Public fails to ask a policeman

A south Shropshire bobby has launched a campaign to get back to grass roots policing by meeting the public – but nobody has turned up to meet him.

Constable Sean Bailey, who recently started in Church Stretton, organised a series of community meetings for the area but not one person showed up to the first two 90-minute sessions.

He is now urging residents with any concerns to come and meet him in Church Stretton tomorrow.

He says he is not sure why nobody has so far turned up.

Constable Bailey said: "I've got mixed feelings about it. On the one hand I am disappointed people are not attending and on the other, perhaps it indicates there are no issues or problems within the local community."

He said his latest public surgery in Rushbury "turned out to be a very lonely hour and a half" for him and the area's community support officer.

"Together with CSO Debbie Lawton, we sat there from 6.45pm to 8.15pm without a soul in sight," he said

Constable Bailey, who took over as Church Stretton's officer earlier this summer, said he hoped for a better response at his next surgery tomorrow which will run from midday to 1pm in the town library.

"The whole purpose of it is to provide local residents with an opportunity to meet their local policing team so they can air their views or concerns," he said.

"There is an open invite for local people, so do please come along, if only to meet us and to say 'hello'."

He said every effort had been made to promote and publicise his meetings, by word of mouth, in the local press, village magazines, distributing posters and advertising the dates on the West Mercia Police internet site.

"Despite our best efforts, so far it's been to no avail. We really would like local residents to turnout to raise any issues of interest or concern," he said.

Further meetings have been arranged for 2pm on September 8 in Church Stretton Library; the main Pact (Partners and Communities Together) meeting in the Silvester Horne Institute at 7pm on September 15; and in the library at 2pm on September 26.

By Sophie Bignall