A police clampdown in Woking town centre seems to be getting results with not a single crime being reported for six days in a row.

But while the data-assisted push has had a positive impact on statistics, Surrey Police insist there’s still work to be done as it only relates to reported crimes.

The police have lauded the success of an initiative which has seen PCSOs and officers host regular ‘Meet the Beat’ sessions at eight retailers in the town.

The sessions, combined with routing visits to chat with staff and customers, have resulted in a 60 per cent drop in retail crime.

An empty retail space in Victoria Place Shopping Centre has also been utilised as a “Cop Shop Stop” for residents and visitors with the unit also hosting meetings with partners. And that very same partnership with Woking Borough Council, The Peacocks Centre and local retailers is having a dramatic effect according to WB Commander, Inspector Ed Lyons.

“We want to make sure people in Woking are aware that this is their town, and they have a right to feel safe and secure,” said Insp Lyons to policing minister, Dame Diana Johnson, when the latter visited Woking last Tuesday.

“We are using intelligence-led policing, backed by data, to determine crime patterns, and then deploying high-visibility patrols and enhanced CCTV use.

“This hard work can be seen across the county having obtained over 1,200 shoplifting charges, a 32.2 per cent increase on the previous year, and increased arrest rates by 12.1 per cent.”

The inspector added: “We are also working closely with our partners to ensure this work can last.”

The work is part of Surrey’s Safer Streets Summer, billed as a wide-ranging programme of events across 11 town centres in the county.

Crime types that typically increase during the summer months are being targeted, like anti-social behaviour, violence against women and girls, retail crime and violent offending. The combination of “back to basics policing” and data is turning the crime on criminals according to Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend.

She said: “Police in the town used data and intelligence to pinpoint the areas where criminality was proportionally more common.

“Their aim is not just to response to offending, but to stop it taking place altogether.”

She added: “Recently, there were six consecutive days where no crimes were reported in the town centre, with another 48 hours of no reports shortly after that.

“This problem-solving work is back-to-basics policing at its finest.”

While the results are impressive, the police have acknowledged that under-reporting of crimes remains a problem so retailers or people affected by shoplifting, anti-social behaviour or similar incidents should still call 101 or 999 in an emergency.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of a report by security licensing firm which named Woking was one of the safest placed to live in the UK.

Data analysed by Get Licensed shows in the town has a crime rate of 64 per 1,000 people, not including fraud.