Village suffers 17 crimes in the past month

Cheddar has been hit by a total of 17 crimes in the last month,said police.

A packed parish room heard how the village had suffered a slightfall in reported crime in September compared to last year.

Around 25 members of the public and a full parish councillistened to PC Kat Forrest catalogue an alarming list of wrongdoings, assaults, thefts and harassment.

She also spoke in detail concerning the issue of speedingvehicles in the village - a subject that exercised the minds of thecouncillors who related several incidents and near misses. And thetopic of anti-social behaviour was also aired - both in the gorgewhere reports of youths causing a nuisance in cars were heard, butalso in the village itself.

The force catalogued two assaults, three incidents of criminaldamage, a theft from a motor vehicle and seven further reports ofthe unwelcome work of thieves. There had been one burglary from aresidential property in September and an alarming number of break-ins at unoccupied premises as well as a serious case of harassment.

Police were working on educating motorists who speed into thevillage and flout the 30mph restrictions. Three drivers werereported to have sped along the Draycott Road at more than 60mph,while there were further reports of drivers breaking the speed limitat Tweentown and along Upper New Road.

PC Forrest said the police were keen to recruit more members ofthe public for Speed Watch. The community scheme empowers residentsto use speed guns under police governance and issue warnings tothose motorists who broke the law. The PC said they needed two orthree new recruits for the scheme which acted as timely reminders tomotorists who speeded. She said letters were sent to drivers whoexceeded the limit by 10 per cent plus 2mph - or 35mph in a 30mpharea.

The police constable said she was undergoing training on a moredeveloped speed gun which she would be able to deploy in the gorgesoon to catch the young male drivers who use the road as a racetrack.

One councillor said he had witnessed a series of incidents wheredrivers had entered Cheddar from the Wells end and driven intoDraycott Park. The councillor said this showed it wasn't justvisitors to the village who broke the law but residents as well.