Drug dealing, off-road bikes & shoplifting in County Durham

Councillor David Boyes raised issues of open drug dealing, off-road bikes and brazen shoplifting in Easington Colliery, saying he wanted to see "the bad guys being frightened of the police again".

He said thieves would sit outside the supermarket they had just raided and swig the booze they had just stolen.

He spoke during a discussion of a proposed rise in the police precept, which people pay in their council tax, along with more officers, PSCOs, call handlers and tech.

The police and crime panel of Durham County Council would later vote 5-2 for the rise, a £10-a-year increase for band D homes.

This will mean an extra 13p a week for band A homes, 19p for band D.

Cllr David Boyes

Cllr Boyes, who represents Easington, said: "It's still an increase in the precept when we've had, as far as I'm concerned, a deterioration in service.

"And this is an increase on top of people's council tax bills... fuel bills are going to go up massively and the cost of living's going up. This is just another increase.

"I think people will accept increases if they can see that it's being justified, but... we could say it hasn't been justified.

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"I've got three main issues in Easington.

"One is open drug dealing and selling on the streets.

"Two, people riding around on off-road bikes, 50-60mph, and not getting challenged and just doing it with impunity.

"And three, people walking into our Co-op, just taking things out and knowing they're not going to get challenged.

"And they're actually sitting outside drinking the beer that they've just pinched from the Co-op.

"Now this to me is a certain degree of lawlessness.

A police officer

"If these proposals are going to mean improvement in service and take us back possibly to 2019 and before level of service of the police, I'll whole-heartedly support it.

"But I am very concerned and I am very frustrated, as are the residents who I serve and represent, that we have seen a major deterioration in police service over the last two years.

"Some of it because of covid, fair enough."

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He said he was pleased to hear of more PCSOs: "That's what we need.

"We need to get those bodies on the streets, people seeing a visible police presence and the bad guys being frightened of the police again because we're just not seeing that now.

"People are just walking around with impunity doing what they want."

Durham PCC Joy Allen (Image: Northern Echo, Newsquest)

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Joy Allen replied: "What we are doing is a league table and Durham's still top of that league table.

"Durham is still out there on top because it's good or outstanding in nine out of the 12 areas.

"Durham is an outstanding force. We lost 400-odd officers however we're still at the top of the league.

"But there's a lot of work that we need to do.

"There's a recruitment drive on. We need those police officers to come forward, to get trained so we can get them out on the streets."

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She referred to Operation Endurance, a campaign to tackle dangerous and antisocial use of off-road bikes and quads, saying the public had identified it as a concern.

She said they were working with councillors to get more resources like drones.

She added: "This is very much about delivering on what matters to the local public and also working very closely with members to make sure you can see the difference and delivering that plan."

Cllr Boyes responded: "Other forces mustn't be doing particularly well.

"Or it must just be Easington clearly where everything's gone wrong.

"Because in Easington Colliery I can see a marked deterioration.

"You can say that we're doing exceptionally well. But in my area we're not seeing that.

"I think what we need is now some proper community policing.

"Let's see if we can go forward away from the Covid situation and start seeing major improvements.

"You can tell me all day that the force is doing well, but it's not doing well in my area."

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