Basildon Council has apologised after Billericay's parish councils were snubbed during the consultation process for the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy.

Furious Billericay Town councillors wrote to Basildon Council chief executive John Robb last week after being invited to take part in a consultation session at last week's Billericay area committee just hours before it took place, giving them no time to prepare.

Cllr Matt Barr, chairman of the Billericay area committee of Basildon Council, said: "There is certainly no intention on the part of the council to leave anybody out of the consulting process.

"We made a mistake and we will try to put it right."

Basildon police chief Supt Denis Sheppard offered to arrange a special meeting with the five parish and town councils so that their views can be taken into account.

The first draft of the strategy, which will be based on the findings of a district-wide fear of crime survey and a crime audit, will be drawn up by the Basildon Community Safety Leadership Group once the public consultation is over.

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