NEWTON Abbot retail ‘royalty’ has welcomed the free trial of a new crime-busting initiative.

David Austin, owner of Austins department store, described the UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC) online portal as ‘exactly what businesses need’.

He was speaking at a meeting hosted by Newton Abbot Town Council to launch the app-based crime reporting system.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez attended as her office is providing funds for a year’s free subscription.

Those who sign up are provided with a ‘one touch’ crime reporting system, improving the odds of securing convictions.

Local authorities are also kept in the loop to help with civil order and welfare matters such as offenders struggling with homelessness or drug addiction.

The system also provides business operators with automatic updates on their cases and offers warnings about potential trouble.

Having accepted the offer of year’s free trial, David Austin said: ‘This links us with an easily accessible security system that’s going to give us a lot more robustness in the town.

‘I think it’s exactly what businesses need.

‘I think it will also help to take our town security team into another level, they do a very good job already but this can make it even better.’

Inspector James Johnson said: ‘It’s a collaborative approach to problem-solving, making our town safer by making sure everyone is feeding into that information picture so we can really focus on those who are causing the most harm.’

Mrs Hernandez told the meeting UKPAC had impressed her so much that she had decided to fund the free trial.

She said: ‘We want to get them [offenders] on the system and capture them, really helping to relieve the pressure on businesses, particularly the staff who are getting assaulted and dealing with verbal attacks.’

Pierre Doutreligne, NATC’s Strategy and Projects and Strategy Officer, said: ‘I urge all businesses in town to embrace this ‘one-stop’ crime-reporting initiative.

‘The offer to cover a year’s subscription with no strings attached makes joining a real no-brainer,’