Police have thrown their support behind the decision to close St John's Churchyard in Glastonbury, after a spike in antisocial behaviour in the town centre.

The Neighbourhood Policing Team said the closure was a "challenging" but "necessary" step to protect the safety of the congregation, visitors and local residents.

In a statement, a police spokesperson said: "We have been working closely with representatives from the church and the local authority to combat antisocial behaviour in and around Glastonbury.

"We understand the decision to close the church grounds will have been a challenging one, but it is a necessary step which we support."

The comments come after St John's Church announced it would be shutting the churchyard and suspending most activities for 30 days from 1 May, in response to growing concerns about nuisance and disorder. Only Sunday services and funerals will continue during the temporary closure.

Police say they have been working with the council, schools and community organisations to try to tackle the rise in trouble, but have seen a recent increase in reports.

"Our Neighbourhood Policing Team conducts regular patrols in the area and has been working with the council, schools and other organisations to reduce antisocial behaviour, but has seen a recent increase in the number of reports, in an effort to make Glastonbury a safe place for everyone who lives, works, and visits it," the spokesperson added.

Officers are also urging residents to stay vigilant and continue reporting concerns, to help build an intelligence picture and shape the police response.

"To aid in our ever-growing intelligence picture and our policing response, we urge members of the public to make reports either online, through our 101 non-emergency line or, when it is an emergency and there is a risk to life, call 999," the spokesperson said.

Police are continuing to maintain a visible presence in the town after a series of recent incidents, including the arrest of a man on the High Street who was drunk, abusive and assaulted an officer. St John's Church has also begun issuing banning letters to individuals who refuse to stop nuisance behaviour within the grounds.

The crackdown follows an incident last week when three local schools went into lockdown as a precaution, after police received reports of a man seen carrying a weapon near Glastonbury library. Officers searched the area but no suspect or weapon was found.