Town's police patrols boosted by drone to reassure residents

A DRONE accompanied police officers on a late night patrol in Calmore that was designed to deter festive thieves.

The force's neighbourhood team was out in force as part of a coordinated effort to assure residents they are taking action.

On its Facebook page, the Totton Police team said the patrol was to “deter shed and garage break-ins, as well of thefts of motorbikes and nuisance riding near the industrial estate”.

It added: “We were out on foot and in vehicles, and you may have seen that our drone went up as well.

"Perhaps it was our presence, or just the cold, but it was relatively calm and no arrests were made.

“We did recover a stolen motorbike however – we’re currently making enquiries to return it to its rightful owner. We will continue to do all we can to prevent these offences, and we will look at all options open to us, including the use of force drones.”

As reported in the A&T, concerns over crime in Totton led to hundreds of residents attending a meeting at the start of the year to quiz Hampshire police about what they were doing.

The Totton policing patch, which includes Cadnam, Bartley, Netley Marsh and Ashurst, showed 219 reported crimes in October, according to latest official figures. That compares to 204 in October 2018 and 343 the year before.

The team reminded locals the best way to protect items in their garages and sheds was to secure them with good quality padlocks and consider fitting a battery-operated alarm.

Items inside should not be left on view and marked, the post added.