DURING the full town council meeting in Holsworthy on Wednesday, January 16, PC Mandy Brown asked councillors to spread the word for residents to remain vigilant following a recent spate of burglaries in the area.

PC Brown said: “You may be aware of the recent spate of burglaries being reported locally. We would encourage the public to remain vigilant and ensure doors and windows are securely locked.

“There was a victim in Holsworthy just last week who was out for the space of a few hours and their house was broken into. These burglaries are very sporadic and are covering a large area with some up in the Torrington patch and other places in Devon.

“It is difficult at the moment to establish where they are coming and going from but we are asking people to be on the look out and if they see any suspicious vehicles or activity, especially if they are able to provide registration numbers, they should get in touch and report it.”

PC Brown added: “I know it can be distressing as it violates people and affects them in their own homes. We would also ask that people look after themselves and others who may be vulnerable.”

Torridge District Councillor for Holsworthy and mayor Cllr Jon Hutchings thanked PC Brown and welcomed the councillors to ask questions.

Cllr Ken Watson said it was concerning that there has been a recent rise in burglaries, however, he was pleased to see in the police report for this month that crime in the area has gone down by around 26%. He asked: “Is this a trend we can enjoy?”

PC Brown said the crime rate at the moment for the area, despite the burglaries, was ‘pretty good’ and that there had been a ‘downward trend’ in recent months.

Torridge District Councillor for Holsworthy, Ian Parker, asked if this was due to the police closure implemented on the ‘green flats’ on North Road last June following ‘repeated and significant’ anti-social behaviour. PC Brown could not confirm this and said it ‘could be a number of factors’.