THE North Swindon policing team have emphasised their commitment to protecting the community following a storm of criticism from councillors and residents.

Responding to claims of ineptitude and incompetence, officers urged people to continue to report incidents of anti-social behaviour, despite residents’ complaints the reports are routinely ignored.

On Tuesday night, councillors in Haydon Wick grilled police and crime commissioner Angus Macpherson for failing to respond adequately to the parish’s anti-social behaviour problems.

Coun Damon Bower said things had got so bad that residents are forming groups that are “going out patrolling the areas because they are feeling that the police are inept and incompetent”.

In response, inspector Andy Bridge, of the Swindon North Community Policing Team, sought to reassure worried residents.

He said: “We are committed to providing the best policing service we can to keep people safe and to protect our community and I would urge people to continue to report incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour.

“Our policing team do deploy to reported incidents but this is always done against a context of threat, harm and risk assessment to ensure the most appropriate response is provided.

“They also focus on priority patrol areas and proactive activity which are set against force priorities that identify the most harmful threats in our community.

“A recent example of the outcome of this type of work related to the seizure of a motorbike following anti-social behaviour.”