A campaign being run by the News Shopper which aims to reduce crime has received high profile backing.

The Shop A Yob initiative was launched more than seven months ago and has been supported by Home Secretary David Blunkett, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens, Ken Livingstone and all three Lewisham MPs.

The paper has been printing CCTV pictures of yobs and is asking readers to identify them.

Digital news producer Chris Steel said: "The News Shopper's campaign was launched entirely in response to pleas from readers.

"Sick to death of being plagued by young thugs and bullies, the residents got together to appeal to their local newspaper for help.

"Proud of its position at the heart of the community, the News Shopper responded immediately and within hours had not only come up with the campaign, but had also sold the idea to police and Transport for London.

"Police are finalising details for a further series of dawn raids to arrest more than 30 vandals - as a direct result of the Shop A Yob campaign.

"News Shopper reporters have been invited to accompany police on these raids so the newspaper can demonstrate the positive achievements of readers getting involved and reporting vandals and thugs."

Chris also said that other regional newspapers had been informed of the campaign. After an interview with Radio Scotland, the idea was put forward to the Daily Record and the Glaswegian while the Manchester Evening News contacted the News Shopper before it launched its own campaign to catch local public transport vandals.

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