DUDLEY police have joined forces with security guards at Merry Hill in the run-up to Christmas to ensure shoppers aren’t targeted by thieves.

Over the next few weeks, neighbourhood officers and the mall’s security team will be patrolling the aisles wearing special head-cams to catch any opportunist thieves on camera.

The initiative, called Operation Blizzard, aims to reduce pick pockets, robberies and anti social behaviour during the centre’s extended opening hours.

The head-cams have been funded by Dudley's Safe & Sound Community Safety Partnership and will continue to be used by officers following the festive season.

Sergeant Richard Evans, who is heading the joint operation, said:"A no-tolerance approach will be used by the team of officers and security staff to ensure that the Merry Hill Centre continues to be a low crime area. The head-cams will allow us to film areas such as the bus station, giving us an extra pair of eyes to help us prevent incidents before they happen.”

Meanwhile police officers are also working with Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse in a seperate initiative to get shoppers to register their newly purchases electrical goods on the UK’s national property register – Immobilise.com.

As pat of the scheme employees are also recommending customers register the serial numbers on their mobile phones to ensure phones can be traced back to its rightful owner if it is lost or stolen.

Sergeant Mick Wennen, from Dudley's Local Priorities Team, said: “This is a great opportunity for us to take positive steps to deter the buying and selling of stolen electrical goods across the borough.

"The more people that register their valuables on the Immobilise.com website, the better chance we have of tracking down criminals and returning stolen property back to its rightful owner.”

Items that can be registered include sat navs, game consoles, TVs, Ipods, computers, bikes and jewellery.