Police ‘unable to attend’ drug use in public place

Drugs in general in Bath are again becoming a serious issue

Concerns have been raised after police were unable to attend reports of people injecting heroin on public benches in the centre of Bath. The illegal act was spotted in Kingsmead Square earlier this month, but since then wider concerns have been raised about drug use and policing in the city. The police acknowledged that they could not attend on the day, but said reports of “incidents” in Kingsmead Square had fallen in the past 12 months. The owners of Grace & Ted, a shop which sells pre-owned designer clothing, raised concerns on Twitter earlier this month. They tweeted on July 4: “Yesterday there were people injecting heroin on the benches in Kingsmead Sqare. “Early evening, kids and families were everywhere. “Police called multiple times between 6pm and 2am. No one came. Is this just something we need to get used to now?” A local business owner, who did not want to be named, said: “I’ve seen people taking crack cocaine, spice, marijuana and heroin. “Drugs in Bath in general are again becoming a serious issue due to the severe lack of policing. “The reduction in police numbers has drastically affected the presence in the large public areas; Kingsmead Square being one of them. “It’s such a shame as Kingsmead Square has a great atmosphere day and night due to the fantastic businesses who operate here. “One of the most beautiful public areas in town is being ruined with drugs and aggressive antisocial behaviour. “I empathise strongly with the police as they are quite evidently struggling to cope. It’s having a severe affect on the city as a whole,” he said. He added: “The police in Bath are struggling seriously. Response times, due to the police cuts, are incredibly long. “It’s such a shame as this city has long been seen as a safe and secure place for nightlife.” An Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesman said: “Demand for our services is higher than ever and we must always prioritise calls based on the threat, harm and risk they pose to the public. “On July 3 we received a number of calls from a member of community concerning drug use in Kingsmead Square. “Unfortunately, other incidents took precedence and we were unable to attend.” Despite this, the police maintain that progress is being made in relation to curbing crime in this area of the city. The spokesman said: “There has been a marked decrease in the number of incidents reported to us concerning Kingsmead Square during the past 12 months and this can be attributed to a lot of hard work we’ve carried out in conjunction with our partners. “Kingsmead Square is a nodrinking zone and pro-active patrols are conducted with dispersal orders used and alcohol seized from those found with it while we also utilise the local authority’s CCTV operators. “In addition, the beat manager continues to work closely with other agencies to address the issues and provide support to those involved in drug use and street drinking.”