BUSINESSES in Oswestry say the Street Rangers scheme introduced earlier this year and expanded recently continues to give them assurances.

The scheme, which was introduced through Oswestry BID with Home Office funding, sees staff patrolling the town working with businesses to cut down on shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

Now more than six months on from its introduction, the scheme’s impact has been welcomed.

READ MORE: Oswestry Street Rangers service to be expanded after funding

Vicky Bevan, team leader at Superdrug’s Cross Street store, said her staff and colleagues feel reassured.

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She said: “I was a little sceptical at first as we wondered how much they could do.

“We weren’t sure about what exactly they could do and if they could actually make a difference.

“But they do make a difference as they’re really responsive – we have a WhatsApp group of businesses in town and if anyone pops a message on there for the Street Rangers, they seem to respond very quickly.

“We’re not sure where they’re based but as recently as Tuesday, as soon as we put a message in there, they were here.

“As a shop that can be targeted, especially in the run-up to Christmas, it’s quite reassuring  that they are there.

“It is primarily men who come into steal and we are women and they can be aggressive but you know that someone is going to be here to back you up.

“It takes pressure off staff to challenge, we don’t have to deal with it knowing they will get hem on the street.

“I’m not sceptical anymore – they have helped us a lot.”

Trudie Povey, from Covent Garden Fruit and Veg in English Walls, also added her voice to the chorus of approval for the Street Rangers.

She said: “We have low crime here but we’re close to the car park so are eyes and ears.

“We inform the Rangers if we’ve seen something especially if the shops have said they’ve seen something too.

“We’ll look out for them but also that visual of seeing them impacts on people who are that way include (to steal), it is a deterrent and that’s probably the biggest success.

“It’s the prevention of and when we have the police there too working with them, it’s going to put off local criminals.”

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Adele Nightingale, Oswestry BID manager who helped to introduce the scheme said they were delighted to hear the positive feedback about the initiative.

She said: “This is an important acknowledgement of the valuable impact the Street Rangers are having in and around Oswestry town centre.

“We've recently extended the service through additional funding from the Home Office's Hot Spot Programme, and this has enabled us to deliver a strengthened and much-needed resource into the town.”