WISBECH: Community meeting is rescheduled after insufficient advertising led to a no-show from resid

POLICE chiefs have rescheduled a community panel meeting after "insufficient advertising" led to a no-show from residents.

Not one resident turned up for the first Wisbech and District community panel meeting which was held in Elm on January 8.

However a host of key representatives from the county council, the police and education services did attend.

But local resident Alison Portass questioned whether the local community had actually been informed about the meeting.

She said: "I certainly would have attended if I had known when this meeting was going to take place."

She added: "Has it occurred to whoever organises these meetings to advertise when and where they will be held?

"I have never had such an invitation or seen anything advertised and I have lived in this village for 14 years. Maybe a flyer through a letter box might help."

A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire police said: "Due to the low attendance at the meeting it has been rescheduled to allow residents another opportunity to attend.

"It will now be held at Elm School on Tuesday February 10 at 7.30pm.

"There was some question over whether the previous meeting in January would go ahead as it was so close to Christmas, this lead to insufficient advertisement of the meeting and we apologise for any inconvenience caused."

She said details of the panel meetings are usually published in the media and information is available on the Cambridgeshire police website at www.cambs-police.uk

Information is also sent out via an E-Cops email and any resident can sign up to this via the police website.

The Wisbech panel meeting is open to residents from Walsoken, Rings End, Coldham, Elm Friday Bridge, Christchurch, Leverington, Parson Drove, Wisbech St Mary, Murrow, Guyhirn, Thorney Toll, Tydd Gote, Foul Anchor, Newton and Gorefield.

The meetings are not always held in the same village to ensure equal access for all residents.