Pub on quiet street shocked at 'crime hotspot' tag

A community pub in a quiet street was shocked when a new police website claimed the area was one of the most crime-ridden in the country.

The national crime mapping service was launched yesterday to reveal the number and types of crimes in neighbourhoods across the country.

But the validity of the data was called into question when stats revealed that Surrey Street in Portsmouth had 136 crimes in December alone.

Portsmouth councillors were moved to defend the street and its "respectable pub" the Surrey Arms.

And staff at the pub were also bemused to be associated with a crime hotspot.

Assistant manager Zoe Banks: "It was upsetting that the pub was caught up in this because it is the sort of place where there is never any trouble.

"I have been here for five years and in that time there have been two incidents so it is hardly a crime hotspot. We are in a quiet street. The customers can't believe what has happened."

And chef Scott Mussen added: "These maps are an utter joke. This is a quiet road tucked away and anyone can tell it's hardly Beirut."

It is understood that the statistics for Surrey Street include the nearby town centre as they share a post code.

And Portsmouth Council chief executive David Williams also defended the area.

He said: "The crime mapping software has picked Surrey Street as a central point of a wider area that includes a busy shopping precinct, one of the busiest pub and club districts, the university and backs on to main distribution links such as the train station."

And Councilor Eleanor Scott has written to Home Secretary Theresa May to raise concerns about the website which she said were a blight on the street and the Surrey Arms.

To view the crime mapping statistics visit www.police.uk​