CAMELFORD is to welcome a new neighbourhood beat manager this December.

The news came as PCSO Mike Dodd delivered a police report to the meeting of Camelford Town Council on November 19.

PC Lee Skinner is due to start as neighbourhood beat manager for Camelford on Wednesday, December 4. He is currently working in Holsworthy so will be additional to the current Launceston Sector Policing team.

The meeting then heard the latest crime figures for the area. PCSO Dodd explained that since February 2014, there have been 2,055 crimes in the Camelford and Tintagel parish, with only 1,004 crimes occurring in Camelford itself.

Crimes in Enfield Park since March 2014 include the possession of a controlled drug in 2014, which was not found to be a controlled drug but tobacco; youths kicking another’s bicycle in 2015, which started with the victim throwing their skateboards; the alleged theft of a mobile phone in 2017, but was handed back without police action; damage to the slate seating in 2018; and in 2019 there were 12 crimes reported, but no crime has been reported since August 8.

PCSO Dodd said: “The group of youths that were suspected of many crimes earlier in the year have mostly not offended since early August. The only exceptions to this are a fracas in Delabole in early September and incidents involving another youth who has moved out of Camelford — the incidents occurred at his new address.”

In September and October of this year, East Cornwall’s crime figures dropped by 7.4%, while the Launceston Sector saw a drop of 7.8%. Camelford and Tintagel was down by 19.6% and Camelford Town was down by 13.9%.

Mayor Cllr Claire Hewlett said: “It’s certainly good news about the new neighbourhood beat manager, it’s going the right way.”

Her deputy, Cllr Rob Rotchell, was also feeling positive about the news. He said he had attended a recent meeting, with some people there — who had ‘never been to Camelford’ — having the ‘classic negative’ impression.

He said: “Then they came to Camelford and the impression they had of the town was diametrically opposite. It’s important that that underpins that, and that people know Camelford is a great place to live and a safe place to live.”

Cllr Stephen Bond addressed PCSO Dodd and said: “Is the new neighbourhood beat manager going to be based in Camelford, or is he going to be in Launceston and Bude as well?”

PCSO Dodd responded: “He’s going to travel here in his own car, however none of us are here (all the time). I can’t say he will stay here because if there’s an incident in Bude, for example, then I can’t say he’s going to be here.”

PCSO Dodd was thanked for his time and the update.