Terrorism fears have been raised for Helston following the news that police officers will not marshal this year's Remembrance Sunday parade through the town - attended by large numbers of military personnel.

Mayor Gillian Geer told the town council: "Police officers are not being allowed to marshal Remembrance Sunday. The police have been told it's not their duty."

Mrs Geer said the news had been passed to her by Helston officer PC Anne Butcher, who was "most apologetic" but was simply acting on orders. She was also trying to get military police from RNAS Culdrose to help on the day.

Councillor Ronnie Williams said: "On the day that it's on, I think for them to say that is disgusting."

Fellow member Tim Grattan-Kane questioned whether this would mean police would also not be doing searches beforehand and pointed to the raised terror threat level in the country at this time.

He said: "They have raised a concern about counter-terrorism. I'm not saying we're at threat, but we do have a large military base next to us and we do have a large team of military personnel [on the day]."

He questioned whether it could be raised with Devon and Cornwall Police.

Mrs Geer said: "They [local officers] have already raised it emphatically and that's why they told me, and said can we raise people to [marshal] it."

However, it was agreed that the council would still write to the police and also the police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez.

Inspector Ian Thompson, police inspector for the Falmouth and Helston sector, told the Packet: "As an organisation, we don't provide our service resourcing for pre-planned events. There are options for the town council to secure their own road closures, which they should be doing."

He added that the force had not just cut off resources suddenly and they had been gradually phased back.

And Insp Thompson stressed: "We will still support our local parades. We will still get officers to provide a police presence, to lay a wreath and recognise the sacrifice made, but we just won't be staffing the road closures."

Insp Thompson added that there was "no suggestion Culdrose is at any risk of a terrorist incident" and that searches were not something being considered at the moment, but should intelligence be received of a threat at a specific location then it would be looked at.