INCIDENTS of antisocial behaviour have dropped significantly across the county in the past 12 months - the third time in a row figures have fallen.

There were 2,312 fewer offences reported in the year to the end of July, with every district in the county seeing a reduction.

Southend and Uttlesford each saw a 22 per cent fall, Tendring 19 per cent, Basildon, Braintree and Rochford 15 per cent, Chelmsford 14 per cent and Epping Forest 14 per cent.

Talking - Two officers on the streets of ChelmsfordTalking - Officers on the streets of Chelmsford (Image: Essex Police)

Southend (516) and Basildon (330) saw the biggest reductions in the number of offences.

Maldon (244), Uttlesford (378) and Brentwood (465) had the smallest number of offences reported.

Rates of offending in Colchester and Thurrock continued to fall by 5.8 per cent and 4.9 per cent respectively after substantial decreases in the previous 12 months.

Over the past two years, antisocial behaviour is down by 37 per cent in Colchester and 32 per cent in Thurrock.

Harlow and Castle Point both saw cases drop by nine per cent in 12 months.

Essex Police is one of ten forces taking part in a pilot scheme which has seen dedicated patrols by police and community partners in known hotspots thanks to funding secured by the police, fire and crime commissioner.

Hotspot patrolling, under the banner Operation Dial, has been taking place since July 2023 and in its first phase led to 101 arrests, 387 stop and searches, and the issuing of 112 fixed penalty notices.

The project also saw outreach work with more than 3,000 young people.

An announcement about the next phase of the scheme in Essex will be made at the end of the month.

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet said: "The success of the Essex hotspot pilot and others across the country showed that proactively tacking antisocial behaviour alongside partners worked.

“There are many examples of successful interventions up and down the country where police and other agencies are successfully working with communities to tackle and reduce antisocial behaviour.

"This focussed ‘hotspot approach’, using powers of dispersal, stop and search, premises closure and, of course, arrest, is a vital part of what must be a long term, multi-agency approach to tackling anti-social behaviour.”