Ludlow and Bridgnorth will both benefit from a “summer blitz on town centre crime”, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper MP has today announced.
Stuart Anderson MP has welcomed the initiative but has said that longer-term support is needed in rural areas to make a real difference. It is part of Stuart’s campaign to protect and support local communities in South Shropshire.
The Government’s 'Safer Streets Summer Initiative' hopes to boost police visibility in town centres and on the high streets to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour - including theft and assaults on retail workers.
Announced on 4th July 2025, the initiative will run in over 500 communities until 30th September 2025. The campaign aims to increase visible police presence in local communities, focusing on “visibility, prevention and enforcement.”
However, Stuart has been calling for longer-term support. In Parliament, Stuart has recently held Ministers to account on action they are taking to tackle anti-social behaviour in rural towns and villages.
Stuart is disappointed that Home Office Minister Diana Johnson MP was not able to name any specific interventions. The Minister instead referred to the ‘Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee’, which has been thrown into question.
This is because a significant shortfall in funding means that West Mercia will only be able to recruit 12 new officers with the funding it has been given. As Stuart reported in April, a further 19 officers will be moved from "back-office roles."
Stuart also asked Ministers to allocate funding for the roll out hotspot policing in rural areas. The Minister confirmed West Mercia Police has been awarded £1 million from the Hot Spot Action Fund for 2025/26.
As recently reported by Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion, previous funding has enabled 2,700 hotspot policing patrols to take place in Shropshire. This is a tenth of patrols that the Force has carried out.
The Home Office has stated that the aim of the summer campaign is to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour in town centres and "ensure visible, meaningful consequences for those responsible".
The campaign will also ensure that there are activities delivered across the 500 areas taking part for young people to be involved in during the summer holidays.
In addition to the campaign, Stuart has asked Ministers to resume the Safer Streets Fund, which enabled Police and Crime Commissioners to deliver targeted interventions in areas of concern.
Stuart first called for the continuation of the Fund last August, after it emerged that many police forces lack equipment such as torches and lamps, drone kits, and cameras to tackle rural crime.
The last government had invested over £150 million in more than 400 projects across the country. This included local crime prevention measures such as better CCTV and street-lighting.
Stuart has also repeated his call for an uplift to police funding in rural areas. He has said that this will enable greater effectiveness in the longer term, beyond the timeline of this summer campaign.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Crime and anti-social behaviour has a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods in both urban and rural areas. Tackling it is a key focus of my campaign to protect and support local communities in South Shropshire. I am pleased that Ludlow and Bridgnorth will benefit from this crack down on town centre crime. However, longer-term support is needed to make a real difference. That is why I am calling for an uplift to police funding in rural areas and the restoration of the Safer Streets Fund, which saw the last government invest more than £150 million in local crime prevention. This will enable greater police visibility and effectiveness in rural towns and villages like those in South Shropshire beyond the lifespan of this three-month campaign."
