SIDMOUTH s new police inspector, Antonia Weeks, has taken over from Inspector Jim Gale and covers the whole of rural East Devon from her Honiton base.

SIDMOUTH's new police inspector, Antonia Weeks, has taken over from Inspector Jim Gale and covers the whole of rural East Devon from her Honiton base.

On Monday she met Sidmouth Town Council after a busy week helping at Sidmouth FolkWeek and Honiton Show.

Before her move on July 20, she was head of student training at Middlemoor.

Married with two young children, Inspector Weeks, 39, transferred to Devon from another force "for the quality of life and work within Devon."

She joined the police 17 years ago, from university, and has worked as a PC on a patch, did "a long spell on the vice squad" and describes her job as an inspector as being about "ensuring the service we deliver to the public is the service they want and the service they know - making sure people are in the right place at the right time."

She said Sidmouth was up to strength and "better resourced than ever" with a sergeant heading a neighbourhood team, PCs and PCSOs as well as specials and response officers.

Inspector Weeks is looking at further reducing crime and addressing anti-social behaviour issues.

"Sidmouth is a very safe area to live, work and visit. Generally people should be reassured the crime rate is low," she said.

There was a chance to do more proactive, preventative work and to target offenders living on the patch, she said.

"Sidmouth is not immune from crime but generally is very fortunate to have such a low crime area, though I am not taking my eye off the ball by any means.