BUTLIN’S in Minehead has been revealed as the town’s top crime hotspot according to new figures.


One in seven crimes reported in the Minehead area last year was at Butlin’s, with officers being called to the holiday park site 136 times, 16 per cent of the town’s total figures. 


Avon and Somerset Police have published the detailed district by district crime statistics from May 2015 to April 2016.


In West Somerset a total of 1,720 crimes were reported which means on average there are more than four reported a day in the area, compared to Bridgwater which had 14 a day, and Taunton which had 19 per day.


Of the 1,720 crimes reported, 816 were in the Minehead area, 607 in the Williton and Watchet area and 297 across the Exmoor area.


In Minehead, 33 per cent of recorded crimes were for anti-social behaviour, 24 per cent for violence and sexual offences, and 10 per cent criminal damage and arson.


The busiest month for the police in the Minehead area was in July, which saw a spike of 121 reported crimes.


The main hotspots in Minehead were Butlin’s with 136 reports, there were 26 reports on Holloway Street, 24 on The Avenue, 22 at the Minehead Railway Station and the Co-op car park also had 22.


However, the Butlin’s statistics do not account for reports of crimes by Butlin’s patrons occurring off the campsite.


In the Williton and Watchet area there was a similar proportion of types of offences reported, with roughly a third being anti-social behaviour, and a quarter were for violent and sexual offences.


There was a higher proportion of burglary in Watchet and Williton, with eight per cent of reported crimes compared to four per cent in Minehead, the figures show.


The proportion of crimes reported in Exmoor was slightly different, with anti-social behaviour accounting for 22 per cent, violent and sexual offences was at 25 per cent, and ‘other theft’ accounted for 14 per cent of reports.


In Watchet and Williton the most reported crimes were on The Esplanade and Maglands Road in Watchet, both of which had 17 incidents and in the Exmoor area on Marsh Street in Dunster there were 15 reports, 13 of which were for violent or sexual offences.


A spokesman for Butlin’s said: “Butlin’s Minehead resort has a population of around 6,000, with the town of Minehead enjoying a population of around 12,000. 


“From the statistics, it can be shown that there were 0.056 crimes per head of population in Minehead. By contrast, the crime rate was lower at Butlin’s – 0.022 crimes per head of population.


“We continue to work hard with all the local authorities to drive that figure down even further, and over the last few years we have continued to see a reduction in the number of crimes on our resort.”


Chief Inspector Lisa Simpson, local policing commander for Somerset West, said: “It’s important that our communities understand the facts that sit behind the numbers; statistics alone can be misleading and alarming, and don’t necessarily always reflect the true picture.  


“For the public’s peace of mind, it is important to note that the classification ‘sexual offences and violent crime’ includes a whole range of incidents, from low level verbal abuse to Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH). 


“The term can be misleading, as it doesn’t necessarily mean any physical violence has occurred, and the majority of incidents will most likely be low-level public order offences.


“I live in Somerset and I firmly believe we have one of the safest counties in the country. 


“People should be reassured that these figures are comparatively very low in relation to other areas. 


“This doesn’t mean we are complacent; we remain absolutely dedicated to preventing and detecting crime in our community, supporting victims and working together to keep people safe.”