Town issues plea to police czar over ‘no-go’ high street

REPORTS of people high on drink and drugs being undressed and screaming in the street, rising levels of shoplifting, abusive language, street fighting and vandalism are becoming intolerable in a North Devon town.

- ALISON STEPHENSON Local Democracy Reporter

Ilfracombe high street has seen rising levels of shoplifting, abusive language, street fighting and vandalism

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Ilfracombe Town Council is calling on Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez for extra police resources to help the community, where some businesses have packed up because of the level of crime.

In a letter to the Commissioner, the council talks of shop workers being assaulted, daily incidents of shoplifting, vandalism and intimidation by teenagers, high levels of drug-dealing, and homelessness in areas frequented by tourists.

“The High Street was now seen as a “no go” area for some, the town council told the Commissioner.

Crime in the seaside town is thought to have risen due to economic decline and pockets of deep deprivation, poor housing and health inequality.

Areas of Ilfracombe are well documented to have one of the lowest life expectancies of any rural town in England, around 14 years less than more affluent areas of North Devon.

“Many large Victorian ex-guest houses are now HMOs or small flats, some of which are used to house people with complex drug, alcohol or mental health needs,” said the letter. “Unfortunately, many public services have been removed from the town (including the Link Centre mental health drop-in service), meaning that there is a lack of support for these individuals.

“Ilfracombe also experiences an increase in street homelessness during the summer, as well as a lack of youth services, alongside the provision for excluded children being 13 miles away in Barnstaple.”