OFFICERS on the Bolton town centre beat have been in good spirits keeping us safe over Christmas.

Operation Sherry has now been underway for 11 days, with police doing their bit to spread the festive fun.

Police mascot Pippa Panda was on hand to greet the public — and enjoy one of the first rides on the Winter Wonderland slide at the November 30 launch.

But the merriment is combined with serious messages as officers step up patrols and issue crime prevention advice to schools and shoppers.

21 incidents of shoplifting have been reported so far during the operation — which started on November 29 and runs until December 31 — with 14 arrests made for thefts, assault and burglary.

Each morning police meet with partners at Bolton Library for a briefing before the officers are deployed on patrol.

One facet of the operation is 'Coffee with the Cops', with PCs or PCSOs stationing themselves in town centre cafes to field questions from the public.

Over the days of the operation so far, officers have been despatched to the BHS cafe, the Octagon Theatre cafe, Debenhams and McDonald's in Knowsley Street to field questions from the public.

Rather than accost shoppers in the cold streets, the idea is for residents to sit down in the warm and raise any issues they have with police.

Safety items including cat bells, purse safety wires and stickers for windows have been handed out at the coffee mornings.

Sgt Kev Lister said: "The operation is to cut down crime over Christmas in the town centre.

"We want to make the town centre a safer place and encourage people to come to Bolton and shop.

"The messages we are giving out are all to prevent crime, and hopefully tackle incidents before they can escalate into anything more serious."

Over the course of Operation Sherry, police have made several key arrests in the town centre and have reported crime being generally low.

Two people were arrested on the operation's second day, with one charged in relation to a Wigan burglary.

A man was arrested for shoplifting at Poundstretcher on the eighth day, with a boy arrested for shoplifting at Sainsbury's.

Officers were also on hand on day 10 to apprehend two more shoplifters, and police report so far that the number of those offences is down on this time last year.

Also on December 8, a pick-pocketer struck in the Trinity Retail Park area, unzipping a woman's bag and stealing her purse.

Officers have also given high visibility school bags to pupils using the Winter Wonderland ice rink, including those from Claypool Primary School and St Joseph's Primary School in Halliwell, to help them stay visible to drivers on dark winter nights.