FOLLOWING news of yet another burglary in Ledbury, a leading local councillor says "a golden opportunity" may have been missed to make the town a no-go area for burglars.

Cllr Liz Harvey, who is also a county councillor, said she was "disappointed" that fellow town councillors have given the thumbs down to the idea of making Ledbury a "smart water" town.

Speaking after last week's vote, Cllr Harvey said: "Yes, I am disappointed. This was a golden opportunity for the council to work in partnership with police and the Crime Commissioner’s office to deliver a community-wide deterrent project which would have long-lasting effect, at minimal cost to individual households."

In December, and following an approach by the police to the town council, Cllr Harvey voiced strong support for the idea that the majority of households in Ledbury, around 4,000 in total, should have their valuables marked with high-tech smart water, to deter future burglaries.

The 40K cost would be picked up by council tax payers.

smart water is a traceable liquid "tag", invisible to the eye, which can be painted onto property; each application is unique to each household, and the smart water application only becomes visible when viewed under ultraviolet black light.

In this way, stolen goods can be readily identified, and the application lasts for many years. Public signage, revealing the use of the smart water, would both inform and deter burglars.

But at last week's Environment and Leisure committee, councillors voted down the whole idea.

Cllr Harvey still believes that mass smart water marking is the way to go for Ledbury.

She said: "This whole town deterrent effect can only be achieved by a parish-wide project. The town council leading on the initiative is the only way to deliver a project on the scale necessary to keep burglars at bay in Ledbury for the foreseeable future."

If the town council decision, taken at committee level, is rubber stamped at next week's full town council meeting in the Market House, the idea of Ledbury becoming a smart water town is dead in the water.

Cllr Harvey is not hopeful of a U-turn by councillors.

She said: "The opportunity might yet be retrieved at full council next week, but I fear a significant proportion of councillors have set their faces against the project, for whatever reason.

"It’s certainly an opportunity missed to demonstrate community leadership and deliver significant deterrent to crime for the whole town. Never mind – that’s democracy for you."

Speaking after last week's environment and leisure committee, Cllr Tony Bradford said the cost of the scheme to taxpayers was a deciding factor.

He said: "The cost would have averaged out at £9 per household. We are already paying the police through our council tax bills, and we are already pretty high in the council tax league for bills, when you look through the rest of the country.

"In Ledbury, some people are struggling; there are people on the breadline, with the bare essentials."

Cllr Bradford added: "Householders have a responsibility to ensure the security of their own property.

"We are a very low crime area, generally speaking. People can, if they wish, buy smart water for their own use."

There have been well over 20 burglaries in the Ledbury area in the past 18 months or so.

The most recent burglary took place last week.

Between 6.55pm and 11pm on Friday, January 15, a property on Traherne Close, off Biddulph Way, on the Deer Park estate, was broken into.

Cash, jewellery and electrical items were stolen.