July 26, 2019 10.53 am This story is over 56 months old

“Are they blind?” Residents hit back at Boston street drinking inaction

A Boston councillor will propose a new trial to tackle the issue next week
| Photo: Adobe Stock

Residents have hit out at police figures which showed there was no action over street drinking in the town in four months.

As reported, the figures before Boston Borough Council scrutiny next week show a rise in actions taken under the towns PSPO over the past two years.

However, over the four months from December last year to March this year no actions had been reported at all.

Following publication of the story, residents on social media said they were unconvinced.

Rob Flatters said: “No wonder serious crimes are not solved looks like police force has serious case of blindness.”

Ashley Le Hermit Lister wrote: “Go down St Mark’s Alley and the little carpark at the end of it then – drinking 24/7. Who are they trying to kid?”

Maxine Hill asked: “Where are they looking? I see it on a daily basis. Unbelievable!”

Boston Borough Councillor Neill John Hastie. Photo: Neill Hastie

Speaking to Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Jaines, Boston Councillor Neill John Hastie blamed a “failing 101 system” for leading to “inaccurate statistics” on the less of anti-social behaviour.

“This is down to a number of reasons like people being put off by the call charge, being on hold for up to 45 min, being told its not illegal and no incidents number being given, so people have started reporting it online instead,” he said.

Councillor Hastie runs a Facebook page called Boston Street Drinkers and ASB incidents and says that since it was set up nine months ago, he’s passed 203 incidents featuring 501 individuals to the council’s Anti-Social Behaviour team.

He wants to see a team of PCSOs assigned to the team specifically for targeting anti-social behaviour and low level crime which “mainly goes unreported”.

He will be asking for a pilot scheme at next week’s meeting, which he says will cost around £163,200 a year.

“Hopefully after the trial, if run properly and its had the expected impact, the scheme may only be temporary in place and Boston will truly be a safer cleaner place to live, work and raise a family in,” he said.

Lincolnshire Police have put much of the reduction down to a summer purge last year.

Chief Inspector James Trafford said: “Boston town centre is regularly patrolled on foot by PCSOs and officers, who will deal robustly with any street drinking they see.

“We take this matter very seriously.”

He welcomed that there had been only 17 reported street drinking incidents so far this year, but encouraged people encouraged to report any incidents.

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