Backlash over plan for no PCSOs after 8pm

A decision by a police force to stop employing PCSOs after 20:00 has faced a backlash from local councillors.

Marc Bayliss, Deputy Police & Crime Commissioner for West Mercia Police, said the change would mean no reduction in hours, with shifts switching to earlier in the day.

But he said the chief constable had suggested the 20:00 cut off, because it would mean PCSOs would not need to be paid an additional shift allowance.

Shropshire councillor Roger Evans, a member of the Lib Dem group which now runs the authority, said the idea was "intolerable".

He said he could not recall the change being part of budget consultations and he worried it would leave some areas without police cover in the evenings.

"A number of people have contacted me saying they're very upset about the loss of police and availability in the evenings, especially in the summer," he said.

Mr Bayliss said there would be extra police officers on duty to "bolster our availabilities to cover those night time economy areas".

Viv Parry a Shropshire councillor in Ludlow, also raised concerns and said she has struggled to speak to a police officer about issues in her area.

Mr Bayliss said he shared her concerns about overstretched police officers and said: "The policing guarantee is likely to mean more officers in Ludlow into he very near future."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.