A NEW link-up service will help businesses across Dorchester stay ahead of criminals.

The new system will be another tool in the hi-tech armoury against crime, said Malcolm Davenport, Dorset Police's watch manager for west and south Dorset.

He said: "It's a community messaging system using email, voice or fax.

"I see it as supplementing the existing crimefighting arm of CCTV, radiolink and so on.

"It will be used to help in predictive crime, for example when we hear of counterfeit currency in the area or burglaries."

Mr Davenport is inviting businesses to get on board and outlined the way the free information system works when he met members of Dorchester's Shopwatch group.

The police bought the latest version of a community messaging computer system at Christmas.

Mr Davenport is spreading it across the area and plans to involve every business throughout Dorchester and beyond.

More and more are registering, choosing to receive messages by fax, email or phone voice message.

Mr Davenport said: "I want to include all businesses, first in the town centre and also across the other parts of the town and out to the surrounding villages."

He will also be establishing the system in Bridport this summer and later in Weymouth.

He said the existing radiolink and CCTV coverage were ideal for instant contact and to help catch criminals.

The community messaging system would help by predicting crime and form a helpful network between businesses and watch schemes such as Pubwatch and Neighbourhood Watch as well as giving information about events such as PACT - Partners and Communities Together - meetings.

He said he would be able to tailor the information for certain groups of businesses such as banks or estate agencies or shops - or all of them.

He said businesses throughout the town centre would have contact from the police about the system by the end of next week, either by letter or by a visit from the police Safer Neighbourhood Team or police volunteers.

And he welcomed inquiries from organisations throughout the area who could contact him on 01305 226570.

PC Kevin House, Safer neighbourhood Team leader, welcomed the new service.

He said: "This is a good way to get information out to people.

"It's not for the first instance of communications - if we need to speak to people urgently then we have the radiolink and CCTV - but it will be an advantage for all businesses to get involved with it.

"And it's free to them."