TARGETED police work in Frinton and Walton has resulted in a drop in crime and anti-social behaviour in the past five weeks, police have said.

The run-up to Halloween and Bonfire Night is a busy period for police and Essex Police said it was no different this year.

However, officers said they introduced new tactics to combat crime and people using the events as an excuse for bad behaviour.

Between October 1 and November 6, Essex Police recorded crime dropped 27.3 per cent in Frinton and Walton, compared with the same period last year with the total number of incidents reported falling by 23 per cent.

Anti-social behaviour incidents were also reduced during the same timeframe.

The number dropped 58.3 per cent in Walton and 42.8 per cent in Frinton.

Insp Aaron Homatopoulos, of Clacton Community Policing Teams, said his officers increased the number of patrols around the two towns, targeting known hotspots at particular times.

They linked in with the towns’ council-funded police community support officers, British Transport Police and Tendring Council’s anti-social behaviour patrol officers, who also increased the incidence and spontaneity of their patrols.

A dispersal order was also put in place in Frinton between October 31 and November 1 in response to local concerns about people acting anti-socially. 

Dispersal orders give officers the power to direct anyone suspected of being responsible for anti-social behaviour to leave the area.

Essex Police said eight people were dispersed and four young people were taken home by police officers to their parents.

Another young person was also taken home to their parents after unsafely releasing a firework.

Insp Homatopoulos added: “People do get excited about Hallowe’en and fireworks but they have to remember that, sometimes, what they see as having fun can appear threatening and intimidating to older people and the more vulnerable members of our communities.

“We don’t want to stop people having fun but we do want to prevent them from causing distress to others while they are enjoying themselves.

“Our team approach appears to have worked well, as these figures suggest, and the extra patrols also served to deter people from committing anti-social behaviour, violence and other crimes in Frinton and Walton.”