Newquay crime levels remain steady as police report rise in shoplifting and public order offences

Recorded crime in Newquay remained largely unchanged in May, according to the latest figures from Devon and Cornwall Police.

There were 220 recorded offences during the month, compared with 219 in April and 191 in March.

Public order offences increased to 18 incidents in May, up from 13 in April and 12 in March.

However, Inspector Steve Johnson said not all of those incidents took place in the town centre, with some occurring in holiday parks and locations outside the centre of Newquay.

Shoplifting offences also rose, with 14 cases recorded in May compared with seven in April and 10 in March.

Inspector Johnson described the increase as a "bittersweet figure", explaining that shoplifting is often underreported and that efforts are being made to improve reporting by businesses.

One of those initiatives is the introduction of UKPAC in Newquay, a not-for-profit co-operative that brings together businesses, police, crime prevention agencies and legal professionals to share intelligence and report crime.

The inspector said a recent shoplifting suspect had also been apprehended.

While some offence categories increased, others saw a reduction. Violence with injury offences fell during May, while criminal damage offences dropped from 33 in April to 25 in May.

Inspector Johnson said: "As per last month, the stalking and harassment figures always show as alarming and I understand why.

"Whilst there are victims to all of these, they don't all carry the same level of risk, so it is important to remember and highlight that these figures are mirrored elsewhere in the force and some are down to our recording guidelines."

He added: "Decreases in criminal damage and violence with injury is pleasing to see.

"The damage figure was slightly inflated last month for a couple of reasons which have been addressed and is shown in this month's number.

"Generally the crime figures are following a similar pattern as previous years given our seasonality and visitor numbers."

Police say they will continue working with local businesses and partner organisations as the town enters the busy summer season.