NEIGHBOURHOOD police in four South East Cornwall towns will now be led by one person – Sergeant Jo Williams.

With the departure of Sergeant Angela Crow from Torpoint, Sgt Williams will now be the Neighbourhood Team Leader with responsibility for Liskeard, Looe, Saltash and Torpoint.

At one time, all four towns had their own sergeants, but the posts were amalgamated over the past few years, firstly with Liskeard and Looe sharing a leader, likewise Torpoint and Saltash.

Each town has their own Neighbourhood Beat Manager, who is a police constable.

The reduction in police sergeant posts brings South East Cornwall into line with the rest of the county, says Sgt Williams.

‘Sgt Crow’s post has been lost as part of the ongoing cuts to policing in Devon and Cornwall, and the ongoing reduction in police officer numbers,’ she said.

‘Our budget is frozen until 2020 so in real terms our budget is still falling.

‘As a result the money each area has to spend on frontline policing is under pressure.’