Midsomer Norton's struggle to ensure that there enough police officers around the town has highlighted what is happening 'nest door' in Radstock.

Radstock Nub News understands that the town council has had a private meeting with the local neighbourhood policing team to express concern at the local levels of crime.

They particularly wanted to raise awareness about the volume of drugs in Radstock.

Unofficially at least the councillors' voices have been heard, so that over the past two weeks, two big raids have happened to help stamp out drug dealing in the town.

The latest was during this week when the Radstock and Keynsham Neighbourhood team posted this photo on their social media site.

The caption : "A joint team effort today from the local response team, specials and the neighbourhood team saw us carry out a successful s.23 misuse of drugs act warrant in Radstock."

Section 23 states " A constable or other person authorised in that behalf by a general or special order of the Secretary of State (or in Northern Ireland either of the Secretary of State or the Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland) shall, for the purposes of the execution of this Act, have power to enter the premises of a person carrying on business as a producer or supplier of any controlled drugs and to demand the production of, and to inspect, any books or documents relating to dealings in any such drugs and to inspect any stocks of any such drugs. "

The week previously officers posted this photo of the drugs that they had taken from a suspect in a Radstock park.

The drugs, reportedly worth £2,000 included 700 class C controlled drug tablets.

Radstock residents have said that they have welcomed the crack down, and praised the Radstock neighbourhood police team.

Meantime in Midsomer Norton the issue of the lack of police officers was again discussed at the Town Council meeting, with councillors told that the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset has now been made aware of the problem. They were told that Mark Shelford is not responsible for the 'totality of policing' , so he is not able to directly involve himself in operational policing.

However the Commissioner has reportedly asked his Staff Officer to make contact with the local Neighbourhood Beat Sergeant, PS Lee Humphreys, so there is what has been called " an open door of communication between the council and the NPT. "

Meantime over in Radstock councillors are hoping that the raid and the stop and search in the local park, are just the beginning of a tough new regime to tackle anti-social behaviour and drug dealing in the town.