POLICE from Wellington were used at the Glastonbury Festival which attracted a crowd of more 220,000 at the end of last month.

This was stated by the Neighbourhood Sergeant for Wellington  Jon O’Connor  in his monthly report to Wellington Town Council earlier this week.

He said his team also assisted with the policing operation at The Rifles’ freedom march through the town.

“This was a momentous event for Wellington and its success was testament to the excellent work by all those involved in its planning and preparation. The team was extremely proud to have been a part of this day and to represent the Constabulary.”

He began his report by telling councillors: “The police received a total of 342 calls in relation to matters within Wellington last month which is a rise on the same period last year, but is consistent with increased demand across Avon & Somerset as a whole and not indicative of a localised spike. Of those reports 126 crimes were recorded and 64 incidents of anti-social behaviour.

“We are aware of the criminal damage caused to two local business premises in the early hours which the evidence suggests is nothing more than mindless, pointless vandalism. This type of criminality is wholly unacceptable and causes unnecessary strain on local businesses. Social media witness appeals have been made and CCTV enquires are ongoing to try and identify the suspect. 

“We will continue our late night patrols within the town to prevent and detect night-time economy crime alongside the street pastors who provide an additional visible presence.

“There have been recent incidents of anti-social behaviour in the forms of river jumping and fire lighting in Fox’s Field. I appreciate the river is seen as an attractive way to cool off in the hot weather but wild swimming and jumping into unknown water carries inherent risks as seen with the injuries suffered on the inset day earlier in the month. 

“I would urge young people and their parents to consider their safety at all times. In addition, The Basins has seen a resurgence in littering and I’m sad to say even human waste being left behind. We are increasing our evening patrols and reminding anyone looking to camp or fish here overnight of their responsibilities to keep the area tidy and safe for all."

He went on: “To complement our daily crime investigations and visible patrols, the team has continued with a series of engagement activities to ensure we are as accessible as possible to the community for questions and advice. We are also planning a number of activities for young people through the upcoming holidays to provide some much needed diversion in the summer months. Details of these will be publicised in due course once everything is finalised.

“As the summer approaches, policing demand will invariably rise and the pull on our resources will be even greater. Youth diversionary preparations are in place as mentioned above. However there will be times where our demand exceeds our capabilities and incidents of a higher priority will always have to take precedence. 

“All I would ask is for some additional patience for routine calls for service as we will get to you, just not always as quickly as we would like. My personal advice would be to report non-emergency matters online, if you can, as this saves having to wait on hold to 101 during busy periods and gives you better control over the detail provided in your report. 

“If anyone has any questions or enquiries they wish to make with the team, the enquiry office at Wellington Police Station is open from 10am – 2pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. We can be contacted via our social media accounts, the Avon & Somerset Police website or by calling 101. Alternatively, feel free to stop any one of us whilst we’re out on patrol and we’ll always be happy to speak with you.”