Police offer to help perpetrators of thefts

Some of the thefts occurred near St Mary's Church, police said

Police officers said they were identifying youngsters who could be involved in several thefts in a town.

Cumbria Police said it received multiple reports of anti-social behaviour and stolen items in Fairbank, Vicarage Lane and near St Mary's Church in Kirkby Lonsdale.

The force said CCTV "covered almost every aspect of the town", warning the perpetrators they could expect a visit soon.

Urging the youngsters come forward, police officer Adam Roberts said if "they are prepared to own their mistakes, then rest assured I'm prepared to work with them to fix this situation".

"If you know you're going to get a knock from us, bearing in mind Kirkby, like many of our towns, is a close knit community, you may want to let your mum/dad/caregiver know now," he said.

"In this case there is nothing that we can't put right. Most people can accept that children sometimes make poor decisions."