Thirteen years ago, the idyllic Northumberland village was thrust into the limelight as it became the scene of one of the country's biggest ever manhunts.
In the early hours of Saturday July 10 2010, Raoul Moat shot himself on the banks of the River Coquet in Rothbury after a tense stand-off with police. He had fled to the village days earlier after shooting his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart and her new partner Christopher Brown in Birtley, Gateshead; and traffic officer David Rathband, blinding him.
Moat was said to have loved Rothbury and his family even scattered his ashes at a spot there. While the gunman was at large residents saw their usually peaceful streets patrolled by armed police officers while marked vehicles lined their roads.
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But Coun Steven Bridgett claims the people of Rothbury were largely unfazed by the drama unfolding on their doorsteps. The Northumberland County Councillor says be believes this was due to the close relationship locals had built up with their local officers, whose approach he describes as "very community policing oriented."
However, Coun Bridgett fears the community might respond differently should a major event like the Moat manhunt happen now, after cuts to policing budgets since 2010 led to the closure of Rothbury's police station and a reduction of officers based in the village - though Northumbria Police say they cannot confirm current numbers due to "operational reasons." The force also says it is "unrealistic to compare policing almost 13 years ago to the present day" as there have been changes in the way it operates.
Coun Bridgett said: "I try to avoid talking about the events of 13 years ago in Rothbury. Simply because there isn't anything new to be said on the fact that the biggest manhunt in British history unfolded in our community. If we were ever to have another incident like that in Rothbury again, I am not so sure that this time around Northumbria Police would fare so well in the response they would get from the local community."
Over the last 13 years, Northumbria Police have been forced to make more than £148m in budget cuts due to austerity measures brought in by the coalition Conservative and Liberal Democrat government elected in 2010, losing 1,100 police across the force. And last month, it was announced that a further 100 PCSO jobs will be cut in response to an £11.7m budget cut.
The town's nearest police station is now Alnwick, an 11.8-mile, 18-minute drive, which operates from 10am - 2pm on weekdays. A police base in the Northumberland National Park office in Church House on Church Street opened in 2019, but Coun Bridgett claims that officers are less involved in the community than back then, when they were regularly seen in schools, parish meetings in local pubs, and out on the beat.
He cites the presence and communication of officers with many residents directly rather than through the press was crucial to helping put many people at ease when the Moat situation was unfolding. He also claims that at the time of the incident, 1,500 people were on the community update scheme mailing list, and that was "crucial" for putting people at ease - that has now switched to Northumbria Police Connected, and the Police say that "those who want updates still get them."
Coun Bridgett added that he believes rural areas are being "sacrificed to maintain services in the more central and urban parts of the force area". However a spokesperson for Northumbria Police said the force had made investment in rural communities with increased training and new equipment to 'best deal with the crimes which are unique to these areas'
The Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "It is unrealistic to compare policing almost 13 years ago to the present day, and like many organisations we have had to change the way we operate so that we can continue to provide the very best service possible to our fantastic communities. As a Force, we are absolutely committed to policing our rural communities and are grateful for all of those who support us in doing so.
"When the contract on our premises in Rothbury came to an end in 2019, we set-up a community base, working alongside partners, down the street from our previous location. To this day, we still have a dedicated neighbourhood presence, which is supported by response and motor patrol officers who operate in the area.
"We have also made investment within our rural policing teams, with increased training and new equipment, so they can best deal with the crimes which are unique to these areas. We are further supported by a vast network of rural volunteers who play an important role in providing information and reporting suspicious activity.
"By coming together, we can all help ensure that Rothbury continues to be a safe place to live, work and visit."
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