Witney town council wrote in good faith to Police Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfeld to make him aware that no prosecutions had been made after numerous acts of vandalism in the town.

The town council has had to pay out more than £10,000 for broken signs, vandalised buildings and property in the last six months period.

This may not sound like a lot of money, but when one considers councillor Roger Curry said thousands have been shelled out each year for the past 12 years, it adds up and is clearly something plaguing the town.

Vandalism is clearly not as much of a problem in Witney as it might be in the inner cities or larger towns.

But while Witney looks incredibly pristine and well kept, this does not make vandalism any more excusable.

Mr Stansfeld’s response to the council, while unhelpful in the extreme, clearly shows his frustration with his own party for the sweeping austerity cuts.

These are going to make it increasingly difficult for police to patrol areas like Witney that are not seen as a crime priority.

Clearly, Mr Stansfeld feels his powers to intervene are limited given the constraints that are being placed on police staffing.

Above all though, the problem rests with the vandals themselves.

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