THE author of a website review criticising Belton has added the comments of the village parish council chairman to his article, which describes Belton as home to “gangland rivalries” and containing “rabbit hutch houses.

THE author of a website review criticising Belton has added the comments of the village parish council chairman to his article, which describes Belton as home to “gangland rivalries” and containing “rabbit hutch houses.”

Simon Knott, who writes for the Norfolk Churches website, has included Malcolm Scott's rebuttal of the description of his rural village at the end of his review of All Saints Church.

Mr Knott said Mr Scott had contacted him in December 2008.

He added: “He politely informed me that 'We do not have gangs - nor their tags and whilst we are a village risen from 800 to 3,000 souls by the planners, with the largest youth population in the area, we have one of the lowest crime figures in Norfolk and a huge community activity base'.”

Mr Knott said he was reassured by Mr Scott's comments which he thought were “lovely” and “showed a side of Belton which I had not seen.” He planned to visit Belton again in the new year.

Last week, the Mercury reported Mr Knott had set up the website to record his visits to churches in Norfolk and Suffolk to fulfil his passion for churches and their unchanging role at the heart of the community even as the world changes around them.

But he was less than complimentary about Belton after discovering the village church padlocked shut and said this coloured his opinion of the village.

However, residents and parish councillors alike jumped to the village's defence, saying the community had a low crime rate and strong community spirit embodied by the 47 community organisations.