ARRESTS have been made and a pub closed as police tackle drugs in a Herefordshire town, after calls to crack down on crime in the community.

Ross-on-Wye Town Council said last year that its policing priorities were drugs, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, with councillors criticising the police's handling of these types of offences.

They said that more policing resources should be given to Ross-on-Wye, with Mayor Louis Stark saying: "The policing resources don't match the risk, even though they say Herefordshire is safer than other areas."

Giving an update on the progress made to tackle drug offences in the town, Police Sergeant Alice Bennett of West Mercia Police's south Herefordshire Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) said: "Tackling drugs, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting are among our policing priorities for Ross-on-Wye and we are proactively addressing these concerns in our community.

"There have been warrants executed in recent months within the Ross-on-Wye area. Officers will act where the evidence exists that drugs are in the area.

"We seek to engage with the communities we work with at every opportunity and have built up excellent relationships with businesses. 

"Police Constable Ben Davidson and I had a positive meeting with the town council to discuss progress on the communities' priorities.

"Also, during our Operation Forefront day of action on February 28 we engaged with many residents and businesses. Several individuals were arrested in the town on the day.

"PC Ben Davidson and Police Community Support Officer Claire Denton will be attending an event hosted by the Ross Business Association at the cafe in the Crofts, Ross, at 5.30pm on April 5 to discuss concerns.

"Get in touch via email at rossonwye.snt@westmercia.police.uk."

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Sergeant Bennett also highlighted the police's action in arresting four men for drugs offences at the Crown and Sceptre pub following a raid, which resulted in the landlord at the time losing his licence.

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There has been a small decrease in crime reported in Ross-on-Wye since the concerns were raised.

The latest available crime data is for January 2024, when 104 crimes were reported in and around Ross-on-Wye.

In August 2023, the most recent data at the time of the October meeting, 138 crimes were reported in the area.

The total number of reported crimes in Ross-on-Wye in the last 12 months is 1,379. Suspects could not be identified or prosecuted in 925 of these cases. Only 144 were listed as having gone to court.