Lymington residents urged to use town’s police desk at council offices

POLICE in Lymington have warned locals to “use it or lose it” when it comes to the force’s desk and offices at the town council site.

During a public meeting in the authority’s chamber, Sgt Leigh Brown said he had recently launched an investigation after a woman used the desk to report a £28,000 fraud.

“We’ve got a front counter here, and it’s a case of use it or lose it,” he said. “When people come in we will take a crime report at the desk.

“Some people don’t want to use the internet or call 101, so this is a bit more of the old fashioned policing and reporting of a crime.”

Following intelligence supplied by the woman, who lives in the town, Sgt Brown was able to launch an investigation the same day.

He said the facilities at the council site are “great”, offering a “good” briefing room for him and his officers and lots of computers in a building that is “fit for purpose”.

“We would just like to see a few more people putting it to use,” he added.

In response, a member of the public said: “Don’t say that, we want our old town station back and we don’t want more retirement flats in the town.”

Sgt Brown told the meeting shops and retailers in Lymington will now have access to the ‘Schemelink’ initiative, which is similar to the Pubwatch scheme but covers commercial premises.

Describing it as a good way of letting traders and the police keep track of offenders, he said: “We want to make Lymington a hostile environment for criminals.”

The meeting also heard the town’s CCTV network was due for an upgrade soon.

Sgt Brown said he is trying to speed up how quickly he can access NFDC’s coverage of the town, adding it takes roughly two days for the authority to answer his requests for footage.

A fraud prevention and awareness event is being organised to take place in the town next year, he told the meeting, which will be led by a specialist officer.

And he confirmed he and one of his PCs will be out on patrol in the town on New Year’s Eve, visiting licensed premises to make sure their paperwork is in order and they are using drug testing kits.

People at the meeting discussed the impact of late-night licensing on public disorder and noise in the town centre, with Cllr Jacqui England describing the town’s Royal British Legion as a “bring and buy” place.

The meeting heard that, partly due to the recent colder weather, there have been fewer reports of late night anti-social behaviour in Lymington, including at the Huddle in High Street, which was previously reported for failing to tackle anti-social behaviour properly.

Members of the public told officers there are still problems with improperly parked vehicles at a busy junction of Lower Buckland Road, and with vehicles turning right illegally at the foot of High Street. Sgt Brown said he would look into both issues.