TEENAGERS in Ipswich are today being urged to take greater care when walking in the town after it emerged that they made up more than half of those robbed in the last four months.

TEENAGERS in Ipswich are today being urged to take greater care when walking in the town after it emerged that they made up more than half of those robbed in the last four months.

Police in the town have been stepping up efforts to tackle street robbery and believe many victims are openly targeted because they display high-value items such as mobile phones and MP3 players.

Detective Inspector Darrin Tomkins said: “People need to be sensible with things like their phone and shouldn't leave them visible.

“We have been targeting burglary and robbery heavily and have made several arrests.”

Analysts within the force have recorded 62 robberies and attempted robberies since April 1, with 43 of the victims aged under 20.

Items stolen include 30 mobile phones, seven wallets and purses, six iPods, a total of £1,000 in cash and a cuckoo clock.

Figures published in the British Crime Survey yesterday revealed that robbery has climbed eight per cent nationally in the last year.

However, despite a rise of four pc in Suffolk as a whole, the number of robberies in Ipswich has dropped very slightly with 165 robberies in the force's southern area in the year 2005-06 compared with 168 the previous year.

DI Tomkins added: “Policing is intelligence led and includes identifying patterns of crime, what people tell us through the likes of Crimestoppers, and the work of intelligence officers who are trying to get information for us. These things tell us who is doing what, where and when.

“Suffolk is one of the safest places in the country and that is because we have such good crime analysts and adopt an intelligence led approach.”

This week officers arrested five people on suspicion of robbery.

Nathan Clipstone, 22, of Birkfield Drive, Ipswich appeared before magistrates yesterday charged with robbing a 13-year-old girl as she walked home from school. His case was committed to Crown Court for August 1 and he was remanded in custody.

Four youths were also arrested following a spate of robberies in Ipswich town centre.

Police arrested the youngsters following reports that a 16-year-old boy had been targeted in Tower Street at 2.50pm on Tuesday .

A 15-year-old boy, 16-year-old boy and 17-year-old boy have all been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of one count of robbery.

A 14-year-old, arrested on suspicion of five robberies and two thefts from the person, has also been bailed.

They are all due to return to Ipswich police station on July 24.

Weblink: www.suffolk.police.uk

For updates on what is happening around the town see www.eveningstar.co.uk

Have you been a victim of robbery? Write to: Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail: eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.