Ref. 27787-10RESIDENTS in Highworth say community policing is being harmed by a new telephone system.

Under a pilot scheme, all calls to Highworth Police Station are routed through Wiltshire Constabulary's headquarters in Devizes.

But residents have complained that the new Team Phone system makes it harder to get hold of officers and to leave messages.

The system means the station, which is not manned full-time, no longer has its own answerphone.

Instead, messages are taken by staff at police HQ, and residents are concerned that these are not being passed on. Several complaints have been made to the town council, which has written a letter outlining its concerns to the police.

Town Mayor Ken Poulton said: "It has total disregard for residents because instead of being put through to our local station, we have to go through to Devizes. We want the old system back."

Town clerk David Lane said the system was not user friendly, and put people off wanting to call the police.

He said: "Community policing is all about contact between local people and local officers.

"People say they are left on hold, which is frustrating. The system is also very impersonal."

Calls can be routed directly to officers' mobile phones when they are out of the station. But residents say they are usually put through to a voicemail service, and calls are often not returned.

Rachel Smith, parish clerk in Blunsdon, which is served by High-worth police, said: "What people want is a direct line to their own police station.

Sergeant Adrian Davis, of High-worth police, stressed that it was a pilot scheme.

He said: "The advantage is that officers can have calls directed to their mobiles.

"If these are unanswered, there is a voicemail.

"It is a pilot scheme, and advantages and disadvantages will be taken into account."

Tamash Lal