SERIAL offenders in Wyre Forest are among a hardcore of criminals being targeted in a police crackdown.

A team of dedicated officers has been set up by West Mercia Constabulary to arrest and gather intelligence about the activities of a group of 10 per cent of criminals responsible for an estimated half of all offences in North Worcestershire.

The Prolific and Priority Offender team has been formed as a result of a Home Office initiative, the Prolific and Priority Offender Scheme, led by the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs).

A steering group has been established to co-ordinate the work of the three CDRPs covering Wyre Forest, Redditch and Bromsgrove. Members will meet monthly and are led by Acting Chief Insp Stacey Williamson.

She said: "It's estimated that of all crime that occurs, about one half is committed by 10 per cent of offenders.

"By working together, we are looking at finding solutions to stop these 'career criminals' and this means addressing all areas, such as housing, education and health issues, and not just the police who arrest the offenders and bring them to court.

"The Prolific Priority Offenders strategy which was launched by the Home Office earlier this year examines three strands of offending.

"The first part aims to 'prevent and deter' youngsters from becoming involved in criminal and anti-social behaviour, with the emphasis on education, health and youth organisations.

She went on: "The next area is the 'catch and convict', where the police take the primary role and, finally, the strategy looks at ways of rehabilitating and resettling offenders, with the prison and probation services taking the lead.

"By working together, we are able to exchange information on offenders, establish patterns of behaviour and work together to try and prevent, convict and rehabilitate prolific offenders.

"We hope that this new work and the new team of officers will deal with the most prolific offenders who persistently commit crime."