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Shoppers in Bolton town centre are being asked to share information on burglaries or other suspicious activity with police.

Police and representatives from the Council and probation services will be on board the ‘burglary battle bus’ on Victoria Square on Saturday 21 November between 10am and 4pm, where they will be giving out free crime prevention goodies, as well as information about how residents can improve their home security.

Officers will be giving advice to shoppers and handing out free burglary information packs containing discount vouchers for security equipment at high street DIY stores, as well as property marking packs and energy saving lightbulbs, in a bid to protect homes from burglars during the winter months.

Energy giants E-on are backing the crime fighting initiative by providing the free light bulbs to help people save energy and ultimately reduce carbon emissions.

Council representatives will also be encouraging Bolton residents over the age of 60 to sign up for free home security assessments. Any private tenants over this age are eligible for a free assessment, which could see security items such as improved window and door locks being fitted in their homes.

People are also invited to come and speak to PCSOs from their local area about general concerns in their neighbourhood.

Inspector Barry Short who is leading Bolton’s crackdown on burglary said: “The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the simple measures that can be taken to help prevent our personal possessions being stolen by burglars. A third of all burglaries are down to thieves sneaking into homes, so by ensuring all doors and windows are locked, we can put a stop to this.

“We also want to tell people about the work that has been going on to successfully tackle burglary across Bolton, resulting in hundreds fewer people falling victim to this crime from April until now, than for the same period last year.

”We want to encourage residents to keep providing us with intelligence on local criminals as this has helped us to lock up some of our most prolific burglars over the past few months. All information that we receive will be looked into and acted upon where appropriate."

Police will be urging residents to report criminal and suspicious behaviour either directly to police on Bolton’s dedicated burglary hotline on 0161 856 5640 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

For further information on crime and community safety, log on to www.besafebolton.org.uk

To find out more about the free home security assessments available to residents over the age of 60, please call the Care and Repair Partnership on 01204 335679.