VOLUNTEERS from the West Mercia Neighbourhood Watch Facebook group have decided to step down after feeling unsupported by the community and the police.

In a statement on the groups Facebook page they said: "This is Goodbye from us and our wonderful, amazing, selfless, hard working team.

"For almost five years, our work has been exemplary, so much so that people are forever thinking we are the Police (which we are not) working within guidelines, keeping our pages and all we do within the law, controlling comments, and always helping everyone within moments of them messaging our pages.

" We have also have to deal with those in the community that feel the need to abuse the team. Whilst some people will miss our pages, many followers are just bashing each other in comments.

"Our intention was to have engagement with the Police, so they could keep communities up to date in real time and engage more directly with people.The West Mercia PCC has been a tower of support for what we have done but, we have only had a handful of officers supporting us.

West Mercia Police have thanked the volunteers for their services and are now looking for others to take the reins.

Chief Superintendent Tom Harding, of West Mercia Police, said: “West Mercia Neighbourhood Watch Association, which has done a fantastic job of running West Mercia’s Neighbourhood Watch Facebook page, has informed us they will no longer be undertaking the management of the site, and I would like to thank them for their time and service.

“The team is now looking for others to take over and we will do all we can to support them in finding other members of Neighbourhood Watch to take up the reins.

“If you would like to get involved you can take part by emailing agm2020@westmercianw.org.uk or visiting the website at www.westmercianw.org.uk.”

An admin from the Facebook group said: "The last three years have become an uphill battle with the Police, and now our team are wanting to help with their own Covid community activities.

"We have to stand back and look at what is going to have the most effective outcome, there is only so long you can bash your head against a brick wall.

"We tried and tried to have the engagement from the Police without success. Handing information to them on a plate, offering free help that was not taken, all be it a few officers did see the benefit.

"West Mercia Neighbourhood Watch and the Facebook pages have been managed by three people for the last five years, along with a small admin team on the Facebook pages.

"Numerous attempts to recruit additional leadership for West Mercia Neighbourhood Watch at force leave has resulted in no applications to date.

"Traditional Neighbourhood Watch has been in decline for the last ten years, so communities need to work out what they are looking for going forward if it’s not Neighbourhood Watch and step up and take responsibility for their own communities.

"The winding down of our activities has been coming for a long time, as mentioned before we need to focus our efforts where they will do most good."

Traditional Neighbourhood Watch has been in decline for the last ten years, so communities need to work out what they are looking for going forward."