Crimes missed as calls on hold

Victims of crime in Kidderminster are put off reporting incidents because they have to ring a police call centre in Worcester, it was claimed today.

Councillor Nigel Knowles said residents living in the town and elsewhere in the Wyre Forest district were reluctant to phone West Mercia Constabulary's headquarters.

They would prefer to talk to an officer at their local police station.

Councillor Knowles, who represents St Barnabas on Worcestershire County Council, said that when people ring the headquarters line they often have to hold for a lengthy period of time and will sometimes hang up before they speak to anyone, which means the crime goes unreported.

He wants police stations in Kidderminster, Bewdley and Stourport to have the facilities and manpower to enable people to report incidents locally.

A force spokesman said: "We are currently looking at introducing a new non-emergency telephone, which will cost the same as making a local call from a landline or a mobile phone."