A POLICE inspector has reiterated his warning that the force will not tolerate vigilantes -with or without shotguns - on the streets of Newent.

The warning comes after a number of burglaries and assaults were reported in the town which sparked calls for local people to take matters into their own hands.

But Acting Inspector for the Forest of Dean, Lee Solly, said the latest incident in a supermarket car park during the early hours of Sunday morning when a gang of young adults attacked a 49-year-old man, was unrelated to two previous incidents.

Inspector Solly said : “Vigilante groups will not be tolerated on the streets of Newent and will be treated like any other criminal organisation. Vigilante groups tend to lead to more disorder and will not be tolerated in any shape for form.”

“As far as rural crime goes, tackling unarmed offenders with a firearm rarely goes well.

Inspector Solly said patrols in Newent had increased, particularly during the early evening.

He added that a covert operation was in progress which was aiming to find those responsible for the farm thefts.

Gloucestershire Constabulary is also working with the National Farmers’ Union to install tracking devices on farming machinery.

Inspector Solly believes the culprits are not from Gloucestershire and the force is working with officers from West Mercia Police on a joint investigation.

The Inspector has called on residents to carry on reporting crime and said: “If you suspect someone is on your land, secure yourself and your family and dial 999.

"We have allocated resources to this every night and will be there to respond.”