A CALL for Yarm to have its own police commander has been made by a councillor.

Coun Gwen Porter claimed the town was taking second place to other parts of Stockton, and added: "The time is coming for Yarm to have its own police superintendent."

But the man in charge of policing the town scotched the idea.

Insp Colin White, who runs an area which includes Thornaby and Yarm, said: "Yarm gets a very good service and is certainly not treated as second-rate. Talk of a separate commander is a non-starter."

Anger erupted amid a wrangle over last year's Remembrance Day ceremony in which police were criticised for traffic chaos through the town centre.

Councillors also complained that the way the event was handled did not show enough respect to the Fallen.

The town council was discussing Insp White's response to concerns by Coun Brian Jones.

Coun Porter said: "Insp White is the area commander but I say this: It seems Thornaby is more important than Yarm."

Chairman, Coun Liz Marsden, agreed. She said unease about policing had surfaced at a joint meeting between traders and councillors to thrash out High Street problems.

A letter from Insp White to Coun Jones about Remembrance Day did not address the problems at all.

"We are not on a level playing field with other towns in the area," she said. "People in Yarm are not very happy with the attitude of police towards the town. We are secondary and it is time we stood up to that."

At the recent joint meeting, two business people called for "more sensitive policing".

Christine Stubbs and Jane Hoyle, from Boyes, said: "It would be helpful if officers came out of the police station now and again. They are dreadful at that. We see them at Christmas and that's it."

Insp White said intelligence-led policing meant resources were deployed to hot spots as situations developed, with extra patrols drafted into Yarm on busy weekend nights.

"Those officers have to come from somewhere and they come from Thornaby," he said.

Of the four officers based at the town's police station, two covered Eaglescliffe.

"But all four cover Yarm High Street," he said. "Yarm will not get its own commander. For one thing, it is a satellite station with limited space and the situation does not justify such change."

The station is open from Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, but Insp White argued that during a recent Saturday opening scheme, just a handful of people used the office.

"But we will offer the facility again this Christmas.