CHRISTMAS is a time for giving, so this month the Oxford Mail and Thames Valley Police are asking you to give criminals a hard time.

We’re running our Badvent partnership again, when every day we will open up a door on our calendar of criminals and appeal for your help to nab them for police.

They will either be criminals whom officers are hunting, or suspects to help them solve crimes.

Last year’s Badvent – which featured Oxford’s Rohan Crooks as the Christmas present police most wanted – resulted in the arrest of six elusive people.

Those arrested were charged with a range of offences, including receiving stolen goods, driving while disqualified, theft and vandalism.

Det Insp Paul Miller said: “We don’t want readers to approach them themselves or detain them. Let us know where they are and we will do the rest.

“All we are looking for is the information we need to find these people.”

He added:“We have tried a number of ways to locate these people, but now are calling on the public to help us track them down.

“The crimes vary from shoplifting and theft to more serious offences, but whatever the nature of the crime, there are victims at the end of each one.

“We are determined that the offenders should be held to account for what they have done.

“It would be a perfect Christmas present for Thames Valley Police to see all the people featured in our calendar brought to justice.

“I would appeal to the offenders to hand themselves in before we come knocking on their doors.”

The first star of Badvent 2011 is 29-year-old Brett Ward.

Police want to quiz Ward over two theft offences, obstructing a police officer and a string of shoplifting offences in Oxford in October and November.

He is described as 5ft 7in tall, of medium build, with black, cropped, receding hair.

He is known to have links with Cowley and Blackbird Leys.

After being charged with receiving stolen goods, driving while disqualified and without insurance, Ward was bailed to appear at Banbury Magistrates’ Court on July 27 last year, but failed to appear.

ljones@oxfordmail.co.uk * Anyone with information should contact Pc Colin Reid on 101 or the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555111