Doncaster Tory MP Nick Fletcher urges mayor Ros Jones to work with government to secure more police officers for town

His comments come following a scathing letter from the mayor to Labour’s South Yorkshire police & crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings which said that ‘inconsistent and under-resourced level of policing is failing our residents and businesses in our duty to keep the town centre streets safe’.

The mayor penned the letter – later sent to the Local Democracy Service – on the back of an Office for National Statistics report which revealed Doncaster town centre had the highest number of reported crimes within South Yorkshire.

The letter also said there was an ‘unequal distribution of resources with high demand’ and this required an ‘urgent review to ensure a fairer allocation of officers to Doncaster’.

The internal Labour spat has led to Dr Billings arranging a meeting with senior politicians in the borough with the mayor and MPs set to attend.

Mr Fletcher said that the mayor should work more closely with government ministers in order to bring extra officers to the borough.

The Don Valley MP said: “I have championed these issues in Westminster and I’ve met with Kit Malthouse (policing minister) last year to discuss the need for us to have more police officers here in Doncaster.

“I also met the PCC earlier this year and I’ll be reinforcing my views later this week when I meet with him again.

“Like most local people, I spend time in Doncaster town centre and I think Mayor Jones should be working with the government to take advantage of the extra police officers the Conservative government has invested in.”

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