An advent calendar with a difference is the Southern Daily Echo’s contribution to making the streets safer this Christmas.

The Southampton-based title has hit on a festive way of helping local police to put away Hampshire’s most-wanted in time for the festivities: the Solve a crime for Christmas advent calendar.

Launched appropriately on December 1, the paper is opening a ‘window’ on its advent calendar for each day until Christmas Eve.

But instead of the now traditional Christmas image, or even chocolate, behind each window there is a mugshot of someone police would like to find in their stocking down at the police station.

There have already been four arrests.

Editor Ian Murray said: “The idea came from a regular meeting between the paper and Hampshire Police to discuss crime-fighting initiatives.

“We were looking for something more than the usual list of most-wanted names and faces and someone came up with the proposal for an advent calendar. Hampshire Police were keen and so were we.”

“Of course, crime fighting isn’t a joking matter, but we hope that by presenting this pre-Christmas joint initiative in an imaginative way it will create a stir and put some of these suspects behind bars.

“What a Christmas present for the local community in Southampton that would be.”

The advent calendar will run until December 24 with each window remaining open.

Readers will kept up to date with any arrests made during the month.

“After Christmas we will keep readers informed on how the campaign went,” said Ian. “After all crime fighting isn’t just for Christmas.”

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