Ventnor Anti-Social Behaviour Highlighted By Mayor And Council

Anti-social behaviour “hotspots” in an Isle of Wight seaside town have been highlighted by a county councillor.

Cllr Ed Blake, County Hall’s leader of the Conservatives and representative for Ventnor and St Lawrence, told Ventnor Town Council last night (Monday) of disturbances by the High Street’s Tesco “particularly late at night” and squatters in St Lawrence’s empty properties “doing all kinds of things”.

The meeting at the town’s Salisbury Gardens also heard from Ventnor Mayor Steve Cooper who spoke of “dubious activities” overnight on Steephill Down Road.

Cllr Blake said he had asked Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner Donna Jones to visit Ventnor in response to the “low-level crime”.

“The plan is on the day: hopefully do a shop visit…visit some of the businesses and resident organisations," he said.

"Hoping that we can have a bit of a Q&A with her as well – have a chance to put to her the problems we’ve got.”

Ventnor town councillor Linda Jefferies said:

“A lot of the problems with the hassle outside of Tesco – the police don’t seem to do anything – they come out, look at the CCTV and then they go.

“People are walking into the shop, picking up booze and walking out with it – something needs to be done.

“Across the road where the seating area is, you need to ban the drinking because that’s where they sit.

"Today it was horrendous for the family that was trying to have a little picnic up in that little bit of garden because people were urinating in the bushes and everything.”

Cllr Blake added there were not many community spaces in Ventnor and “we need to protect the ones we have got”.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has been approached for comment.