TENDRING’S top police officer has blamed a band of criminals from Suffolk for a spate of burglaries at shops in Manningtree and Mistley.

Traders told Chief Inspector Russ Cole they felt “under siege” by the spate of crime, which include four shops being targeted in just one night.

Tendring councillor Alan Coley said traders were fed up with a lack of police in the town.

“Some of these very small traders have been victims of crime three times in the last 12 months and they are really suffering,” he said.

“The local feeling is that the clo- sure and emptying of Mistley police station is a coincidence too far.

“These criminals are carrying on with impunity because they know the police are a long way away.”

Mr Cole told a meeting of Mistley Parish Councilthat the police pres- ence would be stepped up.

He said: “There have been break-ins overnight of shops and business- es, where people have smashed the window, perhaps by throwing a brick or heavy item, gone in and grabbed a handful of property and escaped.

“We’ve looked at those crimes and we’ve delved into the patterns.

“It’s clear to us through talking to our colleagues in Suffolk police that there is a very small group of crim- inals operating down the A137 and traversing the border from Suffolk.

“Certainly, I am stepping up the numbers of police within the Man- ningtree and Mistley area.”

He added police had carried out stop checks using automatic number plate recognition.

“We have got a significant amount of intelligence and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we make some arrests.”

Mr Cole also encouraged residents to report crimes online and through a new scheme of “contact points” set to be piloted in Harwich Library.