POLICE have suggested the perception of a drugs problem in Wellington is much greater than it is in reality.

Officers carried out an online social media survey on a Facebook page related to Wellington where people said the three issues they were most worried about locally were anti-social behaviour, speeding traffic and drugs.

But the latest crime figures for Wellington showed there were only two drug offences in the town during the whole of June.

And Cllr John Thorne, speaking at Monday’s Wellington Town Council meeting said: “People have a perception about drugs but it isn’t that big an issue is it?

“People have identified drugs as one of their big three concerns but there were only two offences in June, which isn’t exceptionally high.”

Sharon Baker, the partnership officer for Wellington Police, said: “There is a perception that there are drug-related issues in the town. We wouldn’t like to say there is a massive drugs issue because there isn’t, but when we hear about it we deal with it.”

The biggest issue police faced in June in Wellington was ‘violence against the person’ with 27 incidents during the month followed by public order offences (13) and arson and criminal damage (ten).

Police received 237 calls during the month from people in Wellington, which is about average.

There was a large decrease in calls from people with concerns about anti-social behaviour with just one relating to the Wellington Park area, often a problem area in the past.