THERE has been a meeting involving councillors, police and the Member of Parliament in Craven Arms.

Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, met south Shropshire police in Craven Arms to discuss rural policing and how to keep local residents safer.

Mr Dunne met local police with Shropshire councillor David Evans and David Mills, Mayor of Craven Arms, to discuss local policing issues in the town and surrounding area.

They also discussed West Mercia Police’s ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ campaign. This involves reducing and disrupting the market for stolen goods and protecting homes and possessions by making them less attractive to the would-be criminal.

As part of the ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ campaign, households have the opportunity to mark their possessions with SmartWater free of charge to the householder – which means stolen goods can be identified by a unique indelible mark invisible to the naked eye.

“It was good to meet Inspector Nikki Roberts and Estelle Stock from the We Don’t Buy Crime team, to discuss how residents in Craven Arms can help deter crime by deterring criminals and disrupting the market for stolen goods,” said Mr Dunne.

“SmartWater has been used successfully in other communities in Shropshire, notably Cleobury Mortimer, and I am pleased West Mercia Police are being very proactive in their approach to helping local residents keep their property safe and deter burglars.

“I was encouraged to learn of a fresh initiative to encourages farmers and other businesses to adopt SmartWater to reduce rural crime theft in the area.”

People are encouraged to not make things easy for criminals and that will often involved relatively simple measures such as closing windows and putting valuables out of sight.

Photo: Philip Dunne MP with Inspector Nikki Roberts, Estelle Stock, Coordinator We Don’t Buy Crime Team, David Mills, Mayor of Craven Arms and Cllr David Evans, Shropshire Councillor.