Campaigners and professionals have spoken out about the pressures of drug and gang crime on all areas of life.

A nurse, a teacher and a member of Southend’s youth parliament are speaking out in a bid to campaign for more funding for vital services.

It comes as part of the Safe Southend campaign which is calling for an increase in police officers in Southend.

Nurse Kate Sheehan, who works at Southend Hospital said: “Cuts have consequences across the board.

“There has been a steep increase in drug and gang related stabbings and other violent crime, which places pressure on our already bursting A&Es.

“As mental health and substance misuse services are increasingly stretched, the burden increases on police officers to respond to incidents which should have been de-escalated by health professionals.

“Each mental health related incident can require multiple officers for several hours, taking them off patrol to wait with those under the influence of drink or drugs until they are sober enough to be assessed.

“It’s a big, vicious circle of austerity which has led to our whole community suffering as a result. “Enough is enough.”

Jennifer Beck, a Southend teacher, has said the lack of funding for schools leaves the town’s vulnerable young people at risk of falling into gang crime.

She added: “Cuts to finding for over 90 per cent of UK schools have consequences for Southend youth.

“With pressure on class sizes, special educational needs support and access to intervention such as mental health support or the excellent programmes of the youth offending team, students are at risk of being failed by an overstretched system.

“There are many students in Southend living in temporary accommodation and poverty.

“The socio economic factors and limitations to the support schools can provide or make referrals to give little hope for many of our youth.

“Our schools need better funding to support students at risk, to help them avoid anti social behaviour, criminal activity or joining a gang.

“Our youth need community centres, their own spaces, a say in their future and in their town.”

Youth Parliament member Alexander Small, who was attacked by a gang last year, has joined the Safe Southend campaign which was launched to call for more police for Southend.

Alexander added: “Whilst the number of police officers has decreased, the crime rates in Southend has risen considerably and between January and December 2018 there were 3,454 cases of violent and sexual offences.

“This is staggeringly high and Southend’s crime rate is much higher in comparison to the rest of Essex.

“This rise in crime – not just in Southend but across the whole country - has included an increase in knife crime.

“Last year I was attacked by a gang of teenagers and while I came out relatively unscathed, too many of our young people aren’t so lucky and are severely injured or unfortunately killed as a result of being stabbed.

“There is pain and suffering for the families of both victim and perpetrator and there is a negative impact. That’s one of the reasons why I call for more police as the presence of officers patrolling the streets is not only a deterrent for crime but is a reassuring sight for many going about their everyday lives who know there is someone around if an altercation occurs.” See page 16 for more on drug crime.