Business owners call for extra CCTV following late night attack outside Whalley Co-op

At around 2.30am on Saturday a man was attacked outside the Co-op on King Street in Whalley.

He suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, and following enquiries, police arrested two teenagers in relation to the attack.

Now, councillors and business owners in the area, who have been left shocked and scared following the incident, are calling for additional CCTV and a late night levy to fund more police for the town on a Friday and Saturday evening.

Kellie Hughes, who owns Kellie Hughes Hair Studio in the village, has offered to install CCTV cameras at the front and back of her salon on King Street with cameras pointing across the road towards the Co-op carpark.

Speaking on Saturday, Ms Hughes said: "When I walked to work this morning and saw the area in front of the cash machine taped-off with blood stains all over the ground I was in shock.

"This isn’t a village I recognise anymore.

"Something urgently needs to be done so the area can be monitored effectively so that trouble makers, particularly those committing violence, can be identified, helping the police make it easier to apprehend them.

"I spoke to the police this morning and they said that more extensive CCTV coverage is required in the village.

"I am therefore willing to make a generous offer to locate more CCTV cameras close to my shop."

Ribble Valley Borough Councillor Ged Mirfin, who represents Whalley and Painter Wood said it would be unfair to let Ms Hughes bear the full cost of the cameras and is calling upon the Parish and Borough councils for help.

He said: "I call on the Parish Council and the Borough Council to get their cheque books out and fund the expansion of CCTV in the village, which as the events on Saturday morning clearly demonstrate there is a very urgent need for."

Councillor Mark Hindle who also represents Whalley and Painter Wood said: "We have been told by both the deputy police and crime commissioner and the Ribble Valley community police sergeant that even though police numbers are increasing in the Ribble Valley there just does not exist the resource to permanently locate officers in the village on a Friday and Saturday night.

"As Ged’s recent visit to the chief constable revealed, such a dedicated resource could be funded through a late night levy of a couple of hundred pounds a month on licensed premises in the village.

"Not only would this be a way of funding additional police but also a late night taxi marshal and late night warden to co-ordinate the activities of door staff throughout the village to better deal with late night revellers.”

Cllr Mirfin added: "A late night levy will be the equivalent of an insurance policy for businesses, providing them with assurance that the policing problems of a village, which has become more popular and sees a higher number of visitors, are being effectively managed.

"We therefore call on the licensing committee to consider the imposition of a late night levy in Whalley. It and the additional policing resource it will fund are very urgently required.”

The incident on Saturday morning is one in a long series of recent anti-social behaviour perpetrated by youths in the village, much of which which has centred around Whalley Abbey.

Cllr Mirfin said the latest incident has therefore raised questions over whether enough is being done.

Anyone who has any information, dashcam footage or CCTV of the incident on Saturday, which could help the police in their investigation is asked to call 101 quoting log number 0204 of October 16.