How do you get hold of police in Sidmouth now the front desk is closed?

HOW do you get hold of police in Sidmouth now the front desk is closed?

That question has prompted a letter from Sidmouth Town Council to Sidmouth Police, who were unable to send a representative to its monthly meeting last Monday.

Councillor Ann Liverton had hoped to meet new neighbourhood beat manager, PC James Tyrell then to raise the question.

“I would have liked to have a meeting with the police on a sensitive thing, which I would not want to make an official complaint.

“There is no way, it seems to me, to contact the local police unless you bump into them in the street.

“I’ve picked up the blue phone outside the police station and it goes through to Middlemoor.

“I have e-mailed twice and had no response, I am just going nowhere.

“It is worrying. Not everything you want to speak to police about wants to go through official channels. You might want just a quiet word and it doesn’t seem to be possible at the moment.

“There is a great opportunity for preventing things from happening or passing on information, but there is no way of having a quiet word on an issue of sensitivity.”

Chairman, Councillor Stuart Hughes, said: “We used to get together with the police and go through things at the police station.”

Councillors all agreed to write to the police about the matter.