THE county s only UKIP councillor has called for zero tolerance policing in areas with high levels of anti social behaviour. Councillor Peter Reeve, who represents Ramsey on both Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdon District Council, says he came

THE county's only UKIP councillor has called for zero tolerance policing in areas with high levels of anti social behaviour.

Councillor Peter Reeve, who represents Ramsey on both Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdon District Council, says he came to his conclusion after spending part of the holiday weekend with police officers on patrol.

Whilst full of praise for their work, Cllr Reeve said: "What I have seen tonight really does confirm my long held belief that respect for the police has disappeared.

"Having witnessed people urinating against people's houses in front of officers with no punishment, people swearing and shouting at officers.

"Officers trying to negotiate with individuals who have clearly had too much drink or drugs and having let one individual walk off - I was shocked that he was not arrested, to get him off the streets.

"My fears were confirmed when later in the evening this same individual was at the centre of yet more disturbance.

"If the police had a zero tolerance policy to this level of ASB, I believe we would see respect for the police increasing, people who are going to be a problem taken from the streets early in the evening and the start of rebuilding the values and respect for others that seems to be increasingly missing from our society today.

"Above all what I saw, in taking part with 'operation insight' has convinced me that the police should not be attempting to be social workers. They should be upholding the law and they need to be doing it rigorously. Zero tolerance would send the message that we need. ASB is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

Cllr Reeve says he welcomes the move to implement 24hr dispersal orders which, when breached will give police in his home town of Ramsey the powers of arrest that they need.

"Having police on the streets is brilliant and we are grateful for the efforts being made," he said. "But police must be able and willing to deal with the problems as soon as they arise.