Show of force (From Gazette & Herald)

Show of force

ANTISOCIAL behaviour could be eliminated from the area around a crime-hit car park in a North Yorkshire town if a new police station is built there.

That is the claim from Ryedale police chief, Inspector Neil Burnett, who says alcohol and drug use, "boy racer" meetings and vandalism could all be banished from around Wentworth Street in Malton if the green light is given for a new £1.9 million station at the site.

Thirsk-based Severfield-Reeve Projects propose to design and construct the new station for free on part of the car park, in exchange for being able to turn the existing police headquarters in Old Malton Road into apartments.

North Yorkshire Police are looking at the deal as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". "One instant advantage of the new station would be that its mere presence in Wentworth Street car park would enable us to address antisocial behaviour such as "boy racer" activity, criminal damage, nuisance, and drink and drug use, which regularly takes place in the car park and nearby cemetery," said Insp Burnett.

"Many Malton residents are persistently affected by this and strenuous demands have been made on the police to respond.

"A new police station in Wentworth Street car park would rid the area of these problems in one fell swoop, as well as giving the town a state-of-the-art police facility which many rural communities lack and would be proud to have."

Insp Burnett assured residents that the police would continue to provide high levels of policing, whether or not the new purpose-built police station was given the go-ahead. "However, there is no doubt that a new purpose-built police station will bring additional benefits to both the police and local community. A relocation to Wentworth Street Car Park would make the police more visible in the heart of the town and would provide better access to the police services for people and businesses in the town centre," he said.

Ryedale District Council development control manager Gary Housden said reports and responses from several agencies had to be collected before the applications for the new and old stations could be put before the authority's planning committee.

Updated: 10:57 Tuesday, January 13, 2004