West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed more policing across West Worcestershire as West Mercia’s annual budget review gets underway.

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion is consulting on raising the annual precept – which forms part of his budget – increasing the council tax element by 1.99 per cent.

Harriett has written to the PCC to share her views on the below-inflation increase and welcomed record numbers of police on the streets, a focus on solving rural crime issues and efforts to improve enforcement of speed limits across West Worcestershire.

The MP also called for visible policing to deter anti-social behaviour and praised John Campion’s efforts to combat the rising incidence of violence against women and girls.

Harriett said:

“I’ve carefully studied the Police and Crime Commissioner’s case for raising the annual precept and I welcome the fact that despite facing extra inflationary costs last year, he has opted for an increase below the rate of inflation.

“Over recent months, I have shared concerns about low level crime and anti-social behaviour, particularly in Pershore, and together with John Campion’s plans to increase police staffing levels, this must come with more visible policing on the streets.

“I’ve also had cause to write to him about the impact of speeding both in urban and rural areas and I have reported that my constituents list this as a major concern of theirs.

“It’s great that we’ve got record levels of police on roll at West Mercia and 40 new police officers were recruited last year. We’ve got comparatively low levels of serious crime, but I’d want John Campion to use this as a springboard to greater performance and more bobbies on the beat in 2024.”