THIEVES see Marlborough as a soft touch because it doesn't have radio links between shops or CCTV says police Inspector Ian Stevenson.

He is urging traders to sign up to a new scheme which links businesses by radio. He said professional criminal gangs came from Swindon, Bristol and Reading to shoplift and burgle business premises.

"Criminals will pick the place where the chances of being caught are low," he said. "When we catch these gangs, we ask them why they came to Marlborough. They tell us it's easy to get to and that it's a soft touch, with no CCTV, no fast communications between stores and few, if any, store detectives."

He warned traders that without CCTV or radio communication between stores, Marlborough's retail centre was a prime target for crime.

Since April 1 last year there were 25 reported cases of shoplifting in the town. There were eight burglaries at commercial premises.

Insp Stevenson said three high-profile cases of shoplifting and smash-and-grab in Marlborough accounted for £200,000 in lost property.

This included the smash and grab raid at David Dudley jewellers in the High Street in November.

Retailers were told that Storenet, a radio communications system, already works very successfully in neighbouring towns, including Devizes, Calne, Chippenham and Swindon, in the fight against shoplifting, credit card fraud and the passing of counterfeit bank notes.

The system, for which businesses pay the equivalent of just £1 a day, enables shops and businesses to communicate immediately.

The radios are used to forewarn other traders of criminal activity in the town.

The link also means that shopkeepers can track the movements of suspicious individuals as they move from business to business or make their escape. ave panic alarms in the event of any attack on staff.

Insp Stevenson said Storenet has the potential to have a significant impact on crime reduction.

Chris Marsden, business development manager for M-R-S Communications Ltd, the company behind Storenet, said the early-warning system would also help prevent crime and would help police to detect crime. He said: "You are a sitting duck here, just off the M4 with nice shops and a come and help yourselves' message to criminals."

Jeweller David Dudley said the Storenet scheme sounded good but added: "First of all I want to see if the town is going to get CCTV. If there had been CCTV all around the town when my window was broken they probably would not have done it."

Phil Birkett who runs Acceler8 motor spares and leisure store in Hughenden Yard said: "I am not sure about Storenet but CCTV I would be in favour of just as long as it is not too intrusive."

Not all traders are enthusiastic about Storenet.

Tony Gray, who owns Duck's Toyshop, said similar schemes had been tried before but found wanting.

He said: "Until a few years ago we had a good scheme which was run by the Chamber of Commerce which worked well, with a pyramid system where shops rang each other. Then we had a scheme from a private firm for about £40 a year. It was a complete and utter farce. We will wait to see just what the Storenet scheme is like before we consider joining."

Andrew MacLachlan, chairman of Devizes Chamber of Commerce, said that crime figures in the town were down 20 per cent since the introduction of Storenet in 2007.

The scheme has 29 users in Devizes.