A week-long Shop Local, Shop Safe in Huntingdonshire campaign will help shoppers to stay safe while shopping in market towns.

Huntingdonshire Business Against Crime (HBAC) is working with partners to ensure that everyone can shop locally and stay safe over the festive season. The campaign, which was launched on Monday is aimed at raising awareness within town centres.

The HBAC team will be joined by representatives fro Huntingdon First, St Ives Town Initiative, St Neots Town Council, and local Police Community Support Officers throughout the week at various locations. The focus is to highlight the importance of keeping your possessions safe whilst shopping, reporting any suspicious activity and encoworking together as a community to reduce crime.

Huntingdonshire Business Against Crime says: “Huntingdonshire is a very safe place to live with a great community feel, however, this time of year can see a small increase in the amount of personal thefts such as handbags and purses. To support shoppers and retailers we will be raising awareness to highlight this type of crime, and by making small changes we will help you to keep your belongings safe.

Whilst HBAC’s main focus is retail crime we thought we would approach this awareness campaign from both directions. Working with retailers to use the HBAC two-way radio which links with Huntingdonshire District Council CCTV, police and other retailers to report incidents and suspicious activity, but also helping to support our shoppers by handing out free purse bells, purse cables and advice in the following towns:”

St Neots – Tuesday October 27; Huntingdon – Wednesday October 28.

“Now more than ever, it is very easy for people to become distracted, whilst finding your mask or ensuring you’re socially distanced. Let’s work together to help support the most vulnerable and ensure that everyone can ‘Shop Local, Shop Safe’.”

HBAC is a non-profit making organisation that has been working with local and national retailers since 2004 to reduce crime and disorder. Email: info@hbac.org.uk for more information.