SOUTHEND needs its own police force to combat rising crime in the town, it is claimed.

Independent councillors have launched an ambitious bid to devolve from Essex Police and reinstate Southend Police in order to get more officers back in the town.

Thorpe ward councillor Martin Terry said the group of eight councillors are focused on finding “solutions” to Southend’s crime and ensuring residents have a “safe secure place to live and work”.

Mr Terry added: “From May 2019, with the support of Southend residents and businesses, one of our primary objectives will be to apply to the Home Secretary to devolve from Essex Police and re-establish a Southend Borough Police Force, unless there is a guarantee that the police numbers in Southend will be increased dramatically.

“This force should be locally led and locally accountable. It will have the police numbers to establish a zero-tolerance approach and restore community safety in our town centre and neighbourhoods.”

Southend had it’s own police force until it joined the rest of Essex in 1969 - despite public protests and petitions.

Mr Terry added: “We want a safe secure place to live and work. We need to cut through the politics in order to get more officers to make our town safe again, but it has to be the whole of Southend - not just the town centre.

The council recently held a summit with the police and business leaders to discuss what could be done to tackle antisocial behaviour and crime in High Street.

Deputy police, fire and crime commissioner Jane Gardner said extra officers are on their way.

She added: “Last year we successfully secured funding for an extra 150 officers, 15 specifically for Southend and many others for specialist teams which will provide regular extra support in the borough.

“These officers will all be operational in the next few months. They will be deployed directlywhere they are needed most to investigate and resolve problems such as anti-social behaviour and persistent criminal behaviour.

“On Monday night, the commissioner was briefing councillors on his plan to increase policing and how by working together in partnership we can deal with the causes of crime as well as crime itself.”

Southend Council’s member for public protection Mark Flewitt said: “It’s a fanciful idea to have a police force that is boundary-led because policing today is all about partnership working - an example of which is Op Southend which saw officers from outside the area being drafted in to help.

“With modern crimes, like county lines drug dealing and cyber crime, we need to work in partnership.

“It’s an attractive idea but I don’t think we will ever go back to having a Southend police force again.”

Essex Police has seen officer numbers drop by about 800 in eight years.