Bristol Bearpit clean-up leads to decrease in crime Published duration 28 September 2019

image caption Structures - including the statue of a bear - have been removed from the Bearpit

Anti-social behaviour and crime at an inner city roundabout known as the Bearpit has fallen after a makeshift squat and drug waste were cleared.

The area in Bristol was closed for three months after reports of violence, theft and sexual offences.

The council said crimes reported to Avon and Somerset Police had fallen by 75% since it reopened in July.

Mayor Marvin Rees said: "The latest figures demonstrate the positive impact from cleaning up the space."

He added: "While we would much rather spend public funding in other ways, we could not turn a blind eye to the situation or ignore requests from the public to take action."

Insp Rob Cheeseman, from Avon and Somerset Police, said: "While it is early days, the improvements the council has made have led to a significant fall in incidents of criminality and anti-social behaviour and the area is now a really positive community space."