Members of the public are being asked to report more crimes to the police, as statistics reveal that one in three people will have witnessed anti-social behaviour in the area in the past last year.

Research by the Office of National Statistics shows that four out of 10 crimes are actually reported.

One in three of those people decided that the incident was too trivial to report, and a further fifty percent did not believe that the police would be able to do anything, or would not be interested.

But police and Stroud town councillors have launched the joint campaign calling for residents to report all incidents that they want tackled.

Stroud police inspector Sarah Blake said that one of the issues that the town’s police officers face is that not all incidents are reported.

“Once we have the information then we can see what areas need attention, though please be mindful that investigations and the issuing of warrants take time,” said Insp Blake.

“Stroud in general is a safe place and we are committed to ensuring it stays that way, but we need people to please continue to report incidents to us so that we can take appropriate action.”

Stroud Mayor Kevin Cranston agreed, he said: “We cannot expect the police to respond if they don’t even know that an incident has occurred.

“We want to make sure people who live and work in Stroud feel safe and welcome in our town.”

Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl says that in order to tackle crime the community must come together.

“My first beat was Stroud, and it never ceases to amaze me the level of community spirit and can-do attitude,” said Mr Surl.

“The town has led the way in bringing people together to try and look at solutions but agencies alone cannot do it - with dwindling resources we need communities to step up.”

To provide information to police or report a crime online, please visit: gloucestershire.police.uk/do-it-online/

Always dial 999 in the case of an emergency.