‘We just want to make the area safe’
Neighbours concerned after spate of burglaries
THREE people have been arrested in connection with a spate of burglaries in the St Mark’s area of Cheltenham that has caused concern in the community.
Some residents said they felt nervous because of what Gloucestershire police said had been “numerous” burglaries committed recently.
On its Facebook page, the force said: “Officers investigating numerous burglaries in the St Mark’s area of Cheltenham have recovered a substantial amount of property which is believed to have been stolen.
“The team is in the process of going through all the items and will be making contact with people in due course about what has been recovered, however we are urging for patience as this may take some time.”
Officers suggested that anyone concerned about keeping their home and property safe should check out advice on the Gloucestershire police website. Residents can do so by visiting gloucestershire.police.uk/stolenmemories/.
Three men from Cheltenham, aged 21, 25 and 29, have been arrested in connection with the burglaries and allegations of handling stolen goods.
The arrests followed police patrols in St Mark’s earlier this month.
A police spokeswoman said: “We appreciate that residents are worried about offences such as burglary taking place in the area and we would like to reassure everyone that we are taking this matter seriously.
“The team feels that both the arrests and the recovery of stolen goods are significant in showing that we are acting on any concerns.”
One resident, Emmy Hayes, said: “We’ve all been made aware that there are people going around trying doors.
“People are saying they can hear their doors being banged. We’re all worried.”
“We haven’t seen any police. We’re part of Rowanfield. We just want to make the area safe.
She added: “Extra patrols do fill me with more confidence. I feel like the more patrols we have got, the better.
“Street lights and those sorts of things aren’t going to stop burglars.
“We are going to create a Neighbourhood Watch.
“I think that’s something that will give a lot of comfort.”
Will Aston, who lives in St Mark’s, said the recent criminal activity had made his family feel nervous.
He thought there had been nearly 10 burglaries and three bikes stolen from outside St Mark’s Pharmacy.
He said residents had written to the Tennyson Road-based pharmacy to ask it not to provide the heroin substitute methadone to drug users.
They feared, he said, that there was a link between the increase in crime in the area and the drug users’ treatment.
But Gloucestershire police said there was no evidence to suggest a link between the pharmacy prescribing methadone and the burglaries.
Kalpesh Patel, for the pharmacy, said: “The concerns were first raised with me by a local resident two days ago. Of course, as St Mark’s Pharmacy is very much part of the local community, we are sorry to hear of these concerns and are keen to do what we can to ensure they are addressed.”
He said he could not comment on whether there might be a link between increased crime and the pharmacy providing methadone.
But he added: “Substance misuse clinics are requested to be run by Gloucestershire County Council in order to serve the health needs of the population.
“St Mark’s Pharmacy has been running a clinic for over 10 years in order to support this need.
“The clinics exist essentially as a way of harm reduction for the individual and the wider community by providing the service user with the help and support needed to recover from addiction.
“There are currently 12 pharmacies of 16 in Cheltenham providing these types of services. The number of users has reduced at St Mark’s over the last 12 months.” robin.jenkins@reachplc.com