A senior police officer has attacked a parish council for insulting his team by saying they provide "poor value for money".

Insp Bill Coady, of Rayleigh police, said Rochford Parish Council should have approached him with concerns over policing, rather than speaking out.

Parish clerk Janice Rigby told the Evening Echo she feared Rochford was not being properly policed earlier this week.

Insp Coady said: "This is an ongoing problem with some of the parishes who seem to think that if they go to the press and complain about value for money, we will return them to their ideal of when they had a village bobby.

"As much as I would like to give them dedicated beat officers - which is often their agenda - I don't have the luxury of additional resources.

"I think Mrs Rigby's comment in relation to value for money was insulting to the hard work performed by my officers."

Mrs Rigby complained youths were often seen hanging around in the town centre, the Square, and intimidating residents who felt they could not use nearby cash machines.

Published Thursday, June 19, 2003

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