Just one per cent of Porthleven’s population is causing 99 per cent of its crime, according to the area’s police community support officer.

PCSO Jon Bell was speaking to town councillors at their last meeting, adding that Porthleven remained a safe place to live.

He said: “Our youths are pretty good. We have got a lot of intervention projects and partnership, plus liaison with the school. I think we’re going in the right direction.”

PCSO Bell said Porthleven still retained a “village mentality,” with people looking out for each other.

“People are very proactive in coming forward and helping police to detect crime,” he added.

Just eight crimes were reported during November this year – half the number recorded in the same month in 2012.

Two were “communication” offences, one involving unwanted telephone calls and the other an “abusive” post on Facebook.

Others involved a glass pane being smashed, burglary of a shed when the door was forced open, fraudulent use of a tax disc and criminal damage to a car bumper.

Cannabis was seized, intended for personal use, and a boat trailer from stolen from the harbour area.

In response to a question about drugs, PCSO Bell said: “Drugs are prolific everywhere at the moment, especially cannabis. In Porthleven I would say with 99.9 per cent of people dealt with for drugs offences it is for recreational cannabis use.”

He said the police were “proactive” in carrying out drugs stops and anyone caught in the port with drugs would be logged as a Porthleven crime, even if they were from a town or village in the surrounding area.

PCSO Bell ended by telling councillors that officers were working closely with Coastline Housing about issues at Wheal Rose and a second housing estate, with further evictions taking place.