FIRST, they handed out police radios in a desperate bid to combat car crime.

Now, officers in the Ribble Valley have come up with a new weapon -- mobile phones for milkmen.

Police say they are considering giving milkmen mobile phones before they go out on their early morning rounds to help them tackle car crime in two rural villages.

They hit upon the idea after 18 vehicles were broken into in just one night in Read and Simonstone this week. With many of the break-ins occurring in the early hours of the morning, officers reckon milkmen are among the few people up and about and able to report crime.

Milkmen based in the villages say they welcome the idea.

The scheme follows an initiative in Clitheroe where residents were issued with police radios after more than 60 incidents of vandalism in the Primrose and Woone Lane areas of the town in the last two months.

The radios will be linked to the CCTV control room in Clitheroe enabling witnesses to shop culprits within a matter of seconds.

PC Paul Sherratt, who is considering the scheme, said: "We have thought about giving phones to milkmen because they see things that most people do not see.

"It would mean that more incidents could be seen and therefore reported. I believe it would be the first scheme of its kind in East Lancashire."

PC Sherratt said 18 vehicles were broken into in Read and Simonstone on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning between 10.30pm and 5.25am. Police think the vandals targeted cars in a circuit running round the villages, taking in Fountains Avenue, Furness Avenue and Westminster Close.

Criminals smashed a window on every car, opened the door and made off with car radios, CDs and other items worth around £2,000 in total.

PC Sherratt added: "In the final incident a man went to his car at 5.25am and noticed it smelled of stale cigarette smoke. He thinks he disturbed someone because he was up so early.

"We might consider asking milkmen to help us out because they are up at that time every day."

Alan Pickering, 78, who owns a family-run dairy in Whalley Road, Simonstone, says his milkmen would be happy to report crime to police.

He said: "My son Adam was out on Wednesday morning and was asked by police if he'd seen anything, but he hadn't. However, on other occasions he has called the police when he's seen something suspicious.

"The scheme makes sense because we're out between 3.30am and 7am so if there's anything going on we'll see it."

Anyone with information about any of the incidents is asked to phone police on 01200 443344.