Leighton traders hold meeting to debate crime spree in town centre

Peacocks in High Street hosted the meeting on Wednesday, April 26, to discuss policing after 12 town centre shops were burgled between April 10 and April 22.

One shopkeeper present said: “The only police presence was a PCSO ... bless him he really got it in the neck from everyone.

“Not one officer came along which was very frustrating for everyone.

“We are getting one officer to deal with the whole of the town plus the PCSOs and neighbourhood safety volunteers. They say it’s down to lack of resources

“They put a huge notice out there telling us about eight new police officers for Leighton Buzzard which was obviously just a load of rubbish.”

Ashley Lewis of Dorvics bicycle store in Bridge Street, which had an attempted break-in, added: “Personally I was surprised at the level of shops broken into that wasn’t made public – it was quite shocking.

“It’s good now that there’s a group pulling together and sharing information – names and faces – as well as ways the shops are getting broken into. We can see from sharing our CCTV what types of tools are being used.”

A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: “We are committed to policing Leighton Buzzard now and in the future in the best possible way, that is why we continue to build upon and resource the area.

“Through the continued Blue Light Collaboration in Bedfordshire, our aim is to have a combination of police officers and PCSOs totalling eight – working out of the new co-location facility, to be introduced at the end of May, at the Leighton Buzzard Fire Station.”