‘No need to police ale trail at weekend’

On Saturday Clr Bellamy wrote on Facebook: “Just taken a trip through Slaithwaite and Marsden. All very quiet. This is why councillors don’t ask for police to patrol August Bank Holiday, as it’s normally quiet, too much going on else here, ie Leeds Festival, Manchester Pride, Creamfields Festival etc.

“Even though we had said it was a waste of resources. Better to patrol in July.”

Speaking to the Examiner yesterday Clr Bellamy said: “For some reason the police decided to patrol on Saturday, even though we told them there was no need. “It’s normally quiet this weekend. “I saw two police people on the bridge in Slaithwaite and two in Marsden.”

A meeting to discuss the way forward is to be held at Holmfirth Police Station on Wednesday and Clr Bellamy said: “The meeting will be with police, British Transport Police, licensing and the train companies and I will be asking why they were patrolling this weekend. It’s very frustrating.” Clr Nicola Turner, meanwhile, said: “It’s a little bit frustrating though I don’t like to criticise the police.

“Last year the local area committee of Kirklees Council and Ossett Brewery, which runs the Riverhead pub in Marsden, funded some special door staff over the August Bank Holiday but afterwards we found they weren’t really needed.

“That was why I was rather surprised to find the police were patrolling the Ale Trail this weekend.”

Last month a Colne Valley resident, Emma Greenough, told how she and her family had to hide in a Slaithwaite curry house after drunken ale trail revellers caused havoc.

Emma, 40, who was out with her partner and six-year-old daughter, said she was appalled by the scenes, which were more reminiscent of Magaluf on the Spanish island of Majorca.

On Saturday the Examiner revealed that the police will no longer routinely patrol the Ale Trail due to “resourcing issues”.