Hundreds of shoplifters are being let off with fixed penalty notices instead of being taken to court, new figures have revealed.

Information released by Sussex Police show 948 notices were issued between April 2007 and March this year.

Of those, 470 fines were paid to the force and the rest transferred to the courts for enforcement.

On-the-spot £80 fines are used for what are seen as less serious offences so they are dealt with quickly and in proportion to the incident.

Sussex Police said not all offences require the formal sanction of a caution or conviction for a first-time offender.

But if someone is caught again, they will either be given a caution or be prosecuted, depending on the circumstances.

The Argus obtained the figures after a request through the Freedom of Information Act.

The news received a mixed reaction from shoppers in George Street, Hove.

Peter Saunders, 42, of Sackville Road, Hove, said: “An instant fine is cheaper than taking it through the courts and if it is higher than the cost of the things that were taken then it probably makes sense.”

His wife Andrea, 40, said: “As long as they are being given a punishment for what they have done then I think it works.”

However, Ed Harrington, 67, from Peacehaven, disagreed.

He said: “If you get caught stealing then you should go to court. If they get away with a fine just like that then they will probably be happy to risk it again.

“A lot of shoplifters are drug addicts. There isn’t much point fining them because they have no money and it is the shopkeepers who will suffer.”

Many traders say part of the problem is the length of time it can take for police to arrive when a shop has been targeted.

The Argus reported last month how Bobby Singh, who runs the Xpose clothes store in Western Road, Brighton, caught two shoplifters in his store but police did not turn up and the pair got away.

Officers eventually arrived to take a statement a day later.