By Sarah Newstead

Last updated 05:37, Friday, 29 August 2008

FEAR of crime in Wigton is growing according to the town councillor calling for more high visibility police patrols.

Town councillor Debbie Stafford has lodged a complaint with Cumbria Constabulary after yobs laid siege to Wigton Community centre in June.

Mrs Stafford was leading a Beavers session inside at the time with 12 young children.

A group of youths outside the High Street centre smashed a window then began pelting the building with stones. Mrs Stafford described the incident as “terrifying” and said despite making two calls to police, officers took around two hours to arrive.

“The little ones were scared – three of them were crying. We were trapped inside and had to wait for a few of the dads to come so we could get out in a group.”

Mrs Stafford said she later went to Wigton police station to complain and was told by an officer that “they could not guarantee a response and could not guarantee the children’s safety in the community centre”.

The Beavers group later cancelled a planned sleepover in the centre.

“We just couldn’t risk it,” said Mrs Stafford. “Many of the parents are outraged – we are not as mad at the youths who did it as the police for not showing up at the time.

“I want to have faith that if I dial 999, an officer is going to come.”

Mrs Stafford lodged a letter of complaint and was told by North Allerdale’s Inspector, Dawn Allen, that police calls were graded in terms of how urgent they were and that officers were attending an incident in Silloth at the time.

But Mrs Stafford, a mum of three, added that such antisocial behaviour has sparked a growing fear of crime on the market town’s streets.

“These may be little things, but it’s getting worse. I’m worried what things are going to be like here when my children are old enough to go out alone. On a personal level, I do think people are not confident in the police. I do understand that they cover a wide area here, but they are not putting enough resources into the police.

“We need more bodies patrolling.”

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “There’s no confidence for people to come out in the town after a certain time. You could say people are living in fear.”

Sergeant Andy Milburn of Wigton Police said: “Wigton is a safe place for people to live.

“Patrols have been up in the town recently and there’s a lot going on that perhaps people don’t see.”

He added that North Allerdale’s policing team have a wide area to cover.

“It’s an age-old problem. This is a huge area and we have limited resources. We can get a call to go to Caldbeck, then one to go to Silloth – with the best will in the world, that’s a 30-minute journey.

“In emergencies, the control room will see where the nearest response is – if it is Maryport police they will be sent. If it is Carlisle police, they will be sent. We are constantly fighting for more staff – we plead with the council to plead for more staff. It’s probably the gripe of every station in the whole county.”

Mr Milburn pledged to “look closer at fear of crime” and urged residents to attend forthcoming police liaison and council meetings to air their concerns. Wigton town council will next meet on September 10.