Changes to policing in Kent have sparked fears that it could leave Sandwich with even fewer PCSOs.

Last week, it was reported that policing in Kent would be changing with the newly formed Local District Policing Teams, which will deal with emergency and non-emergency calls.

This means that each ward will have a visible PCSO presence.

This has resulted in the news that PCSO Doreen Lee will now be covering Ash and the Stour villages as well as Sandwich which has angered councillors who feel that this means less presence for the town.

Cllr Mark Moorhouse said: “It’s ridiculous.

“This comes when Ann Barnes has spent £200,000 on moving offices, enough to fund about 10 PCSOs and now they’re getting rid of our PCSOs.

“How does she justify that?”

Sandwich Town Council believes the cuts need to be made in other ways.

Cllr Paul Carter added: “We can’t take this sitting down.

“The commissioner has sat in front us and said there would always be a visible force in every community but we have one PCSO who we see on an as and when basis.”

Det Insp Mark Weller, Deputy Dover District Commander, said: “Each ward will continue to have a PCSO assigned to it as before and they will listen and work together with communities.

“Operationally we cannot determine the number of officers on any given day, but the assignment of officers was decided by a number of factors including call demand, geography and population.

“No district will have fewer officer numbers than previously.”

Councillors in Sandwich have decided to write to police and crime commissioner Ann Barnes to request that she justifies spending the sum on moving offices and to ask for a greater police presence in the town.

For the full story read this week's Sandwich edition of the East Kent Mercury.