DRUG addicts desperate to feed their habits are responsible for half of shoplifting offences in Devizes, according to the police.

Inspector Pete Bowerbank of Devizes Police gave an update of crime trends and the latest statistics when he attended a meeting of Devizes Town Council last week.

The number of crimes went up slightly over the last 12 months. Although there were falls in violent crime and vehicle crime, there were increases in thefts and shed burglaries.

Insp Bowerbank told the town council that the thefts comprised mainly shoplifting offences.

Thefts increased in the last 12 months from 324 to 358.

He said: "Research of the shoplifting offences shows that we have a substantial number of drug addicts in the town and it is a problem that is on the increase in the last year.

"Considerable work is going into it to address it and I would anticipate some positive results to follow."

Speaking after the meeting, Insp Bowerbank estimated that half of the shoplifting offences in Devizes were committed by drug addicts.

He said: "We will be talking to drugs agencies and others working to tackle the drugs problem to see if we can come up with a solution but they can't do anything unless the addict wants help.

"Each time a drug user is arrested they are given the opportunity to be referred to a drugs worker and we are hopeful that will have an impact."

Insp Bowerbank said he believed a large number of break-ins to sheds and garages were committed by drug users. The number of non house burglaries went up from 125 to 178.

Insp Bowerbank said: "They want to steal items such as power tools and lawnmowers which they can sell and can use the money they get for those items to buy drugs.

"The break-ins and shoplifting offences committed by drug users constitute a considerable percentage of overall volume of crime."

Insp Bowerbank was asked at the town council meeting if Devizes was becoming a hot spot for late night drunken brawls after a number of publicised assaults.

The figures for the last 12 months up to March showed that there was a reduction of violent crime from 163 to 135.

Insp Bowerbank said: "Devizes is not unique. Every town has a similar problem and a lot of it is dependant on groups of people falling out with each other when they have had a few drinks."

Insp Bowerbank said of the recent late night attacks in the town centre that only one was believed to be unprovoked, which was the attack on Devizes father-of-two, Brian Owen.

He suffered a broken nose and other injuries in a brutal assault in New Park Street on March 1.

Police inquiries into the assault and other attacks are continuing.

Overall there were 1,215 crimes in the Devizes area in the last 12 months, up by three crimes on the previous year. House burglaries went down from 84 to 80 and vehicle crime went down from 141 to 104.