A councillor in Sandwich has lost faith in police after he says response times for urgent calls have not been quick enough.

Cllr David Wood spoke to PCSO Ian Norton at the Sandwich Town Council meeting on Monday about the lack of police presence in the town.

A motion was passed to ask Kent Police to supply a report explaining how many 999 calls are made in the town and the response times.

Cllr Wood, the Labour councillor for Sandwich South said: “I raised the motion because I’m worried about the long wait for a response in Sandwich. A few years ago I rang 999 when I witnessed a pensioner beaten up by a gang in St Peter’s Street and it took forty minutes for the police to arrive.

“As I said in the town council meeting, unfortunately I have no confidence that if someone makes a call from Sandwich which is urgent, that it will be dealt with quickly.”

As part of his campaign for better policing in the town Cllr Wood wrote to Ann Barnes, the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, after money was stolen from St Peter’s Church last month. He said this demonstrates that the public are becoming complacent with the absence of a police force in the town.

Sandwich has a population of nearly 5,000 and no permanent police office after it closed in 2012. It relies on officers responding from Deal, Dover or Margate.

"A few years ago I rang 999 when I witnessed a pensioner beaten up by a gang in St Peter’s Street and it took forty minutes for the police to arrive." - Cllr Wood.

PCSO Ian Norton explained that statistics show there has been an increase of three crimes since last year.

He also explained that speed checks found no speeding vehicles on Ramsgate Road and parking on the solid white lines at the Woodnesborough Road level crossing has been dealt with.

He added: “There were two shoplifting offences for the past month and both offences were dealt with, and one anti-social behaviour call.

“All the youths were spoken to and dealt with.”