TROUBLE hotspots need to be targeted by visible police officers, says a town's county councillor.

People living in Pershore said they do not often see police in the town ranking their visibility on the streets as 'poor or very poor'

Four hundred people responded to a survey, funded by Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion, gathering the perceptions of the town's policing.

More than half of residents (52 per cent) said the visibility of police officers is poor or very poor in the town - above the average in the wider West Mercia perception survey.

READ MORE: 52 per cent of Pershore residents say police visibility is poor

Councillor Dan Boatright-Greene, Worcestershire County Councillor for Pershore, praised the police for working to increase its presence in the town but said more was needed.

He said: "I would say that the results are an accurate reflection of what I have gathered from residents in Pershore.

"We have had a lot of people concerned with low-level anti-social behaviour in the town and surrounding areas for a long time.

"I can see that the police are trying to be more visible in the town itself which is good because the residents want to see them.

"They also want to see police at the right times in the day as well when they are likely to witness this anti-social behaviour themselves.

"There has certainly been more visibility than before, but there needs to be more of an improvement."

Cllr Boatright-Greene previously rallied behind calls for anti-social behaviour in the town to be tackled.

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The survey also showed that under half 44 per cent of respondents also felt West Mercia Police was working well with the local community to identify crime and disorder issues, impacting the confidence residents have in local policing.

When asked about crime in Pershore, the majority of respondents perceived crime and anti-social behaviour as a serious issue.

Over 50 per cent of the respondents also said criminal damage/vandalism, vehicle crime and domestic burglary were big problems in the town, with road safety and rural crime being at the top of the list of concerns.

The survey followed a community conversation event hosted by the PCC in May this year, where more than 60 residents voiced their disappointment at local policing.