CONCERNS have been raised over the number of police patrols in a village.

Speaking at the monthly Kempsey Parish Council meeting on Monday, Councillor Trevor Geens said: “There should be room in the budget for one more police officer.

“What they have at the moment, one police officer and one PCSO, is not acceptable. What about sickness and holiday cover?

Parish council chair, Cllr Chris Waller, added: “We should look at how we can make a representation to the police and crime commissioner’s office about this.”

During the meeting, vandalism at the youth club was mentioned briefly, which included damage to a pane of laminated glass. A crime alert was reported to attendees about chisel marks being left on a door during an attempted break-in.

Worcester News reported yesterday (January 14) that a prominent sign in the village had been attacked by vandals with spray paint, and there was a spate of antisocial activity in Kempsey a couple of years ago.

However, this latest activity was not raised as a discussion point during the meeting.

After the meeting, Cllr David Harrison said: “I would like more patrols but then so does every village. I believe the number of police - one police officer, a PCSO, sergeant and inspector for the district - is right for Kempsey. When we had the cash machine raided three years ago, five to six police cars arrived within minutes, which was incredible, so in my mind there isn’t an issue.”

Malvern police sergeant Simon Hallam said: “Officers are working hard to identify and address issues raised across their respective geographic area with Kempsey being a priority for them. Across the whole of south Worcestershire, West Mercia is now at the highest number of officers since 2012.

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