Axminster Rural

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) is a group of local police officers dedicated to serving your community. The team is made up of officers and PCSOs based in your area, supported by additional officers from the wider area.

We work closely with local authorities, community leaders and residents to decide our policing priorities for the area. This helps us to find useful, long-term solutions to local problems, while maintaining our wider focus on reducing crime across Devon and Cornwall.

Please find contact details for your Neighbourhood Policing Team provided below.

Please note that to report a crime or incident to Devon and Cornwall Police, please visit Devon & Cornwall Police or in an emergency, please dial 999.

Axminster Neighbourhood Team

Linda Ebdon

Police Constable

Phil Gray

Police Inspector

Ben Middleton

Police Constable

Jenny Palmer

Police Sergeant

Hayley Widger

Police Community Support Officer

Local Priority Issues

Priority	Action taken
Antisocial driving and vehicle offences (including road crime) The Axminster Neighbourhood Team and Devon and Cornwall Police are working to reduce the number of casualties and road traffic collisions in our area, through proactive work and positive action. Vehicle crime includes theft from motor vehicles, vehicles being driven without insurance and/or a valid driving licence, vehicle theft, unroadworthy vehicles, and drink and drug driving. Antisocial driving such as speeding, revving, loud music and large car meets also meets these criteria. This also includes the use of unrestricted e-bikes and e-scooters being used on public highways. Issued 01 July 2026	We have conducted high visibility patrols along the main routes in to and out of Axminster, providing reassurance to motorists and other road users. A speed op is planned for later this year involving members of the Devon and Cornwall Road Safety Team and CREWKERNE ROAD and LYME ROAD will be included as part of this operation Further traffic ops will be planned throughout the year. Actioned 01 September 2026
Town centre and youth ASB Antisocial behaviour (ASB) is defined as 'behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person'. There are three main categories of ASB which depends on how many people are affected: personal ASB, nuisance ASB, and environmental ASB. This can include littering, noise, inconsiderate behaviour, nuisance calls, antisocial driving, abandoned vehicles, begging, and street drinking. To reduce and target ASB in the community the East Devon Neighbourhood team work with partner agencies such as East Devon District Council, local schools, local shops, pubs, and Devon Highways. Axminster has a ‘HOTSPOT’ which officers regularly patrol on foot and in marked police vehicles. This ‘HOTSPOT’ covers the town centre including the Minster Green, the rear of TESCO and CASTLE STREET. This ‘HOTSPOT’ has been developed using the data from recorded crimes and ASB incidents and enables officers to target their patrols accordingly. Issued 01 July 2026	ASB patrols have continued throughout the month, particularly in hot spot areas around the MINSTER GREEN, TESCO and WEST STREET. Officers from Axminster and rural east Devon worked with partner agencies, particularly Axminster based food charity Nourish, and put on a community event at the Axe Valley Academy School field. Hundreds of children and families attended, providing police and partners the opportunity to engage with them in a fun and informal way. Further reports of ASB cycling have been received and we will continue to proactively police those who cycle dangerously on the roads in and around Axminster. Actioned 01 September 2026
Cross border crime (including rural crime) Rural crime is an issue for large areas of the country, but it tends to go unreported. It can impact on insurance premiums, food prices, the environment, and can damage local communities. Due to the very nature of where AXMINSTER, and the surrounding parishes, is positioned in the county, close to the border with Somerset and Dorset, there is an ongoing threat of criminals from out of force committing offences within the locality. The Axminster team, with assistance from the wider east Devon Neighbourhood Team, will continue to target offenders who travel in from out of force and disrupt their activities. The team also works closely with their counterparts in Avon and Somerset and Dorset to share information and target known offenders. As part of our commitment to engaging with rural communities the team has visited every parish within its patch and carried out village walk abouts as well as police surgeries at village halls. The aim is to improve connectivity with the rural communities and provide education to users of our beautiful countryside. This includes attending rural events to gain knowledge about the issues effecting the rural communities and to offer the crime prevention advice. Issued 01 July 2026	Rural engagement took place at various locations throughout August with officers visiting rural locations, conducting foot patrol and spending time speaking to residents. We have also committed to working with our rural engagement team to host a trailer marking and rural crime prevention event later in the year. Further rural engagement to take place throughout the year and will be advertised by Community Messaging. Actioned 01 September 2026

Priority

Action taken

Antisocial driving and vehicle offences (including road crime)

The Axminster Neighbourhood Team and Devon and Cornwall Police are working to reduce the number of casualties and road traffic collisions in our area, through proactive work and positive action.

Vehicle crime includes theft from motor vehicles, vehicles being driven without insurance and/or a valid driving licence, vehicle theft, unroadworthy vehicles, and drink and drug driving. Antisocial driving such as speeding, revving, loud music and large car meets also meets these criteria. This also includes the use of unrestricted e-bikes and e-scooters being used on public highways.

Issued 01 July 2026

We have conducted high visibility patrols along the main routes in to and out of Axminster, providing reassurance to motorists and other road users.

A speed op is planned for later this year involving members of the Devon and Cornwall Road Safety Team and CREWKERNE ROAD and LYME ROAD will be included as part of this operation

Further traffic ops will be planned throughout the year.

Actioned 01 September 2026

Town centre and youth ASB

Antisocial behaviour (ASB) is defined as 'behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person'. There are three main categories of ASB which depends on how many people are affected: personal ASB, nuisance ASB, and environmental ASB. This can include littering, noise, inconsiderate behaviour, nuisance calls, antisocial driving, abandoned vehicles, begging, and street drinking.

To reduce and target ASB in the community the East Devon Neighbourhood team work with partner agencies such as East Devon District Council, local schools, local shops, pubs, and Devon Highways.

Axminster has a ‘HOTSPOT’ which officers regularly patrol on foot and in marked police vehicles. This ‘HOTSPOT’ covers the town centre including the Minster Green, the rear of TESCO and CASTLE STREET. This ‘HOTSPOT’ has been developed using the data from recorded crimes and ASB incidents and enables officers to target their patrols accordingly.

Issued 01 July 2026

ASB patrols have continued throughout the month, particularly in hot spot areas around the MINSTER GREEN, TESCO and WEST STREET.

Officers from Axminster and rural east Devon worked with partner agencies, particularly Axminster based food charity Nourish, and put on a community event at the Axe Valley Academy School field. Hundreds of children and families attended, providing police and partners the opportunity to engage with them in a fun and informal way.

Further reports of ASB cycling have been received and we will continue to proactively police those who cycle dangerously on the roads in and around Axminster.

Actioned 01 September 2026

Cross border crime (including rural crime)

Rural crime is an issue for large areas of the country, but it tends to go unreported. It can impact on insurance premiums, food prices, the environment, and can damage local communities. Due to the very nature of where AXMINSTER, and the surrounding parishes, is positioned in the county, close to the border with Somerset and Dorset, there is an ongoing threat of criminals from out of force committing offences within the locality.

The Axminster team, with assistance from the wider east Devon Neighbourhood Team, will continue to target offenders who travel in from out of force and disrupt their activities. The team also works closely with their counterparts in Avon and Somerset and Dorset to share information and target known offenders.

As part of our commitment to engaging with rural communities the team has visited every parish within its patch and carried out village walk abouts as well as police surgeries at village halls. The aim is to improve connectivity with the rural communities and provide education to users of our beautiful countryside. This includes attending rural events to gain knowledge about the issues effecting the rural communities and to offer the crime prevention advice.

Issued 01 July 2026

Rural engagement took place at various locations throughout August with officers visiting rural locations, conducting foot patrol and spending time speaking to residents.

We have also committed to working with our rural engagement team to host a trailer marking and rural crime prevention event later in the year.

Further rural engagement to take place throughout the year and will be advertised by Community Messaging.

Actioned 01 September 2026