A PLAN to hire a safety officer to help reassure villagers in Hartley Wintney has been postponed.

Some members of Hartley Wintney Parish Council said there was not enough evidence to spend £27,000 on an Accredited Community Safety Officer (ACSO) for a one-year trial.

The idea came to light in July last year when Councillor Dorothy Harvey said a lack of “police presence” was to blame for a perceived rise in criminal activity in the village.

A tabby cat was found tied by its neck to a building site in Dilly Lane the previous month, and there had also been reports of illegal quad biking in West Green Common.

The parish council later agreed to go ahead with the scheme after hearing that the number of police constables in the Rushmoor and Hart would drop from 11 to eight in March this year.

But at the latest parish council meeting, Cllr Ron Watt said that it would be difficult to judge the success of the trial without seeing evidence of crime and fear of crime.

He said: “I have not heard of anyone who feels threatened in the village at all. We do we need to spend £30,000 worth of taxpayers’ money on this? What are the issues and concerns and what is the best way to tackle them? Until we discover that, then I do not think we can take this forward.”

Cllr Tony Woods said: “Yes, we can afford it for a year, but if it’s an ongoing agreement, it will make a hole in our reserves.”

Cllr Cathy Roberts, chairman of the parish council, proposed to “freeze” the scheme to survey villagers’ opinions first – a proposal which received unanimous backing.

But she added she did not want to “dismiss the concerns of the village”, saying the parish council had been contacted by villagers concerned about “a lack of visible policing”. She also said the person employed could also perform other duties, such as manning school crossing points.

ACSOs, run by Hampshire County Council, patrol the streets to combat low-level crime and anti-social behaviour.

While they do not have the power of arrest, they can request the names and addresses of offenders, confiscate alcohol and cigarettes from under-age people, and can request the removal of vehicles.