Colyton Parish Council has called for improved communication with its local policing team.

The parish council used to receive monthly reports from the police about crimes which had taken place in the area, but these have not been submitted for some time.

At this week's virtual council meeting, councillors were told that "with the loss of local police comes the loss of local knowledge".

However, Cllr Howard West was not satisfied with this explanation and suggested that the council write to Devon and Cornwall's Police & Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez to call for improved communication.

He said: "I just looked up my rates bill and we are paying £320.15 this year towards policing but we are getting less and less assistance and information from them."

Referring to the Police and Crime Commissioner, he added: "Last year she asked for a lot more money for more police on the beat, which she got, but as a council we are getting less and less.

"We should know what crimes have taken place, it's part of our responsibility to look after the parish."

Cllr Edmund Jones backed up Cllr West's proposal to write to Alison Hernandez, adding that he believed most of the extra funding went towards police pensions and not on extra personnel.

Councillors agreed a letter would be sent to the Police and Crime Commissioner.

According to the latest figures on the www.police.uk which allows you to zoom in on specific areas and find crimes committed on individual streets month by month.