"It's up to you" is the warning to the public from Ongar Police Inspector Peter Hesketh.

He spoke out on Tuesday as new figures released last night revealed that detection rates for the police district, which includes Ongar and North Weald, were well below target.

Now he is urging residents to help police track down crime and criminals by contacting them on a special direct Neighbourhood Action Line, 01992 566161, if they are worried or suspicious about crime in their area.

A major casualty over the last year has been burglaries from sheds, outhouses and garages. Statistics presented to last night's Epping Police and Community Consultative Group revealed there had been a bumper 425 crimes of that type - the ceiling target was 301.

However instead of hitting their 14 per cent target detection rate police achieved only 3.5 per cent.

Insp Hesketh said: "This is high and is a cause for concern but we also need the public's help. We are crying out to them to be vigilant.

"Sheds and garages can turn up easy pickings which the thief can very easily dispose of. We need every bit of help we can get."

The so-called performance indicators for the Epping Police section relates to a rolling 12 months ending in March.

They are based on achievements compared with targets which are set by the police as part of crime reduction strategies sparked by last year's Crime and Disorder Act.

Essex Police crime figures in west Essex are also expected to be distorted when the force takes over part of the Epping Forest district from the Met from April 1 next year.

A police authority report to the meeting said: "We are working hard to ensure that the change over is as smooth as possible with no loss of service to the public."

While the target of 2,037 for the number of all crimes in the Epping section was achieved at 2,017, the trend for offences was up. Detection rates were down by more than 25 per cent.

Burglaries from houses were below the target but here, too, the detection rate slumped.

Thefts from cars were also under target and the detection rate slipped only marginally but Theft of cars, while under target, saw the detection of offenders fall.

The trend for offences against the person was slightly down as were public nuisance offences and road injuries.

Meanwhile, the Harlow division, which includes Ongar, North Weald and Brentwood, has set new objectives for the coming year.

Police are pledging that crime prevention initiatives will reduce the number of burglaries and thefts from motor vehicles and contain the incidence of car thefts.

The report also says: "We will have reduced the incidence of repeat victimisation for burglaries of people's homes, domestic violence and vehicle crime."

On drugs the pledge is that there will be more arrests for supply and possession with intent to supply and the force intends to cut the time spent preparing cases against young offenders.

Police will work hard to reduce the number of road casualties. Some 88 per cent of all 999 calls will be answered within 30 seconds; 87 per cent of all urban incidents will be attended within 10 minutes and in rural areas within 20 minutes.

On crime reduction, the force intends to increase detection rates for burglaries, theft from vehicles and violent crimes and to have maintained rates for other burglaries and thefts of vehicles.

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