A local business owner has told Bedfordshire Police that he can no longer ‘stand by and allow the continued decline of our town centre due to inaction by Bedfordshire Police’ and that if things don’t change he’ll set up a private security initiative to sort it out himself.
Peter McCormack, who owns local football club Real Bedford, the Auction Room cocktail bar and Real Coffee in Bedford town centre has written an open letter to Bedfordshire Police saying that the ‘situation in the town centre is unacceptable’.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), McCormack doesn’t hold back, saying Bedford Town Centre is being ‘allowed to rot’ and that issues with crime and drugs are ‘threatening the economic viability of our businesses and the safety of our residents’.
‘Local business owners are being plagued by relentless shoplifting, which not only costs them money but also puts their staff in danger,’ writes McCormack.
‘We pay our council taxes and business rates, and in return, we have the right to expect a police force that protects the people who live and work here.’
McCormack believes Luton takes an unfair share of resources from Bedfordshire Police while ‘Bedford is left to decay’.
PSPOs ignored
McCormack who is well-known for being outspoken, adds ‘I love this town. I was born here. I run businesses here. And I will fight for its future. Bedford is not beyond saving, but it needs strong leadership, not excuses. We need real solutions, not politically correct platitudes.’
He argues laws being put in place to help deter illegal activity are not being enforced.
‘The Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) that bans public drinking is being openly ignored. We all see the groups of people gathering at the green space at the bottom of De Parys Avenue, outside Tesco, and near the Salvation Army, openly drinking and engaging in fights.
‘Worse still, drug dealing and drug use are happening in broad daylight – on the High Street, in the multi-storey car parks, and even in public toilets near the Corn Exchange. If I can see it, the police can too.’
He’s now warning that if it’s not addressed he will take matters into his own hands.
‘As a resident, taxpayer, and business owner in Bedford, I will not accept this any longer… Therefore, I am putting you (Bedfordshire Police) on notice.
‘If you fail to address these issues and provide a clear, effective plan to protect the businesses, women, and children of Bedford, then I will.’
He says that he will work with local business owners and others to establish a private security team for the town centre under Section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE).
PACE 1984 does allow for this to happen, and states that:
1 A person other than a constable may arrest without a warrant:
(a) anyone who is in the act of committing an indictable offence;
(b) anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be committing an indictable offence.
2 Where an indictable offence has been committed, a person other than a constable may arrest without a warrant—
(a) anyone who is guilty of the offence;
(b) anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be guilty of it.
However, only if the person making the arrest has reasonable grounds for believing that the person in question may:
- cause physical injury to himself or any other person;
- suffer physical injury;
- cause loss of or damage to property; or
- make off before a constable can assume responsibility for him.
The arrest can also only be made if it appears to the person making the arrest that it is not ‘reasonably practicable for a constable to make it instead’.
McCormack says this will send a strong message to the ‘small minority of alcoholics, crack addicts, and dealers’ that their behaviour is unacceptable and let the people of Bedford know that the town centre is safe and open for business.’
He also adds that his team will ‘work with charities to offer addiction support to those who genuinely want to get clean.’
Town centre revitalisation
While much of his letter is aimed at the issues with law and order in Bedford he says the council must also do more to help revitalise the town centre.
He says that a vibrant town centre must also provide opportunities and experiences that attract people back, writing he ‘will work with the mayor and council to bring new life into Bedford’.
In his letter, he says vacant units need to be more attractive with attractive facades, such as local art displays. He also says grants and funds to help local entrepreneurs and artists set up in empty spaces must also be explored and supported.
He also says the council needs to do more to tackle absentee landlords and should ‘introduce a tax on commercial properties that remain empty for more than six months, with funds reinvested into revitalising the town’.
Business rates, which are set by central government, are also on McCormack’s list.
‘Business rates cripple small businesses.’ he writes.
‘Charity shops thrive because they get 100% rate relief* – why can’t we extend similar support to new businesses? We need a business rate relief programme that supports independent traders, this is possible under the law.’
He also highlights the importance of celebrating Bedford’s diversity saying that more needs to be done to create weekend cultural events and install permitted busking zones for talented local musicians and create public performance spaces for theatre, comedy, and art.
*Charitable rate relief is up to 80% off the business rates bill.
High Street Accelerator programme
But McCormack seems to say he’s also not expecting this work to be done without his support.
‘I am also exploring a High Street Accelerator Programme, similar to the UK’s £2.5 million pilot program,’ which he says will create a task force of residents, business owners, and council representatives.
Together he wants them to develop a 10-year vision for a pedestrian-friendly, modern, and safe town centre and secure crowdfunding and government grants to execute these changes.
These ideas are similar to those already organised by local people, such as the We Are Bedford Castle Quay Weekender, BedPop pop-up shops and events, Fun Palaces, Bedford Film Festival, and the Open Studio big weekender.
These ideas should also have been championed by the former BedfordBID, which local businesses paid for. However, they lost their renewal vote last year partly due to their lack of ‘ambition for the town centre’ and plan that ‘didn’t do enough to support independent businesses’.
Read: BedfordBID voted out after businesses lose faith in their plans for town centre
While they haven’t responded directly to McCormack’s letter, a spokesperson for Bedford Borough Council has said they, “Welcome feedback from all stakeholders of Bedford Borough.”
They also highlight an event tonight (Monday) for Bedford town centre businesses, chaired by Cllr Andrea Spice (Conservative, Wixams and Wilstead), the council’s portfolio holder for economic growth, planning and prosperity.
She has thanked McCormack for his “suggestions and passion for improving our town centre” and said she has already been speaking to him and other key business stakeholders who have expressed an interest in the town.
Cllr Spice reiterated her comments made recently that “we all have a part to play in improving our town centre”.
Read: Councillor says we all have a part to play in improving Bedford Borough’s town centres
The council says the business event, which is open to all businesses, will be an opportunity to discuss concerns with Council Officers and gain a better understanding of our vision for the Town Centre.
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) will also be there to answer queries on police-related issues.
The event is being held at The Harpur Suite from 5pm.
Crime reduction
We contacted Bedfordshire Police for comment who said they would be unable to reply by the time of publication but they will be looking at McCormack’s letter in detail.
However, in December 2024, on a visit to Bedford to speak with retailers, the Crime & Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson told the Bedford Independent that tackling retail crime was one of her priorities.
Read: Confidence in policing is “not where it needs to be” says Crime & Policing Minister on Bedford visit
She also promised that there would be more police on the streets to act as a deterrent, but that shop owners must report crime to make sure funding for crime prevention is directed where it is needed.
In November last year, the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee said that shoplifting was not being tackled properly and called for more to be done to provide better support for victims and prevent repeat offences.
In a letter to the Government, it said over 443,000 incidents of shop theft were recorded by police in the year to March 2024. Which is the highest since records began 20 years ago.
But they called this a “drop in the ocean” when compared with the estimate of 17 million annual shop thefts, including those that weren’t reported, having “devastating consequences for businesses and families”.
Meanwhile, Bedfordshire Police’s chief constable has also previously commented that more work needs to be done to tackle knife crime in the area.
Analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data found that Bedfordshire is in eighth place with nine “total offences” involving a knife per 10,000 people.
Read: Knife crime rates in Bedfordshire amongst highest in England
Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst said: “Knife crime is a real issue I think for the country, and there’s no police service area that’s not affected by it.”
He said the force’s response is “robust and effective”, and that, “We need to come together with really effective plans on the diversionary effort.”
Read: Chief constable says “more work to be done” in light of knife crime statistics
