A higher police presence has been called for after vandals frightened elderly people and damaged property.

Dave Henson told a meeting of St Osyth Parish Council last night (Thursday): "We need proper police assistance in our village. The people actually want a police presence here. They are frightened to come out.

"The problem has escalated and is caused by young people in the village, and St Osyth is now being targeted as a soft area."

He said young people were coming into the area from other places because they knew they would not be punished.

The call for more police comes after a bus shelter in Oakley Road was vandalised, sheds were broken into in Castle Way and a bench in Rochford Road was smashed.

Chairman Michael Talbot, said: "There is an obvious lack of policing here. We do not even seem to get any policing. People are actually phoning the police when a crime is going on and the police say they cannot come out."

The council agreed to write a letter to their MP Bernard Jenkin and Supt Patrick Rice for help in the matter.

Supt Rice said today (Friday): "I am not able to comment on specifics. What I would like is the evidence where there is a lack of performance on our part, but we must be told at the time of the incidents and then we might be able to provide an explanation for our lack of performance."

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