A TOWN in Herefordshire is reaching a crisis point as angry councillors say policing levels are falling.

Ledbury Town Council heard how mayor Philip Howells and Coun Malcolm Hughes met with West Mercia Police's assistant police and crime commissioner Paul Middlebrough.

Coun Hughes highlighted "appalling" clear-up rates for the town, which are the number of crimes which result in a charge.

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They also talked about the rates of antisocial behaviour in the town, road safety issues and the absence of a police presence – but at a full meeting, one councillor said the situation had reached crisis levels.

Coun Tony Bradford claimed Ledbury was losing services where other market towns in the county were not.

"We're getting more and more houses built and it's a crisis situation," he said.

"I'm sorry, but we need to get some communication to the police so we've got better communication with the police."

The council decided on August 4 that there be a councillor appointed to act as a police liaison, hold a meeting with the police and crime commissioner (PCC) and get the local police to attend meetings.

Coun Malcolm Hughes said the report of the meeting with the assistant police and crime commissioner, written by the PCC's office, was not an accurate account of what was said.

In it, it said how recruitment should alleviate concerns surrounding a lack of policing, and how the safer neighbourhood team for Ledbury should provide updates on crimes.

"In no way does it represent the meeting I was at," Coun Hughes said.

"Because a number of points were put very strongly by both the mayor and myself about the lack of police presence. Even if you need police, you can't get them.

"I cited the example that if you went onto the West Mercia Police website, and you looked at all these people with their photographs, and not one contact detail on their website."

He added: "We could not contact the police if we wanted them other than on 101 or 999."

He said that none of the issues the pair raised were reflected in the report, with Coun Howells adding: "Certainly not forcibly enough."