Rosie Wrighting

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Furniss. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington (Paulette Hamilton) for securing a debate on something that is clearly so important to so many of our constituents. Like other Members here, among the top issues in my inbox, and that were raised with me during my campaign, are how safe people feel on our high streets and the impact that crime has on our community. In Kettering, our high streets are the beating hearts of our neighbourhoods, where people should feel safe walking to school, going to work, doing their weekly shopping and investing in our local economy. However, for too long our town centres have been blighted by crime such as antisocial behaviour and shoplifting, leaving members of the public feeling intimidated and unsafe in town centres, local parks and neighbourhoods. My constituents have contacted me to say that they have seen people trashing shops, stealing and being abusive to staff on our high streets. They worry that when crimes like that are reported, too often there is no follow-up, no investigation and no deterrent. Unfortunately, the previous Government considered that low-level behaviour and cut neighbourhood policing. We felt that in Kettering, as what was once a police station in the heart of our high street turned into a derelict building. Police forces across the country have faced financial and operational challenges in recent years. I want to take a moment to pay tribute to the hard work of local police officers in Kettering. I know that officers are working hard on Operation Napery and hope to see the positive outcomes of that work.