that Wantage is not the place to come and commit crime.

“We already have a sizeable number of people signed up to the initiative, but our aim is to have every business in the town registered with us.”

Local businesswoman Linda Hatter, who runs the Top Hatters shop in Mill Street, said: “The new Business Watch scheme is a great initiative and it's free!

“As a sole trader it's very easy to feel a little isolated when it comes to what's going on, for example forged notes or people to look out for.

“It's such a simple, but effective, idea and I have had a couple of notifications already.”

Any local business that has not already signed up to the scheme, and would like to learn more, should contact Alison Smith in the crime reduction team on 0845 8 505 505.