Many of the thieves targeting shops around Kenilworth are already known to the police, a report to the town council has revealed.

Kenilworth Safer Neighbourhood Team said more than half the suspects being spotted on local CCTV cameras are already being sought by the force.

The report also said shoplifting offences increase when officers are not present in the town centre.

"The main numbers that have affected the Kenilworth area these past two months have been acquisitive crime, whereby organised groups have targeted the area with the intention to steal," the report to Kenilworth Town Council said. 

"At the start of the month, retail crime continued to be an issue, however as the month went on the numbers started to fall and become more settled. 

"It is telling though that when officers from SNT are not on duty in the area/town centre due to rest days or leave periods the number of offences, especially theft from shops being reported increase by quite a lot as there is not that visual deterrent in the town.

"What is apparent though is that the number of unknown offenders has reduced drastically, more than half the suspects being captured on CCTV are known and are actively being sought and by members of the Theft Team and local Officers ably assisted by DISC."

DISC is an initiative from Warwickshire Retail Crime where shop owners have report incidents, stolen goods and photos of thieves online.

Police are then notified of the offences within an hour and can then try and trace the suspects.

"If retailers report online via the usual way, it can be hours or even a day before that information is passed to local police," the report added.