Hall said: “I have dealt with many police forces over the years and West Mercia seems to be one of the worst for its lack of response.”

Councilor Viv Parry said police had not attended council meetings for months.

However, Campion said he would be happy to take the call if anyone felt they were not getting the service they wanted over the phone.

“Police receive 10,000 calls a week and some of these will not be handled well because it is a people-based service,” he said.

“If the 101 service tells anyone to report the situation online then there is a misunderstanding or miscommunication.

“If they are talking to you, they should take the information and record it so it works on the same system.

“If you have been a victim of crime, you should receive accurate updates.”

Inspector Kelly added that the force was aware of the “drugs issue” as it was in every major town.

“Our approach varies by region,” he said. “We have a local organized crime team based in Shrewsbury who frequently work to tackle drugs in the town.

“What we can do better is tell you what we are doing.”

This news was collected as follows: Local Democracy Reporting Service Includes councils and other public service organisations.