THE EYES and ears of Petersfield residents will be crucial if the town is to solve its drug ‘problem’.

But form filling will help the police and their counterparts even more to build an accurate picture of the ‘local drug situation’.

Damian Hinds MP and several councillors were in the audience when the Festival Hall hosted a Youthlink meeting shortly before Christmas.

Discussion at the Rose Room event was led by Julie Poling, James McCullough and PC Kieran Mansell of Catch 22, Hampshire Youth Offending Team and Hampshire Police, respectively.

Members of youth-related services like the Kings Arms and Crossover Centre were among the 66 people who attended the meeting.

The panel heard youngsters in Petersfield are more open in their drug use and less fearful of repercussions because of the perceived lack of police presence in the town.

The latter belief, coupled with Petersfield’s proximity to the A3 and its perception as a nice place to live, has given the impression the town is ripe for criminal exploitation.

Others believe cannabis is being used as a coping mechanism and modern-day tobacco by many youngsters, especially by those whose parents or grandparents smoke marijuana at home, so peer pressure could be an issue.

There is also a belief that parents lack general confidence when facing a drug-related problem and opinions about narcotics varied enormously.

The audience heard the Love Lane, Avenue and Bell Hill areas are the worst hotspots for drug-related incidents in the town, although it’s hoped the forthcoming installation of CCTV at the sites will help with policing.

The police, having revealed that one house in the town is currently being monitored for drug offences, told the audience they have achieved some good results since Christmas 2017.

They also pointed out Bordon is the busiest area for drug-related activity in East Hampshire while Fareham, Gosport and Havant top the county list, with Mr Hinds speaking of the difficulties in policing the district’s 300 square miles.

Julie Poling, acting deputy service manager at Catch 22, said her group – which has been supporting young people with drug and alcohol issues for the past 25 years – has seen a 100 per cent increase in referrals in Hampshire since July 2018, with 16 referrals from East Hampshire during the past six months.

But the most important message taken from the meeting was the importance of sharing non-urgent but invaluable information through the likes of 101 and the Hampshire Police website.

Filling in a Community Partnership Information (CPI) form is even better as it will help police build a clearer picture of the threat of risk and harm to children and young people.

Anyone who witnesses or hears of drug-related activity in Petersfield can fill in a CPI form through www.safe4me.co.uk/portfolio/sharing-

information