A SERIES of public meetings to address crime concerns will be held across the Basildon borough over the next three months.

The sessions - dubbed Together for Safer Communities meetings - are the first of their kind and come after a wave of burglaries.

Ward, county and parish councillors will be in attendance, as well as police and Neighbourhood Watch groups.

Kerry Smith, chairman of Basildon council’s housing and community committee, said: “Earlier this year, I arranged a public meeting to hear residents’ community safety concerns and to share crime prevention tips.

“The meeting was well attended and afterwards I got positive comments from the residents saying they found the meeting useful.

“I was keen to introduce similar meetings around the borough and I hope that residents will support and go along to the local meeting for their ward.”

The first meeting will be held tomorrow between 7pm and 9pm at the Castlemayne pub, in The Knares, Basildon.

Residents will have have the opportunity to discuss their community safety issues and concerns, as well as pick up free crime prevention materials like property and bike marking kits, vehicle crime packs, number plate screws, personal alarms, credit card defenders, purse dipping bells and ‘No Cold Calling’ stickers.

Essex Watch and Neighbourhood Watch will be present to encourage residents to get involved in their local groups and other such schemes.

Police officers may also be on hand to give a brief overview of crime and anti-social behaviour and provide the opportunity to discuss local issues and concerns.

The meetings come after Wickford residents expressed their fears about leaving their homes in the wake of a stabbing at in Nevendon Road.

The victim, a man in his twenties, was attacked at about 1.30pm on Wednesday and armed officers later cordoned off a property and nearby woodland. No arrests have been made.

The Echo told last week how three 12-year-old boys were before the courts for carrying out more than 20 burglary and theft offences around Basildon.

In October, we told how an 11-year-old boy was the 51st person to be arrested in under two months as part of a crackdown on burglars and thieves.

Following tomorrow’s meeting, there are other meetings take place in Laindon, Billericay, Pitsea, Wickford and Vange.

The next meeting takes place in the Lee Chapel North Community Centre, in Ballards Walk, Basildon on Monday, September 25, from 7pm to 9pm.

The following meetings will be held at The Place, in Northlands Pavement, Pitsea on Monday, October 9 from 7pm to 9pm.