By Julian Dancer Firms on two Banbury industrial estates are being urged to join a crime prevention scheme.

The project has the backing of Banbury police and Cherwell District Council and aims to reduce thefts from and of vehicles.

More than 100 firms on the Thorpe Way and the Overthorpe Road estates are being invited to join Business Watch.

Crime prevention officer WPc Angela Jones said it was an intelligence-gathering service that alerted companies to suspicious characters in the area.

She said that though crime was falling in the area, there were 46 reported crimes on Thorpe Way last year.

Scheme member John Darby, of John Darby Auto Repairs, said: "I cannot safely leave vehicles outside overnight or at weekend." She said: "If, say, a person goes to a factory or office with what appears to be an unlikely reason, his or her description can immediately be circulated to other firms so they can be on the look-out."

WPC Jones likened the scheme to the successful town centre watch scheme, under which traders warned each other and the police about possible shoplifters.

Ms Pam Shears-Matthews, joint owner of Target Vehicle Hire, said the watch scheme resulted from a survey carried out by the Overthorpe Industrial Estates Business Club. She said Business Watch had about 40 members so far.

She appealed to owners and managers of companies to attend a meeting at Cherwell council's offices at Bodicote on Wednesday at 5.30pm.