Shoppers are to be given their own set of Christmas jingle bells to keep bags and purses safe while out during the festive period.
Crime prevention officer Jan Brown said: "At this time of year, the town centre areas are busy with festive shoppers and there are increased opportunities for thieves to target people and steal bags and purses.
The bells raise the alarm if the bag is tampered with and hopefully will also act as a visible deterrent to thieves."
To protect yourself against purse or bag theft, you should never leave your bag open or unattended, and if it has a strap, wear it across the body with any flaps facing inwards. Police advise shoppers not to carry large amounts of cash and keep cash cards separate from pchequebooks.
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