City hotels unite against crime

Hotels in Edinburgh are being urged to sign up to the initiative

Hoteliers in Edinburgh are being urged to join a new group in a bid to improve security in their premises.

Lothian and Borders Police have launched 'Checkin', a group hoping to bring the hotel industry together under a crime prevention banner.

The aim of the initiative is to encourage hoteliers to share information in a bid to prevent crime.

The launch takes place at one of the city's biggest hotels - the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Festival Square.

Police will work alongside the participating hotels, providing advice and training to staff on crime prevention measures.

Edinburgh is a massive tourist destination, and as a result hotel occupancy rates are likely to continue to keep growing in the years ahead Pc Bruce Burt Lothian and Borders Police

Pc Bruce Burt, who has helped devise the scheme, said that it was vital hotels worked together in order to prevent crime.

He said: "Edinburgh is a massive tourist destination, and as a result hotel occupancy rates are likely to continue to keep growing in the years ahead.

"With this in mind it becomes ever more important for hotels to protect their guests and staff from crime, and this initiative will help them to share information with each other on how they can achieve that aim.

"The scheme has already been successfully run in cities like London, where the hotel industry is heavily involved. We hope that this can be successfully repeated in Edinburgh."