Spalding trader is calling for action from Lincolnshire Police and South Holland District Council to tackle the rise in crime in the town centre

A Spalding trader has been forced to pay for private security to protect her staff and shop due to a rise in crime in the town centre – including a brawl in the street.

Sharla Slayven has recently opened The Shoppe in Market Place after investing a lot to transform a long-standing empty unit into a thriving business for the town.

However, on Monday she was forced to bring in private security after a brawl took place in the middle of the town centre last Wednesday lunchtime – while an estate agent was showing the former Clinton’s Card shop to a potential tenant – and she had to shelter three shoppers while this was going on.

She was also forced to do this because her staff had also been threatened that the store was going to be robbed.

Mrs Slayven is now calling for action from the council and police to help ensure Spalding does not become a ‘ghost town’.

She said: “People say the Spalding’s demise is down to Springfields but it’s not. The demise of Spalding is down to drug addicts and alcoholics – and the council is doing nothing about it.

“People want to come to the town and if we can get families back in the town centre then that is going to benefit everyone. But they are not going to want to come back when this going on.

“These people know they can do what they like. They know the street warden won’t do anything and the police are not there.

“The council and police need to come down on the drug issues and help their local traders. They have got to do something or Spalding will be a ghost town before we know it.”

Mrs Slayven said that a fight broke close to her shop at around 1.30pm on Wednesday last week.

There was another verbal altercation involving a different group on the opposite side of the road.

While this was going on Mrs Slayven said that three shoppers sheltered in her store to avoid the fighting.

No police arrived while this was going on.

In September last year, 18 new high tech CCTV cameras were installed in 18 locations across Spalding following a successful bid to the Government’s Safer Streets Fund.

Mrs Slayven said: “It is ludicrous in a small market town that I am paying for private security. The council should be on board with us.”

Leader of South Holland District Council Nick Worth is looking into the problems.

He said: “It’s not good enough. We don’t need this sort of thing in the town centre and I really don’t like to see it. I think the best route for us is to liaise with the police to know exactly who is responsible for doing what so this issue can be resolved more quickly.”

Police say they deployed officers to the fight on Wednesday last week.

A spokesman said: “Officers were immediately deployed and spoke to a number of people, and a crime of public order was recorded. No members of the public came forward to offer any further information and no arrests have been made at this stage. We would encourage anyone with information to get in touch.”