Police “set the record straight” over speculation they are “only interested in issuing crime reference numbers”

A spokesperson for the North Somerset Neighbourhood Policing Team of Avon & Somerset Police have pushed back on accusations that they fail to focus on identifying and prosecuting those that commit crime in the town.

In a post on their social media page they highlighted the work they had done this month in identifying, arresting and securing charges against a 16yr old male who was linked to a stolen motorcycle that was recovered on the Bournville Estate

North Somerset Neighbourhood Policing Team have been cracking down on crime in recent months (Photo: Stock Image)

The social media post said: “On Sunday 5 July, we posted about our Town Centre Team officers recovering a stolen motorcycle on the Bournville Estate.

We would like to set the record straight following speculation that police are only interested in issuing crime reference numbers and are not focused on identifying and prosecuting offenders.

We are pleased to confirm that a 16-year-old male from Weston-super-Mare has now been charged with:

Theft of a motor vehicle, Driving whilst disqualified

Driving without insurance and Driving without due care and attention

We would like to thank the victim for providing a statement promptly, and North Somerset Council's CCTV operators for supplying vital footage that enabled officers to extensively track the offender's movements and build the evidence required to secure these charges.

If you have information relating to vehicle crime, please report it via the Avon and Somerset Police website, by calling 101, or anonymously through Crimestoppers.

We can only act on the information we receive. There are members of the community who may know who is committing these offences and which areas are being targeted. We encourage anyone with information to come forward and share what they know. We will do the rest.

Our officers have done their part by investigating the offence, identifying the suspect and securing charges. The case will now proceed through the courts, where magistrates will make their judgement based on the evidence presented.”

The arrest comes amidst an increased crackdown by local police on anti-social behaviour, knife crime and theft across Weston-super-Mare, as well as last weeks execution of warrants and the arrest and subsequent charges of four teenagers for rape and other offences.