TEENAGE shoplifters operating on Bromley businesses will be brought face-to-face with their crime under a new scheme.

In certain cases police cautions will be dropped and offenders will have to take part in a round table discussion with their victims - Bromley's shop managers.

The scheme was piloted in Milton Keynes but has now been taken up by the borough's town centre police unit.

Starting this June, it aims to make juveniles understand the effect their crimes have on their victims and help prevent them falling into the downward spiral of persistent offending.

Sergeant Bob Judd who runs the unit said: "It is a serious problem. Retail crime in Bromley forms 42 per cent of total crime, and juveniles commit half of these. It is the bottom rung of the crime ladder, and we want to catch offenders early in their criminal career and steer them away, by making them realise the knock-on effects of their actions."

Initiatives to combat truancy are underway in the borough with joint patrols between police and Bromley Council's welfare officers to stop and question youngsters not in school.

Mr Judd said the scheme may be extended to burglary if this is successful and could help youth workers understand why so many in Bromley truant in the first place.

The move has been welcomed by businesses in the area. Bromley's town centre manager James Findlater said: "Bromley does not have a particular problem with shoplifting but we are determined to take a firm line now to ensure we remain a welcoming and friendly place in which to shop."

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