“Leighton Buzzard is not the Wild West”: Councillors clash over claims of increased drug dealing in town

In a social media post, Cllr Steve Owen criticised Cllr Victoria Harvey after she spoke at a Central Bedfordshire Council meeting earlier in the month.

He said: “Another listen to Cllr Harvey alleging that Leighton Buzzard has a “huge increase” in daylight drug dealing. She paints a picture of Leighton Buzzard with drug dealing going on at every town centre street corner. It simply isn’t true.”

After pushback from residents and scores of comments under his post, the Independent Alliance councillor addressed the issue of drugs in the town again.

He said: “In January 2025 there were 320 crimes in Leighton Buzzard reported to the police. Of these, eight - yes, eight- were related to drug offences. That’s 2.5% - a tiny tiny minority. Or one in every 40. So much for a huge problem.”

Bedfordshire Police confirmed these figures were accurate.

But Cllr Harvey says that despite what the numbers say, drug dealers and users are coming to the town centre for crime.

Cllr Harvey said: “In the last few years there has quite definitely been a big increase in blatant drug dealing.

“It's very difficult because we're a lot safer than a lot of places, but sometimes, due to behaviour from a lot of drugs and alcohol from a few people, the town centre can feel very unpleasant and that leads to people avoiding it.

“That really harms the shopkeepers and the whole vitality of the High Street.”

One business owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We definitely see drug dealing going on, and the police are fully aware as they come in and get our CCTV footage. I suppose it would put people off coming into the town after seeing it.”

And Cllr Harvey noted “a difference between what is seen and what is reported” to the police.

She explained: “Reporting is very hard work on the system, and ironically enough, Cllr Owen has raised the issue, and the Police and Crime Panel have heard several times that reporting is difficult, so a lot of people don't report.

“I think a lot of people are frightened of the implications of reporting.”

The business owner agreed, adding: “It’s hard to report something when something happens so quickly. Near us, there's a bin. They stick [drugs] to the underside of the lid of the bin, and then somebody else will come along and take it away.”

Despite this, Cllr Owen defended his social media posts and insisted he was not being dismissive of his constituents.

Speaking to the Leighton Buzzard Observer, he said: “The point about putting the posts on the first place is I want to make sure that people understand that Leighton Buzzard is not the Wild West, and it's not a place where there is daylight drug dealing on every corner, and there has not been a huge increase in reported drug-related offences.

“Those are all factual things. I want to reassure all members, all residents of this town, that they are living in a safe town, and the police are aware of the various kinds of offences that are going on and they're acting on them.

“I have a responsibility to make people feel that they're in a safe place and there's a policing effort which is looking after them. That was the reason I posted as I did, not being dismissive of people at all. Quite the opposite.”

Chief Inspector Jim Goldsmith, who oversees Community Policing for Central Bedfordshire, also weighed in.

He said: “While recorded crime for drug offences is relatively low in Leighton Buzzard, we are very aware that the supply of drugs and criminality associated with drugs is an issue across the whole county.

“Drugs have a footprint on a range of community concerns including anti-social behaviour, violence and exploitation.

“We therefore rely on our community officers, as well as partner agencies and the public, to spot the signs of drug criminality and report suspicious activity. This can help us to build a stronger picture of offending and help us to target our resources to disrupt and investigate.”

Gennaro Borrelli, chairman of LB First and ShopWatch in the town, has a salon in the centre.

He said: “There are known drug users and drug dealers in the town. The police know them. We've got to know them. I often get clients telling me that where they live, on their estates, there are cars that are regularly seen that turn up even in daylight, in the afternoon, and there's a group of people going to the car. There's obviously an exchange happening, and then off they go. And you know, we're seeing this happening more and more and more.

“It's a tough time for small businesses because we're trying so hard. LB First has always worked hard to make sure that our town centre is open and welcoming.

“What we don't want is this kind of behaviour which makes people feel unsafe and keeps people away. We're struggling as it is, with footfall dropping for all sorts of different reasons.”

He added: “All we can do is report any criminal activity that we think is taking place, no matter how small. This is the message we are constantly getting from the police because it helps them build a picture.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Harvey called for more prevention services and ways for drug users to turn away from substances.

She said: “We have a major shortage of facilities for this kind of prevention. We don't have a pathway to recovery in Leighton Buzzard. You have to go into Dunstable to access that. And also, we have a real shortage of things for young people to do.”