A POLICE chief has hit back at claims by Ringwood councillors that the town is dangerously under-policed.

Deputy Mayor Cllr Michael Thierry is to investigate police manpower levels in the area after he was unable to report an incident because there were no officers available.

But town Inspector John Kenna said the force had to prioritise its responses - and that the most urgent threats to life and property had to be dealt with first.

Cllr Thierry ran into problems when trying to report some retrieved property, and told the latest meeting of the town council he was alarmed at the lack of officers available.

"I'm concerned that this was not abnormal. I believe this leaves this town very vulnerable," he said.

"For a town of our size, considering police have to cover Burley and other villages, we really should have above the bare minimum."

Other members described the allegation as disturbing, but Insp Kenna insisted the police manning levels in the area were normal.

"Our call system is geared to prioritise calls - if a 999 call is put in to our Netley headquarters we deploy an immediate response, but if a call comes through on an ordinary line we operate a queuing system which prioritises on specific needs.

"I should imagine the officers available at that time had been dispatched to more urgent calls. We would always send someone out once our resources allowed it, or ask members of the public to come into the station.

"In policing we have to prioritise and our highest priorities are a risk to life and then property."