RESIDENTS are being put off reporting low level crime because they don’t believe anything will be done, it has been warned.

It is claimed crimes such as drug dealing and antisocial behaviour are going unreported and residents are “putting up with it”.

Now Essex Police’s top cop has admitted officers are not able to respond quickly to every crime in Colchester.

Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh also said it is unreasonable to say officers’ time is better spent chasing low level crime rather than people who are committing robberies and murders.

He said: “I will not have my officers chasing every single crime.

“We will not investigate every single crime to the same level - that would be preposterous.”

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