Billericay has been hit by a marked jump in criminal damage and car crime, according to new figures.

Police have seen reported incidents in some categories rise by more than a quarter in the last twelve months.

Lake Meadows and Crown Road are highlighted as areas of concern with regular reports of anti-social behaviour.

Between January and April, Billericay police recorded 98 incidents of car crime, up 21 on the same period last year. There were also 86 reports of criminal damage, a rise of 29 on last year.

Insp Steve Tutton, of Billericay police, said he was not too troubled by the car crime figures which had mainly been the work of a single thief who was caught in connection with nearly 70 offences.

Mr Tutton added: "I am more concerned about the criminal damage to roads around the town centre. It is mainly flower pots and garden walls or estate agent boards.That is why we are having special foot patrols in those areas, especially on a Friday and Saturday night."

Mr Tutton said he had noticed the town had become busier since the opening of the new J D Wetherspoon pub, The Blue Boar.

He said: "A lot of premises are changing into bars or hot food outlets. It is making the town far more commercially viable but also it is livelier and a lot buzzier. That is good for the town in some ways but people are not used to the noise and the traffic and the by products of this."

A spokesman for J D Wetherspoon said the Blue Boar had proved to be very popular in its first six or seven weeks.

He added: "From our point of view we would hope that is has been a positive thing in terms of employment and giving Billericay people another option.

"If there are specific problems we will do our best to address them, and we will always take the police's views into account."

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