Warwickshire Police has hit back at claims it is "not bothered" about shoplifting in town centres, saying it has made a concerted effort over the past six months to target thieves.

The force said it has seen twice as many shoplifters end up in court since the middle of last year, and has promised to continue to identify and target suspects across the county.

The comments came after an article in the Coventry Telegraph where a shop owner in Nuneaton claimed the force has "not been bothered" in supporting him after robberies and shoplifting.

DIY store Nuneaton Toolbox is no longer letting customers in, and has installed a hatch to serve customers. Owner Mitchell Ward told the publication he had "between 10 to 15 shoplifters a day".

But Warwickshire Police has refused claims that it has ignored the shopkeeper and says only six reports of thefts from this shop have been made since 2017.

"This is not the position of Warwickshire Police," Inspector Kris Shore said. 

"We have put dedicated resources into the town centre to address the concerns of all business owners.

"We have had a number of positive interactions with businesses and an increase in detections where criminal offences have been reported.

"The shop owners have been actively encouraged to report all crimes so that police can appropriately investigate."

Comments from Mitchell Ward, owner of DIY store Nuneaton Toolbox, have prompted a response from Warwickshire Police (image via google.maps)

The force also said Mr Mitchell had been reluctant to cooperate. "On attendance of SNT [safer neighbourhood team] officers, the owners have not made a report, and have not been willing to engage with our efforts to follow up," the statement added.

The tiff comes just weeks after Kenilworth's SNT reported a December rise in shoplifting in the town.

Speaking at this month's Kenilworth Community Forum, PCSO Craig Ricardo urged locals to report any crimes to the police, no matter how small.

"We the police need help. Without being told about crimes because we cannot help," he said.

"Shoplifting is there, it happens, we all know that - I have caught a few," he added. 

"A lot of people come up to me and tell me these things. And I always tell them to tell the staff as well. 

"A lot of these shops have CCTV. That's what we need. 

"If we are going to prosecute anybody we need evidence they have been stealing. Without CCTV or a witness, we cannot do anything."