COUNCILLORS have accused their bobby on the beat of ‘not spending enough time in Helsby’.

Residents in the village claim they see little of their PCSO who is supposed to be a ‘visible police force in the Helsby community’.

At a Helsby Parish Council Meeting on Monday (March 14) councillors expressed their concerns about the PCSO who is never seen in the village.

Cllr Stuart Hulse said: “We still get complaints that the PCSO is not to be seen.

“We were told they would walk or cycle through the village, so why is he driving around in a police car?”

Cllr Digger Digby added: “I have been working in the village and I have seen him only once going after a stray cat. Some residents have never seen him.”

Cllr Terry O’Neil said: “We opted to employ a PCSO because we did a survey and people said they had a fear of crime.

“Do we still want to spend our money on this man? I think he spends too much time at the high school dealing with matters that should be dealt with internally.”

Inspector Phil Hodgson defended his PCSO, saying: “I am exasperated by the lack of understanding and patience people show. If he is not there in five seconds they say that he is never there. I can reassure you that he is in Helsby.

“PCSO Tapley is a very valuable member of the team; I am extremely pleased with him. Ninety percent of the time he is in Helsby, but he has to pick up equipment and file reports and so he has to come to Frodsham station to do that.”

Inspector Hodgson explained that the parish council only pay one third of the PCSO’s wages, while the police cover the remaining cost, so occasionally he is required to cover work in Frodsham.

“If people have a problem they can come and speak to me. I am very disappointed with what I consider to be a very narrow-minded view.”

Inspector Hodgson explained how PCSO Tapley is helping to keep the Helsby crime figure 60% below the national average, and anti-social behaviour 40% below the national average.