SOME of the top supermarket crime spots can be revealed by the Warrington Guardian.

We obtained crime figures for several stores across town from Cheshire Police through the Freedom of Information Act.

The figures are for thefts from shops (shoplifting), thefts from the person (pickpocketing) and criminal damage to vehicles over the past three years.

Top of the list for crime overall was Asda Cockhedge, which is in the town centre and close to several homeless hostels and drug treatment centres.

Ikea suffered the highest number of incidents of pickpocketing.

Asda Westbrook stands out, also, for its figures for car damage, backed up the anecdotal evidence of several customers.

A spokesman for Asda said: "Rather than proving we have a bigger problem with shoplifters at ASDA Warrington than other local retailers, what these figures actually show is that we're much better at catching them, so our customers should feel reassured."

An Ikea spokesman said: "Security is always a priority. Ninety nine point nine nine per cent of our visitors have a safe and enjoyable shopping experience and we are working hard to ensure this is the case for all.

"We take the information seriously and will continue to constantly review our procedures while working closely with Cheshire Police."

Tesco was unable to offer any explanation for its high figures and did not comment on them, while Somerfield did not explain the high level of damage to cars given its generally low crime rate at the Stockton Heath store.