Where are the police?
Shopkeepers hit by spate of burglaries set up security patrols because they say local force has lost control of market town
‘People are frightened to death’
BY day, little of note happens in the quiet market town of Denbigh.
But as soon as darkness falls, the cobbled streets are under siege from vandals and thieves, locals say.
Business owners believe the criminals are free to smash their way into premises because police have ‘lost control’ of the town.
And the situation has become so bad that one shop owner, Mark Young, has taken matters into his own hands by turning vigilante and starting his own night time patrols.
In only three nights last week, 12 properties in the centre of the town, in rural north Wales, were ‘looted’ in a crime spree by petty crooks. Mr Young, a councillor who runs a chocolate shop and café, has been driving around the streets in the early hours to deter culprits.
He even claims he saw one business owner sleeping in her premises because she was so fearful of her windows being smashed.
Yesterday Mr Young said: ‘We’re shattered, enough is enough. It’s got to the point where people are frightened to death that their business will be next, they are at their wits’ end.
‘The police have lost control in Denbigh. There are just not enough on the beat. If we had as many police as we’ve got traffic wardens these break-ins wouldn’t happen.
‘North Wales Police have £40million in their reserves – that’s our money. This is an emergency and they need to spend some of it on catching these people.
‘I’ve been out in the middle of the night on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Fortunately, I’ve not seen any- thing suspicious, but I shouldn’t need to do this.’
Ceri Jones’s hairdresser’s, E-clipz, was raided last Thursday night. The thieves broke a window to get in, before stealing the cash float containing a nominal amount, her digital radio and several Christmas gift sets. It followed a burglary in May at her home, also in the town.
‘I’ve lived in Denbigh all my life,’ she said. ‘It’s sad that such a nice, quiet town, where everyone has always known everyone else, has suddenly been hit by this mini crime wave – it’s very unsettling.
‘The thieves had a field day round here – it’s akin to looting. Mindless damage to properties, without taking anything of any real value.’
On the same night Alton Murphy Opticians, less than 100 yards away was also targeted. There was also an attempted break in at a children’s hospice charity shop and an empty shop on the High Street and a nearby NHS day care centre. The following night another hairdress- er’s, Blue, had its front window smashed and the cash float taken, while raiders also forced their way into the cafe Y Pantri. They also tried to break into a haberdasher’s shop, Threads, and two other cafes.
A day later vandals broke in and destroyed property in St Thomas’s Church, and also targeted premises on a nearby industrial estate.
Yesterday five businesses in the town remained boarded up following the break-ins. Meinir Tudor, manager of the opticians, said the vandals had caused more than £600 worth of damage by smashing the glass front door, for the sake of £33.50 in the till.
Police held an emergency meeting on Tuesday evening and have told business owners that are confident they will catch the culprits.
But Miss Tudor said they had heard little from officers since they were targeted. ‘They held an emergency meeting, but they aren’t telling us much,’ she said. ‘We’re petrified the thieves will come back.’
Denbigh – which has a population of 10,000 – comes under the Conwy and Denbighshire region policed by the North Wales force.
Mr Young said that when they visited him yesterday, senior officers refused to reveal exactly how many ‘ bobbies’ were stationed in the town at any one time because they can be moved around the region according to need. But they admitted that the police station in the town was not always manned.
On the force’s website there are six named officers – an inspector, four sergeants and a community beat manager – assigned to cover the town and surrounding area.
‘I would like to know how many officers are covering Denbigh because the criminals’ confidence is sky high,’ Mr Young added.
Inspector Glen Brumby, of North Wales Police, said: ‘Offences of this nature are unusual in the area. Officers have met proprietors of all the businesses in the town to discuss their concerns and extra patrols are being carried out to reassure the public that we are committed to protecting our communities.
‘The offences are being treated seriously and the investigation is ongoing to target and apprehend the offenders.’