ALL of Southend’s park car parks must be shut overnight to stop to anti-social behaviour and illegal traveller encampments, it has been claimed.

Southchurch Park East car park, which was hit with drug dealing, loud music, and cars performing doughnuts over the summer, is now locked overnight as a three month trial period.

Bollards have also been installed in the car park to stop the doughnuts.

In a desperate plea to Southend Council, Steven Wakefield, councillor of the Shoebury ward, has urged officers to lock all car parks at parks overnight across the town.

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  He said: “It’s a problem across the borough. There’s issues with loud music that residents are getting annoyed about.

“Travellers also use our car parks when they’re not locked. We have to try and stop it instead of waiting for it to happen. It needs to be solved.

“The drivers are not considerate at all. They need to take their loud music elsewhere.

“When repairs need to be done to the car parks, if the travellers break on, or if they leave their rubbish behind, it comes from the taxpayers pockets.

“It wouldn’t cost any more money to the council, it would be the same enforcement team going around as we have now.”

The motion, submitted by councillor Wakefield, is due to be heard at Southend’s full council meeting tomorrow.

As it stands, the meeting is set to go ahead, despite other meetings at the council being cancelled following the murder of Sir David Amess.

Residents who live near Southchurch Park East, thanked the Echo, following the previous coverage, which called on the council to lock the gates overnight.

The car park gates are now locked between midnight and 7.30am Joanne Jones, 60, said: “We’re really pleased. It looks like it’s all been solved now, which is really positive.

“There hasn’t been any issues since it was locked overnight. I would still say however that this should be across Southend at all car parks near parks.

“You can see the improvements to our lives here.”

The motion is due to be heard tomorrow.