INCIDENTS of knife crime in Thurrock doubled in just five years.

Data following a freedom of information request the number of incidents involving a bladed weapon rose from 129 in 2012 to 258 in 2017.

The number of police officers across the county have been cut and stations closed while the number of drug gangs operating in the area have risen.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “There is no evidence that crime in Essex has changed as a direct result of the decision that the force – as the lowest funded police force in the country per head of population – took to close some police stations that were no longer in heavy public use.

“Essex remains a safe county and the increase in offences is below the national and regional levels.

“In other crime areas Essex has seen decreases in burglary, theft and shoplifting, despite the country and our region seeing rises.

“The way crime is committed is constantly changing and we must ensure that our focus is on the crimes which cause the greatest harm.

“We are recruiting 150 more frontline officers by the end of 2019, to fight and prevent crime in our communities.”

Roger Hirst, police, fire and crime commissioner for Essex, said: “Crime levels have risen but they are still lower than they were ten years ago.

“Safe and secure communities are the bedrock on which we build success and wellbeing for all and we are doing all that we can to support the chief constable to bring these figures down.

“We recently increased the policing element of the council tax and have worked hard nationally to increase Government funds for policing, so we can increase the numbers of police officers who will be visible on the streets of their communities.”