Thieves targeting market stalls after being driven from York's shops will find life hard under a new crime-busting drive.

A successful initiative already tackling shoplifters is being extended to offer help to market stall holders.

Traders will have access to photographs of persistent offenders and updates on crime trends in the area.

They will also be able to use radios linking them to an intelligence-sharing network and security guards will be em-ployed to patrol the market, thanks to the Safer York Partnership's Retailers Against Crime (RACY) in York scheme.

In recent months, market traders have been the unfortunate victims of RACY's success.

Following successful anti-crime drives in the suburbs and city centre shops, shoplifters moved to the market stalls, which were not part of the scheme.

Concerned about rising levels of crime, the RACY steering group agreed to extend the scheme to market traders.

Photographs of offenders are being kept in a safe place so traders can have access to them for 25p per day.

Paul Barrett, markets manager for the City of York Council, said: "It is long overdue for the market traders to be involved in RACY. I am certain that it can be only of benefit to the traders and the whole community who use the market."

PC John Bolton, a North Yorkshire Police Community Safety Officer working with the Safer York Partnership, said: "It is not acceptable for people providing a service to the community of York to be preyed upon by vultures who are the persistent shoplifters in York."

Mike Gilmore, secretary of York Market Traders' Association, said: "For only 25p per day per trader, this represents outstanding value and we are very pleased to be associated with a successful scheme like RACY."

The Safer York Partnership brings together the City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police, other public sector agencies, local businesses, voluntary and community groups to reduce crime and the fear of crime.

It aims at creating a safer environment in York and to improve the quality of life for everyone - residents, businesses and visitors.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.