THE manager of Andover’s street rangers has defended their actions after they were attacked while apprehending a suspected shoplifter in a noisy fracas.

Steve Godwin, the boss of Andover Business Improvement District, said the rangers who confronted a man allegedly attempting to shoplift acted “properly and professionally”. 

Police arrested a 39-year-old man following an incident in the Chantry Centre on Tuesday, September 14, in which two town rangers were assaulted, but not injured. At the time of going to print, the man remained in police custody, but has since been released under investigation.

Concerns had been raised about the rangers’ actions, with one eye-witness claiming their use of force was “ridiculous” and showed the town in a bad light.

He said: “There was a young family sitting nearby and they were alarmed. If those people were visiting Andover, what kind of image does that give them of the town?”

Mr Godwin, who is responsible for the street rangers, said: “They don’t like having to deal with a situation like that but because it turned rather ugly, that’s what they had to do. They were shocked, one in particular, but they are fine as they are both security trained and experienced in these types of incidents which is why they wear full body armour.”

You can read the full story in this week's paper. Also in this week’s edition:

  • Andover Town Council has unanimously rejected a request for pigs to be kept at an allotment site. 
  • An Andover businesswoman has opened up a brand new cake shop on the town’s high street.  
  • The community at Winton Community Academy in Andover has been left worried and confused after the footpath near their school was removed without warning.
  • A detective with 18 years’ experience has been jailed for eight months for forging signatures on a witness statement during a murder investigation into the brutal killing of a mother-of-five in Andover.
  • An Andover street could soon be home to a brand new 18 metre 5G mast, it has been revealed.
  • There have been calls for a review of the safety of the A303 near Andover following a tragic accident last month that saw three people killed by a lorry. 
  • Work has begun to remove the metal cage planters on the high street in Andover following complaints about their appearance.
  • An Andover publican is set to find herself tossed out of her premises in just two months’ time after the pub company which owns her business made a drastic increase in rent.
  • PLUS: Two pages of YOUR letters
  • PICTURES: Camera Club members explore the great outdoors
  • An eight-page puzzle special
  • Entertainment news
  • Sports news
  • And much, much more
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