POLICE tell residents "if you are being injured or lives are at risk we will be there" during a public meeting.

At the meeting with police and crime commissioner Roger Hirst, chief inspector Craig Carrington, and corporate director of Braintree Council Andy Wright, residents were told policing priorities had changed, but in a real emergency they would still be there.

The meeting, held at New Rickstones Academy last Wednesday, was attended by less than 30 people but went on for more than two hours.

Braintree and Uttlesford district commander, chief insp Craig Carrington, who has been a serving officer for 22 years, clarified the vast area the community policing team is expected to cover.

He said: "I would just like to put people in the picture on the area that my policing team cover.

"The area stretches from Braintree to Uttlesford, which is ten square miles and bigger than the whole of Bedfordshire.

"It consists of two district councils, five town councils and 107 parish councils.

"If you are being injured or lives are at risk we will be there, but we can't do everything we used to."

During the meeting Mr Hirst admitted crime had risen by 15.7 per cent in the, which could be down to an increase in reporting, but the focus had been shifted to high harm.

He said: "I've got the message in recent months the police are not visible enough.

"Unfortunately we have seen the level of crime rising again and the focus has been on high harm.

"The low-level stuff was always going to be more for the council, we have got to work together on anti-social behaviour.

"A key feature of what we have to do now is work with partners like social services and make sure we are sharing information with them."

Mr Hirst urged residents to report crimes online using the website essex.police.uk/do-it-online rather than calling 101 where waiting times were increasing.