CRIME has been cut by almost half in Wedmore and a third in Cheddar, according to the latest police figures.

CRIME has been cut by almost half in Wedmore and a third in Cheddar, according to the latest police figures.

In the Cheddar and Shipham Beat, shown in orange on our map, crime has dropped by a staggering 100 incidents.

Total crime in the Axbridge Beat, shown in yellow, and the Wedmore and Mark beat, shown in red, has also gone down considerably.

Sergeant Mike Tripp said: "There has been a huge reduction in theft of and from motor vehicles.

"Most of this is thanks to PC Ian Bartlett and police community support officer (PCSO) Matthew Webb, who helped educate staff at businesses in Cheddar Gorge.

"Over the summer a lot of tourists are parked in the area and Cheddar Caves and Gorge takes on extra staff, so there are a lot of vehicles parked for long periods of time.

"Ian and Matt went to speak to the staff to warn them of the dangers of leaving valuables on display in cars, such as satellite navigation systems and CD players.

"They also asked them to keep an eye on tourists' vehicles to warn them that thieves target people holidaying in the area."

In the last year, Cheddar police station has also taken on two more PCSOs, allowing a greater police presence in the area.

For the next 12 months Sgt Tripp hopes to focus on reducing the fear of crime.

After residents in the Penn Way area complained about salesman knocking on their doors, the police introduced a 'no cold-calling' zone.

Sgt Tripp added: "Crime has gone down a lot, and that is obviously really pleasing, but some residents still fear they will become a victim of crime. This is what we need to focus on in the next year and may be introducing more cold-calling zones.

"Residents in an area of Mark have already said they are interested, so we are investigating this now."

* What are your experiences of crime in the Cheddar area? Email newsdesk@thewestonmercury.co.uk or log on to www.thewestonmercury.co.uk