PROBLEMS around specific licensed premises in Halesworth will be the priorities for the Southwold and Halesworth safer neighbourhood team during July and August.

PROBLEMS around specific licensed premises in Halesworth will be the priorities for the Southwold and Halesworth safer neighbourhood team during July and August.

Police have regular meetings with partner agencies, as well as ongoing engagements with members of the community as part of the day-to-day work of the team, with the aim of identifying the issues that appear to be of greatest concern.

During May and June, the issues highlighted were to deal with anti-social behaviour in the London Road area of Halesworth, where there had been several reports of alcohol-related crime and disorder and anti-social behaviour in the Orchard Valley area of Holton and the Folly in Halesworth.

Sergeant Nigel Tompsett, from the Halesworth and Southwold safer neighbourhood team said that progress had been made on all these areas, but that officers would continue to monitor them and maintain a presence wherever necessary in order to ensure the problems do not arise again.

He said: “The area around London Road in Halesworth had been highlighted as a number of young revellers leaving local licensed premises had caused residents distress through their behaviour to an unacceptable level.

“Police worked with the local licensees via the local Pubwatch scheme and increased their presence at the relevant times and that, together with the recent closure of the Heart Foyer, a home for young people that was situated nearby, had resulted in a real measure of success with no further reports of problems.

“However, we have decided to continue with this as one of our priorities, to ensure that we do not see a return to problems as the summer months progress.

“We also increased our patrols in Orchard Valley and the Folly and there have been no further reports of any problems. However, we would warn those who have been responsible that we will not tolerate anti-social behaviour, and will always aim to deal rigorously with those who are identified as causing a general problem to the community by using all appropriate means available to us.”

Sergeant Tompsett added that during August they plan to work alongside the fire service and the Beccles and Bungay safer neighbourhood team to launch a programme of education for young people who drive or are thinking of learning to teach them about the dangers of bad driving and its consequences.

You can contact Southwold and Halesworth safer neighbourhood team via their website at www.onesuffolk.co.uk/SaferSuffolk/SouthwoldandHalesworth/ or telephone 01986 835300.