CHEPSTOW town councillors were updated on crime in the area in a meeting with police last Wednesday.

Sergeant Philip Purcell presented to the councillors in the absence of Inspector Lysha Thompson, noting that while crime figures have slightly risen, most of the issues are shoplifting and are, in large, committed by people coming into the area, particularly from Lydney and Newport.

Questions were posed to the sergeant by councillors, concerning the presence of police officers and whether there are currently enough in the area.

But the sergeant explained that, due to budget limitations and the need for officers to be spread around, he would not be comfortable with spending £32,000 on a new officer when they may not serve the Chepstow area- a point appreciated by the councillors.

The discussion quickly moved on to the issue of illegal parking in Chepstow, and the sergeant reported that the police were actively putting tickets on illegally parked cars.

Cllr David Dovey said that while he acknowledged that there were some parking problems, he was pleased to see a police presence in the area.

“I’m pleased that officers are up there and putting tickets on cars,” he said.

“The residents are happy, and I hope to see a constant police presence in the area to deter people from parking illegally.”

Speaker, Cllr Dale Rooke asked the sergeant to pass his thanks on behalf of the council to Inspector Thompson, noting that consistent updates from the police are useful. It was agreed that the council would have quarterly updates from the police in order to solve any issues that may arrive in that time.