THE chairman of West Cliff Green Residents’ Association is calling for more police patrols after he claimed he was threatened with a knife while on a dog walk.

Chris Colledge, 54, who is also the area’s neighbourhood watch co-ordinator, said he was told he would be knifed by a man camping at the clifftop beauty spot at 10.30pm on Monday after he asked him to clear away his litter.

The residents’ association had just carried out a major clean-up over the weekend and Mr Colledge was dismayed to find the pitched tent surrounded by cans and needles.

He said: “I was so angry after seeing all the hard work over the weekend to ensure there was no rubbish at all. They have absolutely no consideration and there was a bin only a couple of metres away.”

Mr Colledge said he approached the tent to ask the man and woman to clean up the litter, but the man shouted he would knife him, so he left.

He said: “The man sounded very drunk and angry, so I didn’t want to hang around.

“I called the police immediately because I was worried anyone else passing might be in danger.”

Mr Colledge said police arrived at midnight, an hour and a half after the first call was made.

When he rang the station to ask if an officer was on the way, he said he was told it was “change over” time and someone would arrive eventually.

West Cliff Green has an ongoing problem according to concerned residents in the area. Mr Colledge added: “There is a huge health risk because we find toilet paper covered with human excrement, needles and a huge quantity of unsightly rubbish.”

Inspector Dean O’Connor of Bournemouth Police said: “The response by officers was proportionate to this incident – the campers were moved on and officers visited the informant.

“The situation regarding tents being erected on the green remains a matter for the council and we work with the council on a daily basis on this issue.

“Officers in Bournemouth continue to drive down crime and antisocial behaviour and figures are continuing to fall.

“Today’s figures show a 10 per cent decrease in crime and a 13 per cent decrease in antisocial behaviour since this time last year.”