Thames Valley Police have received an extra £1.5m to tackle street robberies and muggings.

The force is one of 10 across the country which the Government has said must crack down on street crime.

Eighty-two per cent of robberies occur in their areas.

Between April and December last year, robberies across the Thames Valley force area increased by almost 37 per cent.

Many involve the theft of mobile phones, for which the minimum penalty is 18 months behind bars.

The Home Office has made reducing street robbery one of its top priorities and the Government is so concerned by the increase it has ordered weekly progress reports from forces.

Thames Valley Police said the money would be used to put extra officers on the beat. Assistant Chief Constable Sara Thornton, who heads Thames Valley's crackdown, Operation Robbery, said: "While we welcome any cash injection from the Government to support the fight against crime, the success of Operation Robbery is dependent on our ability to retain experienced officers -- who are finding the cost of living in the South East too much to bear on their current salary."

Thames Valley Police is in the middle of an officer retention crisis but aims to get 400 more on the beat.

Those in desk jobs will be released for front-line policing as more civilians are employed in administrative roles.

Oxford, where there is an average of one robbery per day, has experienced a comparatively low increase of just two to three per cent in offences.

The city has its own specialist team dedicated to solving robberies.