POLICE and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst faced tough questions last week in his first face-to-face meeting with Essex residents since his election.

The PCC met with around 20 residents and councillors last Thursday evening in Grays who blasted the panel about the “living hell” of anti-social behaviour in the borough.

Thurrock Chief Inspector Leigh Norris also said the “first-ever” London gang-related violence had been recorded in Thurrock last month, raising fears of gangs spreading from London to Thurrock.

A double-stabbing in Chafford Hundred in May has been linked to Newham gangs, and was said by Mr Norris to be the first London-related violence in the borough.

The Conservative PCC has promised to eliminate organised crime and tackle anti-social behaviour as two key planks of his May 25 election.

PCC Roger Hirst, Steve Cox, Council Director of Environment and Place and Thurrock Chief Inspector Leigh Norris took questions as residents said the impact of ASB on their neighbourhoods due to police cuts had been “devastating”.

One Grays resident said: “We have lived there for fourteen years and there was no crime when we moved there. It starts with children smashing cars, and because they see no police presence they get worse.”

“We can’t keep living so I feel afraid to go to the shops, I can’t feel afraid to take my little girl to the shops or to the park because people are throwing bottles, or having sex in the middle of the park in the middle of the day.

“Newham’s parks are an absolute joy – so now I have to take my daughter into the city to go to the park. I mean, how mad is that?”

Addressing the incidents individually, Thurrock Chief Inspector Leigh Norris said “children should be able to go to the park to have fun” and reassured residents he was “confident officers were working towards a good result.” 

Mr Hirst also said “prevention was key” and studies had shown catching anti- social behaviour early was key to stopping it from turning into criminal behaviour later on.

The meeting was also used to launch ‘pioneering’ cross-sector plans for a new Community Safety Hub, with around eight police officers, PCSOs, welfare officers, and soon-to-be expanded police cadet force of 13 to 18 year olds.

The Hub will join the existing Thurrock Community Policing Team of around 21 officers and five Special Constables based at South Ockendon.

The teams will have responsibility for dealing with youth crime, drugs, domestic violence and sexual abuse, preventing extremism and terrorism and anti-social behaviour.

Speaking to the Gazette after the meeting, Mr Hirst said he “did not expect Thurrock to be transforming into London.”

He said: “Gang violence has been rising not just in South Essex where now we have got a problem, there are also problems in Southend, in Colchester.

“The people who are running it are in London, and they take advantage of vulnerable people.

“Just in the last three weeks this has become visible in Thurrock. But I don’t expect to see Thurrock transforming into London.

"An awfully high percentage of these people getting into trouble are from dysfunctional families. There are as many victims in these groups as predators.”