A spate of violent crimes in a residential street has resulted in increased security measures.

In the past six months, a number of serious offences have taken place in Ambleside Drive, Southend, including an attack that left a man seriously injured.

In a bid to stem the disturbing cluster of incidents, the council will be installing CCTV equipment in the street.

The decision was championed by Thorpe ward councillor Martin Terry who raised concerns after the latest incident in the street.

The independent councillor said: “We pursued this issue in response to the sheer volume of crime and I’m pleased to confirm this is now definitely going to happen.

“Hopefully this will be vital in deterring crime and collecting evidence in the future.

“But a camera won’t stop an armed robbery from happening. We still need more police on our streets.”

On December 29, a man, in his forties, attempted to stop a gang of four men acting antisocially before he was viciously assaulted. He was left needing surgery following several blows to his head and face.

Last month, two teenagers were threatened with a knife and robbed of their phones by a gang of six men and in October, a woman in her 30s was also robbed at knifepoint and forced to hand over money.

Southend Council confirmed Ambleside Drive had been identified as a hotspot.

Ann Holland, Southend councillor responsible for culture, tourism and the economy, said: “Southend was an early adopter of CCTV and we have one of the most comprehensive networks in the region.

“But because we adopted early, the technology is now getting quite old, and we are investing in replacing the system to ensure they are effectively tackling crime and antisocial behaviour.

“We reviewed which areas of the town that should be covered by CCTV as part of a public consultation held last autumn.

“This took into account changes in where crime and anti-social behaviour occur and changes in the night-time economy, such as the growth of Leigh as an evening destination for example.

“As part of that feedback, I am pleased to say that one camera is being added to the network in Ambleside Drive.”