Residents of Helston and the surrounding area will have a chance to question the woman in charge of policing in Cornwall early next year.

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, has written to Helston Town Council saying a meeting was being arranged.

It is after councillors contacted her with their concerns over a perceived increase in anti-social behaviour, crime and the fear of crime within the town centre.

Ms Hernandez wrote back describing them as “important matters” but referred members to Chief Superintendent Jim Pearce on any operational concerns.

However, she added: “It has been a while since I have visited Helston, therefore I have asked my team to look at arranging a Meet Your PCC event in the town in the early part of next year.

“This will provide an opportunity for local residents to discuss their concerns.”

A date will be announced once it is fixed and the meeting will be open to anyone to attend.

It stems from the November meeting of the town council, when it was claimed that Helston was "almost a no go area" at certain times of the week, following a series of break-ins and attacks on shops in the town.

At the same meeting it was revealed that Helston’s Spar shop in Meneage Street had been under threat three times in as many months, with the manager later going on to claim that no police officers responded to a staff 999 call for help when a man was in there threatening to return with a machete.