Police defend inaction over joyriders

Residents surrounded the car in a playing field

Joyriders who were detained by residents of a Bristol suburb had to be released it was claimed, after police failed to respond to calls for help.

The car thieves were detained in Whitchurch, Bristol, after allegedly driving through the area at speed.

Residents claim they made 15 calls for help but had to let the two youths go after no one turned up.

On Tuesday however, Avon and Somerset police said the calls they received did not make it clear the residents had detained the youths.

At no stage did we receive information that anyone had been detained in relation to this incident

Avon and Somerset spokesman

Residents say they have been plagued by joyriders speeding through the village for years.

Last Friday a car was seen on a playing field and was quickly surrounded by those living nearby.

Two youths were restrained and calls made to police to take them in to custody.

However, residents claimed no officers responded and they were forced to release them.

Avon and Somerset police said however, recordings of the calls show the situation was not explained to them.

A police spokesman said: "We've examined the tapes of calls made in relation to the incident.

Graded calls

"Detailed questions are asked of all callers to try to ascertain as much information as possible in relation to calls, but at no stage did we receive information that anyone had been detained in relation to this incident.

"Instead we received calls about a nuisance in the area.

"All calls we receive are graded so that we can respond to serious incidents as quickly as possible.

"If we had been aware that people were being detained at the scene, this would have affected the grading the incident was given."