CONCERNS were raised after this year’s Remembrance parade and service in Tavistock were marred by noisy traffic and impatient drivers.

A number of comments were made about traffic not being controlled during the annual parade and the noise of the cars disrupting the service at the war memorial.

One lady, who attended the commemorations, took to the Tavistock Parish Facebook site to say: ‘I was very disappointed that there was no police presence or traffic control through Bedford Square. The traffic was overtaking the march and someone even beeped their horn for a lady to move out of the way.

‘I was absolutely disgusted with this and do not understand why the road is not closed for the 30-minute service as a mark of respect for our troops and people who have lost their lives in wars to protect our country.’

On the same page another wrote: ‘The respect has gone. Whether or not there was a police presence, the ignorant drivers could and should have stopped themselves.’

In response to the concerns, Sgt Dave Anning of Tavistock Police told the Times the police had no power in stopping traffic and it was down to the organisers to marshal the event.

He said: ‘For several years now we have been reminding the organisers that they need to manage this event themselves. For a number of years the police have had no powers to stop or direct traffic except at emergencies. In other words, all planned events that involve going on a public highway have to be managed by the organisers.

‘In the past we used whoever was on duty plus any special constables who could come in. Organisers were told early on this year that none of our special constabulary were available. As such only the day shift response police officers were on duty and we could not guarantee their attendance.

‘In fact we only had one PC working — that’s the reality of the cuts I’m afraid. I worked the night before and we had two arrests so I anticipate that the officer would have been at a custody centre. Of course Launceston custody centre has been closed as part of the cuts, so we have to take anyone we arrest to Plymouth, Barnstaple or Exeter — all of which adds time.

‘The reality, I’m afraid, is that we have done traffic control at this event for a number of years on goodwill — and make no mistake, we would like to keep doing that — but actually we have no power. If we direct traffic to stop and there is an accident or even if someone complains about being delayed, we haven’t got a leg to stand on.’

West Devon sector inspector Mark Sloman reiterated Sgt Anning’s response. He said: ‘I only wish we did have spare officers that could attend, not only from a public safety point of view but also to be part of the remembrance itself. One of our neighbourhood team was present to lay a wreath on behalf of the police, but all other resources would have been busy dealing with incidents. Unfortunately, and it is very sad to see, we cannot provide the same sort of service that we have done in the past.’

Also addressing the concerns Malcolm Christie, chairman and standard bearer of the Royal British Legion Tavistock branch, which organises the event, said that the roads hadn’t been closed for a number of years and the issue of noisy traffic was something ‘we have to put up with’.

He said: ‘Unfortunately, and this applies not just to Tavistock but to nearly everywhere in the country now, road closures during the two minutes silence on both Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day were done away with many years ago. People who drive by during the silence and impatiently sound their horn is just something we have to put up with these days. The phrase — respect for our war dead — for some people just doesn’t mean anything. There is nothing we can do about it and it is something we have to put up with.

‘In Tavistock, we (Royal British Legion) to the best of my knowledge, have not marshalled this event for many years. The police, in previous years, have simply stopped the traffic coming down Plymouth Road and we have marched out of Russell Street, along Plymouth Road and assembled in front of the Magistrates Court building. This year when it was clear that nobody from the police or PCSOs were going to be present, we took the matter into our own hands. The parade marshal simply stopped the traffic and we marched to the service as we have always done and that worked absolutely fine.

‘In future years, and as it is now clear that the police service will not help out the people of Tavistock on these very important dates in our nation’s year, we will probably do the same as we did this year. However, I will liaise with both the town council and Devon and Cornwall Police to make sure that we are complying with the law.

‘Many people have spoken to me and said how well both this year’s Remembrance Service on Sunday and the Armistice Service on the following Wednesday were very well organised and conducted.’