POLICE arrested 70 people during a two-week crime crackdown in the city centre.

Plain clothes officers made the arrests - mostly for shoplifting offences - as part of Operation Calcrete, carried out over 15 days last month.

Thieves were caught red-handed in Barnitts, Sainsbury's, Superdrug, New Look, Boots, Fenwicks, BHS, Boyes, HMV and other stores.

Arrests were also made for offences of possession of Class A drugs, breaching bail, criminal damage, burglary, handling stolen goods, affray and sexual assault.

Two of the shoplifters were teenage boys.

One man was arrested for causing £2,500 worth of criminal damage at Marks & Spencer, in Parliament Street.

Two people were found to be in possession of heroin and another was given a warning for having cannabis.

People caught for minor offences were handed £80 fixed penalty notices but those arrested in connection with more serious matters face criminal prosecution.

More than 60 crimes were solved as part of the operation and many people were stopped and searched in relation to theft and drugs offences.

A similar operation in the city centre in February saw 25 people arrested in five days. Police arrested 67 people and solved more than 135 crimes during a major undercover crackdown on shoplifters, which ran for 20 days in December and January.

Sergeant Martin Metcalfe, who ran the operation, said: "The aim of this operation was to keep the city centre as safe as it can be and to stop criminals coming into York and committing crime.

"We will continue to do so and we will continue to do these kinds of operations in the future, using plain clothes police officers where necessary. I want to send out the message that if you are going to visit York and commit crime, then you are more than likely going to get caught."

He thanked security officers in the city centre, who made a major contribution to the operation by helping police.

He said: "I especially want to thank all those who worked more hours than they should have done to help us out. We could not have done it without them.

"I am very pleased by the excellent results achieved by everyone involved."