A survey carried out by the Liberal Democrat councillors on Rayleigh Town Council revealed 78 per cent of residents believe policing in the area is “average or below average”.

The survey was conducted to find out residents’ most pressing concerns so the council can address any issues.

Councillor James Newport from the Sweyne Park and Grange Ward, said: “We ran the survey on Facebook to find out how police respond to residents when they report a crime.

“I have residents contacting me about how police respond to calls. Some told me police don’t follow up reported incidents. I’ve also had instances where police didn’t follow up on crime recorded on CCTV.”

He added: “It’s frustrating for residents so they take it up on social media and talk about drug abuse and antisocial behaviour in their streets. Having visibility of police gives residents an assurance they are safe.”

Mr Newport contacted Essex Police and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst to ask him to meet residents to discuss the issue.

But he said he is sympathetic as the police have suffered large funding cuts and added: “Their budget has been slashed so people aren’t getting the service they expect from the police.”

Jane Gardner, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, confirmed Mr Hirst will be attending a meeting at Rochford District Council on September 12. She said in a statement: “We regularly visit towns and villages across the county to hear directly how people are feeling about policing in their communities.

"I was in Rayleigh a few months ago and had a valuable conversation around visible policing, parking and opportunities for members of the public to volunteer and contribute to policing in their communities.

"I am visiting again in early September and look forward to continuing this conversation and looking at how we can together improve policing in our communities.

"Like Councillor Newport I am committed to increasing the visibility of police across the county and have invested significant resources in hiring more officers, building the Special Constabulary and equipping police officers with the modern technology they need to allow them to spend more time in their communities.”