AS the campaign to improve policing in rural East Hampshire gains momentum – on Friday Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Michael Lane is to quiz Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney about her plans – a former police office has called on Petersfield councillors to back the initiative supported by rural parish council chairman and district councillors elsewhere in the district.

The campaign demands that police provide rural residents the service they pay for, and was launched in a letter to the chief constable from Sir Charles Cockburn of Bentley, supported by 26 town and parish council chairman, East Hampshire councillors, and Neighbourhood Watch and Speed Watch representatives.

The former Petersfield officer, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “My reaction to the letter signatories is ‘well done’ – but where were the Petersfield councillors, whether Hampshire County Council, East Hampshire District Council, Petersfield Town Council or the various parish councils local to the town.

“All of them have experienced the problems highlighted in the past two or three years – and perhaps longer ?

“If they were aware of the article going in the Post, then shame on them. If they were not aware, perhaps that’s a mitigating circumstance – but nevertheless, they should be much involved.

“Hopefully the Post will receive a response from all of them!

“Unfortunately Petersfield is regarded as a low crime area.

“Residents have largely given up reporting matters – ‘a lack of policing’, ‘not serious enough to pursue’ and ‘no likely outcome’ are the regular reasons or excuses for not reporting crimes.

“The sight of a police officer would have probably gained the ‘spotter’ just five to ten points in an I Spy competition.

“Now it would be 500-plus points – except on Remembrance Sunday or a similar occasion, when it would be ten points.

“When was the last occasion residents saw an officer patrolling the streets of Petersfield?

“All one sees is the occasional police vehicle passing through the town, or arriving in the Central car park to visit Waitrose for their well-earned food break.

“I was appalled and deeply saddened to read the reaction of Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney to the matter. To appoint an Acting Sergeant, however capable he is, to chair the first rural crime board meeting – and since when do police have ‘board meetings’? – shows the low level of interest.

“That Chief Inspector Alex Reading was apparently too busy to confer with the Post on the matter, and policing in the area generally, speaks volumes for the lack of serious interest by Chief Constable Pinkney – and possibly Chief Inspector Reading too.”

Since 2010, the Conservative-driven austerity has seen Hampshire Police shed 1,000 officers, close police stations completely, as in Petersfield. Officers work out of Penns Place but aren’t available to talk to the public, as at Alton and Bordon.

Lack off officers, the closure of police stations and a widely-acknowledged reluctance to follow up crime has left police – through no fault of officers – failing to provide the service for which the force is paid via council tax, claims Sir Cockburn.