Councillor calls for more police patrols in our villages after sex assault

HE BELIEVES THEIR INCREASED VISIBILITY WILL BE DETERRENT

- By HANNAH RICHARDSON

PRIORITY FOR THE FORCE': Officers in Thringstone woods

(POLICE)

MORE visible policing is needed in villages to help deter crime and ensure people feel safe, a councillor believes.

Joseph Boam, pictured, told the Mercury he thinks there is a “big lack” of police presence in smaller rural communities and this needs to change.

His comments follow a serious sexual assault on a woman in Grace Dieu Woods, Thringstone, on October 2.

No arrests have yet been made in relation to the incident, with police saying an “extensive investigation” continues.

Coun Boam, who represents Whitwick on Leicestershire County Council, said the assault has “understandably caused deep concern locally”, adding he believes stronger measures are needed to prevent such incidents in the future.

He said he will be calling for more regular patrols in towns and villages.