Labour Avoids Fact-Finding

Local Councillors and members of the Safer Reading Campaign have visited the regional Police control centre to gain a better insight into the process of policing.

The visit included a tour of the Thames Valley Police call centre, requested by Cllr Benson after concerns were raised about the handling of enquiries. The busy Redlands representative also provides comprehensive information on how the issue has effected local people.

Questions were raised by both LibDems and Conservatives over the reasons why Labour failed to send one of their 3 committee members or any of their 19 councillors on the fact-finding mission to investigate the quality of public service given by the Police.

The visit was arranged shortly after the announcement of an inflation-busting 4.89% hike in Council Tax precept was agreed (this compares to 4.24% overall) by members of the Thames Valley Police Authority to pay for 12 new front-line officers in the borough.

And all this massive expense at the same time as small-scale community-based solutions are struggling to survive.

Update: Outgoing Labour MP for Reading West, Martin Salter, has reiterated his demand for additional allowances to be paid to Police Officers across the region, without which he says mean "council tax payers in our constituencies are in effect subsidising the training of Met police"

South Oxfordshire is to receive 20 extra officers under the plan.