Burnham and Highbridge Town Clerk Mrs Denise Emery read out a brief police report at this week’s town council meeting. She said the current beat officer has just left and had moved to Bridgwater while the new one had only just taken up the role and was unable at short notice to attend the council meeting. However the clerk read out the headlines of a report.

“Criminal damage, dwelling burglary was slightly up,” she said, “while other burglary is down, while general anti-social behaviour calls are down.”

The crime map of recent offences prepared by e-commerce from statics supplied by Avon and Somerset Police show violent crime and anti-social behaviour tend to be clustered around the Princess Street and High Street areas.

Is crime on the rise in your area? Your views on all things policing to harry.mottram@nqsw.co.uk