Plain clothed police officers will be out on the streets of South Warwickshire in the evenings this Christmas to tackle "predatory behaviour".

This is part of 'Project Vigilant' which will be keeping people safe when they are out in pubs and clubs over Christmas.

"These officers are specially trained to look out for the signs of people who might be about to commit a predatory offence," Warwickshire Police said.

They work with the support of uniformed officers and CCTV operators.

Extra officers will also be out on the streets over the coming days.

Sergeant Martin Hewish from Warwickshire Police Prevention Hub said: "We're expecting some of the busiest nights of the year for the nighttime economy over the next couple of weeks and unfortunately there will always be some people looking to take advantage of people who may have had a few drinks.

"We're mainly looking out for people, predominantly men, who are looking to commit sexual offences against women.

"These patrols about preventing crimes before they happen and hopefully the knowledge that we are carrying out these patrols over Christmas will be enough to deter would-be offenders.

"This is all part of our ambition to tackle violence against women and create a safe environment for everyone to go out and enjoy themselves."

Officers are encouraging locals to get in contact if they are "concerned about someone's behaviour" and. to keep a lookout for the signs of drink spiking.

For more information on the signs that someone has had their drink spiked and what you can do to help click here: Drink spiking | Warwickshire Police