Basingstoke’s police chief has addressed the public’s concerns after a number of robberies.

Chief Inspector Stuart Ratcliffe has taken to YouTube to reassure the community that action is being taken after a series of robberies.

“It is fair to say we have experienced our fair share of robberies since the start of the year. The majority of which are against young teenage males,” he said.

“I am happy to report that we have made a number of arrests in connection to the incident.

“To date, two teenage males have been charged and have appeared before the courts.

“I’m afraid I’m not able to say much more than this right now as our investigations are ongoing.”

He added: “I want to reassure the community that we take these crimes very seriously.”

The police chief said the force had also been tackling the problem of knife crime, following several knife-related incidents locally.

This included a recent visit to Basingstoke College of Technology where youngsters came up with ideas for how police can tackle the problem.

“We were very impressed by the students. We talked through the devastating affects that carrying a knife poses.

“It was also a great opportunity to hear young people’s concerns and build confidence in policing.”

The group then brainstormed ideas to help combat the problem. Some of the ideas were so good, Ch Insp Ratcliffe said officers took them back to the station.