24 hours in Police Custody: Eliza Bibby murder in Wisbech

Talking about the programmes which focused on the murder of Eliza Bibby, Wisbech Town Councillor Sam Hoy said: "I do feel that Wisbech was made to look as bad as possible. 

"I'm not saying that Wisbech is perfect - it does have problems, but it felt like they showed all the problems that could exist," added Cllr Hoy, who is also a Fenland District Councillor.

However, chief constable Nick Dean said the programme "was not reflective of everyday life in Wisbech, but a very real reflection of the impact of drugs and the devastating consequences of addiction.

He added that, as a result, the force had almost 1,000 visits to our report drugs activity pages on its website.

“The programme involved a small group of people whose lives involved drug addiction and low level criminality.

“We also want to send a strong message to those involved in the supply of drugs that we continue to be relentless in our efforts to target them and bring them to justice."

Cllr Hoy however suggested that the council's "hours of work with the safety partnership feels almost wasted because of this.

"We're all trying to do various things to improve the town and the perception of it, but things like this are just so counterproductive." 

"We're always having meetings where police say we're trying to reduce the perception of crime. If that's the case, why are you making the perception worse?" 

The chief constable added that, as a result of the force's work with 24 Hours on other cases, a number of victims have come forward to report sex offences against them.

"We have also seen increases in applications under Clare’s Law following social media activity to support them," he said.

“We also know that those who watch the programme have more confidence in the police, a better understanding of the work we do and it increases interest in being an officer.”

We have approached The Garden, who are the producers of 24 Hours in Police Custody, for comment.