AN Independent councillor from Peasedown St John has written to the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon & Somerset asking for urgent action to step-up police patrols in his village.

Cllr Gavin Heathcote is an Independent member of Bath & North East Somerset Council who has called on Labour’s Police Commissioner Claire Moody to ‘get a grip’ on the rise of anti-social behaviour and youth crime that has been occurring in Peasedown St John over the last couple of weeks.

Villagers have recently reported vandalism, including damaged trees, smashed bus shelters, and harm to wildlife.

In an open letter to the Police Commissioner this week, Cllr Gavin Heathcote said: “The time has come for change in our rural communities, we have continuously been told that we will see more police officers on the streets, more enforcement, more boots on the ground, and yet we still wait just as we have done for years previous.”

“Local residents have had enough of half empty promises and a complete lack of support from what is meant to be an emergency service - one that is proactive, but at times is not even reactive.”

Cllr Heathcote continued: “We are continuously harassed by people on E-scooters, E-bikes, and scramblers, all with faces covered all with no helmets all riding around cause havoc causing alarm and distress to our residents, swearing riding on pavements causing damage snapping trees kicking through glass on bus shelters and throwing rubbish around, and why?

Our fantastic PCSOs are very small fish in a very big pond with very little support and very little powers, our actual police have not been seen or present in the village in months.”

Cllrs Gavin Heathcote and Karen Walker (Independents) will hold their next advice surgery at Peasedown Community Library on Saturday, August 2, 10am to 11am where residents can report anti-social behaviour to police or raise concerns.