Re the Avon and Somerset Police recruitment Council Tax hike, reported in the Free Press last week, the Police and Crime Panel’s acceptance of the huge rise was based upon the commissioner being very much more open and transparent on spending.

She was very strongly urged to set parameters by which the extra spending could be judged against performance, the Avon and Somerset Police’s appalling 94 per cent failure rate in burglary being one element. 

The Commissioner appears more concerned with “virtue signalling” about 33 per cent of police time spent searching for missing persons than burglary clear-ups. A very tough political choice but that is her job.

Burglary may be low on the criminal “Richter scale” but it affects very many people (and insurance premiums), and some of the proceeds are almost certainly now being used to fund “county line” drug dealing which is rapidly spreading to rural areas of the UK. West Somerset is no exception.

It is essential that all burglary’s and shop thefts are reported to the police and given a crime number. That way the real figures for rural crime will become apparent and show the urgent need for more officers.

Cllr Stuart Dowding, West Somerset Councillor for West Quantock Ward and Member of Avon and Som