THIEVES driven from Keighley town centre’s exclusion zone are instead targeting shops in the Aire Valley and South Craven, it has been claimed.

A councillor has now called on police to give special training to shopkeepers in those areas to combat the problem.

Cllr Andrew Mallinson wants traders in neighbouring communities to gain the same knowledge and powers that led to a dramatic drop in petty crime and anti-social behaviour in Keighley town centre.

Cllr Mallinson represents Craven ward on Bradford Council, and is also a member of Keighley Town Centre Association.

The association worked with the police to set up the Keighley exclusion zone in 2013, arranging training for staff and providing on-going support.

Persistent thieves and troublemakers were served with exclusion orders barring them from dozens of shops at a time.

Police officers reported to Keighley Town Centre Association that many of the ‘undesirables’ that used to frequent the town centre were increasingly being seen by fellow officers in Bradford, Shipley, and rural areas of South Craven.

Cllr Mallinson confirmed that some shops in villages like Steeton and Silsden had seen an increase in thefts of alcohol and meat products.

He said: “In outlying areas there is a longer response time for police, so the criminals know they have longer to get away, and in some cases are not even challenged as they leave the shop."