Glastonbury has been officially named a crime "hotspot" by the Home Office – and police say reinforcements are coming, with a new wave of neighbourhood officers hitting the streets from next month.

At a packed town council meeting this week, business owners and residents painted a bleak picture of the town centre, claiming it has become a magnet for antisocial behaviour.

But police pledged a major summer crackdown and confirmed Glastonbury will be one of five Somerset towns prioritised under a nationwide neighbourhood policing scheme.

Inspector Rachel Clark told the room: "You are getting extra officers. You should already be seeing new faces. This is the largest investment in neighbourhood policing I've ever seen in my career – and Glastonbury is on the list."

She said Glastonbury's problems had now reached national attention – with crime in the town raised in Parliament and police receiving fresh media interest from outlets like the BBC.

"The media are here because they've seen the increase – more blue lights, more arrests," she said. "We are taking action, and now we're being asked what's happening. That's because you're reporting more, and we're enforcing more."

The meeting began with a statement on behalf of businesses in the High Street, who said the situation on the High Street had deteriorated beyond anything seen in 30 years.

"Tourists are appalled. They regret coming here," the statement read. "They've witnessed drinking, drug sales, spitting, people urinating in public – trousers around ankles – and they're telling shopkeepers what they think."

The statement added that a lack of visible policing and rising disorder had left staff scared to go to work. "We're constantly phoning incidents in – nothing gets solved. We're not standing for it anymore."

Calls were made for the reinstatement of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which had previously given police powers to deal with alcohol-related disruption. Inspector Clark confirmed that talks were underway with Somerset Council.

"It wasn't a total alcohol ban – but it gave us the power to intervene," she said. "We want it back. It worked."

Elsewhere, residents raised safety fears following a fire involving two caravans parked next to a no-parking sign near an electricity substation. Mrs Morgan, who had flagged the site weeks earlier, said: "Flames were 30ft high. The wall of the substation was scorched. Someone should have listened. You've been warned."

CCTV coverage was also criticised. Cllr Rik Cook questioned why the system was failing to capture offenders clearly. "There are cameras – but they don't face in the right direction and never seem to capture everything," he said. "Just last week someone threw all the plants out of the planters in Northload Street, and while they were caught on camera, the quality was so poor you couldn't tell who it was."

Inspector Clark acknowledged the issue and said the force was reviewing CCTV provision across all towns in her patch, including Glastonbury. "It is an asset," she said. "We are working to improve it, and when it works well – like it did in a recent arrest – it makes a big difference."

Despite the frustration, she insisted there is real change on the way.

"We're targeting the key individuals. We're arresting the right people. And we're getting better at sharing that information," she said. "The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee means this isn't just a summer push. It's permanent."

Councillor Jon Cousins called for a dedicated public meeting with police to allow residents to speak directly about their concerns. "The community needs to feel listened to," he said.

Deputy Mayor Serena Roney-Dougal added: "Right now, the most disadvantaged people in this town are the residents. It's making Glastonbury look awful – and we can't turn a blind eye."

Inspector Clark encouraged people to keep reporting incidents: "Don't give up. The more you tell us, the more we can do. You're going to see results – and you're going to see change."