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Hope fades for a village bobby

From the archive, first published Monday 19th Jun 2000.

LYNDHURST councillor Pat Wyeth is "not happy" after a meeting with the New Forest's top cop to discuss rural policing.

Mrs Wyeth, pictured, met with Superintendent David Ball after a spate of petty crime and vandalism in the village.

She told him more police presence was needed to deter offenders, and money should be diverted towards policing rural areas.

But Superintendent Ball could not reassure her that solutions were in the pipeline.

"I was told the New Forest has the lowest crime rate in Hampshire, and any extra resources will be directed to high crime areas," said Mrs Wyeth. "But vandalism and crime is taking place in villages every day, and when you phone to report them you are passed from pillar to post.

"Supt Ball admitted he could not deliver the service villages were looking for and the same complaint was being made all over. I am not happy. This is not a satisfactory situation, and both of us seem to have wasted our time."

But Supt Ball denied it had been a time waster, saying they had exchanged useful ideas and had a better understanding of each other's problems.

"The county has the okay to recruit an extra 150 officers, but we are having problems finding enough young people who want to join the police," he said.

"Even if we got another 150 officers in Hants we would not get any in the Forest, because of the low crime rate here. We live in a nice part of the world."

Supt Ball said he suggested that the parish council could do more to provide entertainment to keep local youngsters out of trouble.

"They have got to help themselves. I suggested they get the Forest Bus to visit for a few weeks, and I asked about the village skateboard ramp," he said.

"Hampshire Police Authority contributed £5,000 towards that ramp in November 1998. Where is it"

Parish clerk Ray Butcher said a foundation had been laid in the recreation ground for Lyndhurst's proposed skateboard ramp, but there had been so many delays that the price of a professionally-built ramp had risen to nearly £10,000. He said they were still fundraising.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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