A STUDY has revealed that Colchester is the fifth safest area in Essex whilst Southend is the least safe.

This is according to data from the latest Confused.com study on burglaries in the county which measured the number of burglaries reported per 1,000 people.

Colchester saw two burglaries per thousand people, a drop of 14.63 per cent compared to 2017’s figures.

With 3.76 thefts reported per 1,000 people last year, Southend has been named the most dangerous area in Essex.

Since 2017, thefts have only dropped 3.97 per cent on average each year, the second-lowest drop of all Essex areas analysed only behind Harlow which had an 0.42 per cent increase in thefts.

The data from safest to least safe:

  1. Uttlesford 
  2. Maldon
  3. Castle Point
  4. Rochford
  5. Colchester
  6. Braintree
  7. Tendring
  8. Basildon
  9. Thurrock
  10. Epping Forest
  11. Brentwood
  12. Chelmsford
  13. Harlow
  14. Southend 

Detective Superintendent Bonnie Moore, burglaries lead at Essex Police, said: “Investigating burglaries and supporting victims is a priority for us and we know the impact having your home broken into can have.

“The number of burglaries reported in Essex has fallen by around 40 percent in the last three years with v break-ins reported in the year to the end of December last year, compared to 10,418 in the 12 months to the end of December 2019.

“When looking specifically at house burglaries, there’ve been fewer than 5,000 in the last year compared to nearly 7,500 three years ago.”

Tendring placed seventh in the study with 2.42 burglaries per 1000 people which was a 17.82 per cent drop compared to 2017.

Maldon was second with just 1.67 burglaries reported per 1,000 people last year. Theft rates in Maldon have dropped an average of 11.36 per cent each year since 2017.

Epping Forest saw the second biggest drop in thefts compared 2ith 2017 at 22.85 per cent, with Basildon first in that regard at 22.81 per cent.

Detective Superintendent Moore added: “we know it has a significant impact on the wellbeing and the safety of our victims whose homes are broken into. Indeed, it is among the most violating of crimes.

“We have a presumption of attendance to every burglary in a home and, if that is not the case, there must be a very good reason – such as it being historic and therefore not likely that a visit would have evidential value.

“We also regularly review where we are seeing hotspots, linked offences or repeat victims and where we see repeat suspects or have known burglary offenders wanted for other matters.”

For more information on what Essex Police is doing to prevent burglaries visit essex.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/.