DEVON and Cornwall police has announced its new Falmouth & Helston Sector Inspector as Rick Milburn.

Insp Milburn has taken over from Acting Sector Inspector David Pearce, and will manage local policing teams including Penryn, Porthleven, Falmouth and Helston.

Having grown up in the Falmouth and Penryn area, Insp Milburn joined Devon and Cornwall Police in 2004. Throughout his career, he has completed a range of roles across a variety of departments including patrol, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Public Protection Unit (PPU).

In 2012, he led the high-profile Operation Margate in the Falmouth area. This resulted in two men being jailed for a total of 32 years for the sexual abuse of children, under the guise of a witches’ coven during the 1970s and 1980s.

More recently, he was the Sector Inspector for Truro between 2016 and 2020, focusing on anti-social behaviour (ASB), street drinking and youth violence.

His team was first on the scene at the 2018 armed robbery at Michael Spiers jewellers - one of the biggest heists Cornwall had ever seen, with over £1 million worth of goods stolen. Arrests resulted in seven convictions totalling 64 years.

Insp Milburn declared himself “delighted and proud” to take on the role in Falmouth and Helston. “There is already a great policing team in place, but we can’t rest on our laurels,” he said.

“There are always improvements we can make to ensure a high standard of service to the public. I grew up here, and I understand the sense of community and appreciate the love people have for the area.”

He continued: “My first priority will be to ensure my team are listening, to residents and to local businesses and stakeholders, so I can fully understand local issues. This way, we can work together to tackle them effectively.”

Falmouth Police Station is open from 10am to 3pm, Monday to Saturday. Alternatively, you can meet the policing team at the next drop-in surgery at Penryn Library on Friday, June 28 from 10am to 11am, and follow Falmouth and Helston Police on Facebook.