A COUNCIL housing provider has been awarded for a decade of work to stop anti-social behaviour.

Colchester Borough Homes (CBH) has been recognised for its commitment to the Community Accreditation Scheme (CSA) over the past ten years.

To mark the milestone, Chief Insp Rob Huddleston, Colchester's district commander, handed over a plaque to CBH as a mark of their joint working.

CSAS was introduced by the Home Office in 2006 with the aim of having all public facing organisations working more closely together, to help resolve social and community concerns.

The concept involves tackling long-term problems by conferring powers from Essex Police to partners to reduce anti-social behaviour and low-level crime.

CBH chief executive Gareth Mitchell said: “We’re honoured to receive this accreditation from Essex Police.

"We’ve always been committed to ensuring safety in our communities and it’s fantastic that the excellent partnership working between our organisations has been recognised.”