POLICE are facing a ‘spike’ in break-ins at shops in Ludlow as traders in the town demand action.

The rocketing number of burglaries in Ludlow dominated a meeting of the Town Council at which the police were pressed to say what they are doing.

PC Stephen Grant, who found himself in the eye of the storm, said that there had been a big increase in crime against shops.

“I understand the frustration but we are doing our best in the face of a massive spike in burglaries in the town,” said PC Grant.

Henry Mackley who owns the Harp Lane Deli in Ludlow said that he was speaking for Ludlow’s shops and traders when he said that something must be done.

He said that his own business had suffered and had been ‘smashed to bits’ when his shop was broken into in the early hours of one morning and money taken.

“If this was a one-off I would not be here,” he said.

“I blame the people responsible for the crime but this is happening much too frequently and I am here on behalf of the traders and residents of Ludlow.”

He said that since the spring he was aware of 15 or 16 incidents in which shops had been broken into in Ludlow.

Henry Mackley said that the amount of time taken to respond to incidents was unacceptable.

Town councillor Rose Jones reported that she was aware of an incident in which police were called when a burglary was taking place but by the time the officers arrived the criminals had made their getaway.

PC Stephen Grant said that the police were doing the very best that they could with the resources available.

“We have been conducting night time patrols in plain clothes,” he said.

“Just because people cannot see us does not mean that nothing is happening but we have limited resources and we can only do so much with the resources that are available.”

PC Grant said that the response team for Ludlow is based in Leominster and gets to the town as quickly as we can.

He told the town council that ideally there would be a full complement of officers based in Ludlow but that this was not possible.

But he added that there is much more that shop-keepers in the town could be doing to help prevent crime.

“We can offer crime prevention advice and we know shops that do not have crime prevention. In fact it’s sometimes virtually non- existent.”

He said that the police did offer schemes to help including putting the address of properties that are empty on a list to be visited by patrols.

“We will put on patrols but this does not mean that we can offer 24-hours-a-day security,” PC Grant added.

Town councillor Tim Gill said that the situation was completely unsatisfactory.