Ludlow’s new police inspector has pledged to focus on fighting crime and anti-social behaviour in communities in the south of the county.

Inspector Rob Thomas started his new role this week and has praised members of the public for their continued support of his officers.

He said although south Shropshire had a relatively low crime rate he said the area had very good detection figures and pledged to work with local residents and other agencies to identify criminals.

Inspector Thomas, who lives locally, has spent the last eight years working as an inspector in the Telford area and before that spent 10 years on urban and rural beats with Thames Valley Police.

His policing roles have been predominantly uniform-based and he also served in the Army for eight years.

He met with Robin Bennett, of Shropshire Policing Board at Ludlow police station, yesterday as he settled into his new role.

Inspector Thomas said: “I’m really pleased to be here and I’m looking forward to working in what is a large geographical area.

“Overall we have low crime rates and good rates of crime detection.

“In the vast majority of criminal matters we need the support of the local community to achieve what they want – which is a successful prosecution. My thanks go to those who have helped us in the past and continue to support us in this aim.

“We have good detection rates because of the support of the community. Officers and police community support officers continue to engage with communities identifying local concerns. We are also dealing with anti-social behaviour which interferes with people’s lives.

“For us the key priorities will be about fighting crime and anti-social behaviour.”

Anyone concerned about criminal activities in south Shropshire should call Ludlow police station on 0300 333 3000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Local policing information can also be found by following the links at www.west mercia.police.uk