Professional thieves are being served with notices banning them from 124 shops in Brighton.

The first six men and women have been blacklisted in a project to cut shoplifting in the town centre.

Members of the Brighton Retail Crime Initiative have started tracking the movements of the six through Shopwatch, a radio network linking stores, and serving them with the notices in person.

Anyone who enters an exclusion zone will be guilty of trespassing under civil law and it could be viewed as an aggravating circumstance if they are taken to court for theft.

The project is being masterminded by the Town Centre Business Forum and Brighton Retail Crime Initiative (RCI), who drew up the list after consultation with traders and the police.

Town centre manager Tony Mernagh said shoplifting cost traders in Brighton millions of pounds a year and consumers ended up suffering as stores were forced to raise prices.

He said: "When these characters are spotted in the town centre they will be served with the notice. Six people are listed to start off with and names will probably be added.

"It is only meant to be for the people who make a living out of shoplifting, who are persistent and consistent and do it time and time again. It's the worst of the worst.

"The list was drawn up by stores who are members of the RCI. They nominated those who they perceived as persistent shoplifters in writing with supporting evidence.

"This included the number of times they were caught, if they were violent and if they intimidated customers.

"It was discussed with Sussex Police and a final decision was taken by the RCI executive. This is a very serious step."

Those on the list who want to change their ways can apply to the RCI to be removed.

Mr Mernagh added: "People should take the exclusion order seriously. If they enter a shop they are excluded from and subsequently commit an offence, it can be taken as an aggravating circumstance at their court hearing and may be reflected in their sentence.

"They had better go to a town that does not have an exclusion order or, better still, get a job."