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Police probed on Tadley's drug problem




Town councillors quiz police

Tadley councillors probed police on tackling the town’s drug problem at an annual meeting last week.

The meeting, held in Franklin Avenue, was attended by Insp Paul Pressley, Pc Dean Stickland, Pc Martyn Evans and PCSO Kerri Swinfield, who were quizzed on crime issues.

Councillor John Moss (Ind, Tadley East) said known drug abuse in Tadley had surfaced two or three years ago and had affected several areas of the town, including at the top of Tadley Hill and by the town’s Ambassador Club.

He said: “I know that you have done some raids in Tadley – friends in Elmhurst said police had converged on the Stratfield (Avenue) estate.”

He added that he had previously witnessed “gangs doing drugs” in an overgrown area next to a school, which he had then reported to police.

Pc Stickland replied that police had been intelligence-led and were reliant on members of the public reporting drug-related incidents, while admitting that drugs were a problem in the town, with targeted police patrols aimed at tackling the issue.

Insp Pressley said that it was good news, in terms of policing the town, that as from April 1, the Basingstoke rural police force had relocated to Tadley Police Station, following a decision by Hampshire Constabulary to retain the station which had previously been under the threat of closure.

He said: “Tadley is now the base for all police officers and PCSOs that cover Basingstoke and the rural area.”

The Newbury Weekly News asked for an update on an attempted armed robbery and an attempted robbery within the span of two months last year at Mulfords Hill Post Office, to which Pc Stickland said there had been no arrests.

The incidents included a balaclava-clad man threatening a female member of staff during the attempted armed robbery in October, following which a black saloon car was seen being driven erratically before being set alight in Baughurst.

The post office was again cordoned off in November, following a further attempted robbery.

Mr Moss asked how members of the public could report crime, since the front desk at Tadley Police Station, in Mulfords Hill had closed.

Pc Stickland said any non-emergency crimes and lost or found property should be reported on the police telephone non-emergency number 101.



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