SHOPLIFTERS face the red card from Yarmouth retailers after the launch of a new crime fighting initiative on Friday .By brandishing the red card to offenders and antisocial shoppers, it is hoped more than 60 shops in the resort will benefit from a better shopping experience for their customers and a boost in profits.

SHOPLIFTERS face the red card from Yarmouth retailers after the launch of a new crime fighting initiative on Friday .

By brandishing the red card to offenders and antisocial shoppers, it is hoped more than 60 shops in the resort will benefit from a better shopping experience for their customers and a boost in profits.

The new shop exclusion scheme will see people banned for six months if they are caught shoplifting or causing a nuisance.

Once someone is banned then all the other town centre shops involved in the scheme will automatically be notified that the person should be asked to leave their premises if they enter.

Although it will not be an offence for anyone who is banned to enter any shops, police can be called in if they refuse to leave and civil action could be taken.

The red card follows on from the similar Nightsafe scheme which sees unruly drunks banned from Yarmouth's licensed premises.

Jonathan Newman, town centre manager said: “The message is that some people have to change their attitude or they could be deprived of shopping facilities for six months.

“The exclusion cards will also bring benefits to our shops and the town.”

Thursday's launch involved the town centre partnership, the police and the not-for-profit social enterprise organisation empoweringcommunites.org which was set up by Yarmouth police officer Gary Pettengell.

PC Pettengell was instrumental in setting up the Nightsafe project, which at the moment sees 15 people banned from entering licensed premises.

He said: “If you want to be part of the community you have got to respect other people - but if you are not going to then you can spend six months thinking about what you have done.”