Underage drinking, knife crimes and "idiots on mopeds" were among many of the concerns raised by people living in a market town.

At the meeting in Fakenham, a disgruntled member of the public highlighted "idiots on mopeds" are causing problems, a comment to which many in the audience nodded in agreement with.

The concerns were raised in response to an updated report given by the police on the overall safety of Fakenham. 

At a town council meeting, PC Jessica Elliott described how the market town is "generally safe" and that there have been no alarming changes in reported crime data over the last 12 months. 

According to statistics from the Norfolk Constabulary, violence and sexual assaults constituted 42pc of overall reported crime. The second highest for reports was anti-social behaviour, at 15pc.

However, members of the public outlined a disparity in the data as unreported crimes were becoming more prevalent.

One man raised the issue of underage drinking and smoking, especially at Millennium Park. 

Fakenham & Wells Times: Concerns about underage drinking at Millennium Park were raised at a Fakenham town council meeting.Concerns about underage drinking at Millennium Park were raised at a Fakenham town council meeting. (Image: Fakenham Town Council)
In response, PC Elliott said that the police frequently patrol the area, and also offer a safe neighbourhood action programme (SNAP) every three months, which members of the public are welcome to join. 

The programme sets out priorities for the area, and gives the police a better picture of community concerns.

"Anti-social behaviour is definitely one of our priorities, but we also rely on the public to make those calls and report what they see," said PC Elliott.

Fakenham & Wells Times: The graph shows the number of crimes that were reported in Fakenham for the month of March in 2024.The graph shows the number of crimes that were reported in Fakenham for the month of March in 2024. (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

PC Elliott said: "I'm not saying this doesn't go on, because it does. What I'm showing you is what has been reported to us.

"We rely on victims of crimes to report it, otherwise we're not going to know about it." 

Cllr Angela Glynn, who chaired the meeting, said that a lack of police resources also contributes to crimes going unnoticed. 

"I think we can all agree that the resources for the police have been hallowed out, and citizens of Fakenham are paying the price for it," she said.

If you see a crime, call 999 or 101.