LOOE town council are to call a public meeting in six weeks time to discuss streets knee deep in rubbish, vandalism and drunkenness, especially on the seafront which is often awash with empty beer bottles and cans.
At Monday's meeting councillors complained that something would have to be done about huge amounts of rubbish everywhere during the high season, which was giving Looe a bad name.
They said rubbish collections would have to be improved and the council, harbour commission and East Looe Town Trust would have to meet with Caradon Council and get something sorted out by next summer.
Councillor Don Webb complained about drinking on the seafront, an especially bad incident taking place on Sunday evening involving about 12 local men aged between 18 and 20. He said they were drunk, urinating in public and generally making a nuisance of themselves. 'Three holiday families complained to me' he said, 'and I called the police.
However at 8.35pm the men were still there, and at 10.30pm four of them were still being a nuisance. The police never arrived'.
Councillor Jimmy Dingle proposed the public meeting saying the problems were an issue for the whole town to consider. His proposal was seconded by former mayor Dave Bryan who said other towns in the county were suffering similar problems.
Crime on the increase
CRIME figures for Saltash last month increased in many categories compared with July l999.
There were 13 cases of common assault, an increase of l60% on July last year, and nine incidents of other assault in the town, compared with six previously.
Town clerk, Marilyn Small, giving the figures to town councillors because there was no police officer present at their monthly meeting, added that there were 13 reports of thefts from vehicles in July 2000, with only eight such incidents reported last July - an increase of just over 62%. Criminal damage rose 100% from eight to 16.
There was slightly brighter news in that house burglaries fell from three last year to two in the same period this July and thefts of vehicles dropped from the previous four to just one.