Traders have pledged to act as guardian angels to the victims of street crime in a plan to turn shops into refuges.

The St James's Action Group in Brighton has been handed £2,600 by the Scarman Trust to pay for the Safe Shop initiative.

Shopkeepers will be trained to handle face-to-face encounters with shoplifters or intimidating intruders.

The scheme will allow victims who are confronted by street attackers to run into a shop where traders can quickly call police.

Safe Shop is the latest strike against street crime in Kemp Town, a former crime hot spot, which has been one of the main focal points of the Brighton police Safer Streets crackdown on criminals.

St James's Street has been plagued by beggars and street drinkers in the past and, while police blitzes have led to a drop in offences, traders fear many people can still be intimidated in the street.

This latest project hopes to ease their fear of crime, giving traders the confidence to help protect shoppers and residents.

In the past, they have been reluctant to get involved but are now being encouraged to open their doors to victims or anyone who feels threatened.

The grant money will also help set up drop-in surgeries, where residents and traders worried about crime can report concerns.

Alan Bond, chairman of the action group, said: "We hope to build up a network of Safe Shops along the street.

"If someone is being intimidated or attacked by drunks or beggars, they can go in them safe and ring their relatives and the police."

Derek Peacock, chairman of the group's safety committee, said: "In the past, there has been a reticence to get involved and keep phoning. There has been a fear police will see the shopkeepers as the troublemakers. But now people are feeling more confident about working together as a community."

The surgery scheme follows sessions run last year for the gay community.

The sessions will be held in the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church when the new building opens later this summer.

The £2,600 will also help some small, independent shops pay to join the city's Retail Crime Initiative, which gives traders radio link-ups to police officers.

Controlling street-drinking and drug abuse features heavily in the action group's input towards Brighton and Hove's Safe In The City strategy, published last week.

Plans for the next three years include bids for street wardens, security camera extensions into Upper James's Street and St George's Road and more rehabilitation places in hostels and detox centres for addicts.

Mr Bond said: "As well as making Kemp Town safer, we want to make it more interesting for people."

A brochure promoting St James's Street will be distributed to tourist offices across Britain, funded by a £7,000 grant from the European Urban Fund and £3,500 raised by traders.

The St James's Street Action Group meets at 7.30pm on Monday at Hampshire Lodge, on the corner of Upper Bedford Street, Kemp Town.

For more details, call Alan Bond on 01273 672012.