A shoplifting gang who were believe to be targeting Marlow last weekend for a festive stealing spree were foiled by police, it has emerged.

Extra patrols were deployed to town centre streets after officers received intelligence that a group may be swooping in to steal valuable gifts from town centre stores.

After putting more officers than on usual on the beat, Marlow Neighbourhood Sergeant Robin Hughes said the gang was deterred and not a single offence recorded.

He said: "We had some intel about some people, organised shoplifters, coming over to ‘do’ Marlow, so to speak.

"The normal experience from Wycombe is they come in in the morning and afternoon, hit four or five shops and steal a few hundreds of pounds worth of stock.

"So we turned out on Thursday and Friday and again on Sunday and put them off. We had lots of officers on foot and in cars and we had a really good response from the public.

"It happens quite often in the run up to Christmas and unfortunately there are always those people who don’t want to pay for their presents."

Sgt Hughes said so far the festive period it is shaping up to be the best year on record for the town, with fewer offences than ever before.

He said this weekend’s operation worked in conjunction with the Shopwatch system, which sees high street businesses communicating as one to help flag up and ban shoplifters.

Launched a year ago in the run up to Christmas by Thames Valley Police and Marlow Town Council, Shopwatch is a town-wide network of radio and CCTV set up to catch thieves and prevent them from escaping with their loot.

It is coordinated by PC Emma Taylor at Marlow Police Station, who is able to respond to intelligence from business before it too late.

Subscribers to the scheme - which includes Waitrose and Boot - regularly assist one another in tracking down would-be thieves to help drive them out of Marlow.