Police patrols in a Shropshire town have been stepped up in a bid to clamp down on criminals and keep residents safe.

The patrols in Wem have been increased as part of Operation Protect.

The initiative has also seen early morning raids carried out in Shrewsbury to clamp down on burglaries, thefts and drug crime.

Officers in Wem said today they had carried out extra targeted area patrols in order to catch offenders, and launched a scheme to help people keep themselves and their properties safe.

As part of West Mercia Police’s Operation Protect, officers met with Wem residents at a police safety surgery and at community social events.

Officers are now due to visit homes in the town to offer further advice as to how to protect against burglary and other crime.

Community support officer Neil Darley said as part of the scheme a group of young volunteers from the town’s Thomas Adams School had also taken leaflets with advice on how to avoid burglary to more than 500 homes in the area.

Officers also visited burglary victims in the town to offer support and reinforce security messages in a bid to help protect them in future.

He said: “We are trying to raise awareness and when it comes to distraction burglaries even though it’s a rare form of crime we try to keep people aware of people who are out there and we like to make sure people know what to do.”

Anyone who has any queries can contact Wem police in 0300 3333000.