Residents who described a notorious Southend road as "like the Wild West" hope CCTV and new lighting will halt the scourge of prostitution and drugs.

Residents have made no secret of the reality of life in Ambleside Drive, with one describing it to the Echo as being like “the Wild West” only last month.

Martin Terry, councillor responsible for public at Southend Council, revealed the plans to introduce the cameras by mid-February at a meeting of the full council on Thursday.

Neighbours say it should be the council’s priority to stop prostitution and drugs so the area can be used by children and the community again.

But one of the residents asked why posts had been installed without cameras attached to them.

Mr Carty said: “It’s been promised by councillors across Southend Borough since 2019 that adequate.

"CCTV provision will be made along Ambleside Drive and the surrounding areas, where criminal activity is providing extensive social damage to the livelihoods of the communities that live there.

"These are promises that pre-date the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I’m certain everyone in this place agrees that it should be the council’s priority to help our dedicated community groups to reclaim our streets from the prostitution and drug activity that’s taken hold, so that our public spaces can be used by our children and our community, a brilliant example of that work being the Frostbite event that took place last Saturday.

“For the last three months posts have been erected along Ambleside Drive but with no cameras attached to them.

"Could the cabinet member please inform me when this promise from 2019 will finally be fulfilled, and working CCTV cameras be fitted?”

Read more: Road plagued by prostitution resembles 'wild west' as residents recount fear of walking alone

In August Essex Police launched Operation Vimto, which saw more than 50 patrols carried out in the area in the first four months and led to a string of arrests and community protection warnings being issued.

Residents have also spoken of local women and girls regularly being accosted by kerb crawlers, with one young girl walking to school being followed by a car until she ran to a house for help.

Mr Terry said that the council’s new CCTV cameras were part of the biggest programme of works to the network in decades, with 42 cameras being installed as part of a £2 million investment including those in Ambleside Drive.

The full roll-out will be completed in April.

He added: “Once the cameras are live for Ambleside Drive, in addition to monitoring the cameras directly, the council will have the ability to send direct live footage to Southend Police Station and to Essex Police headquarters in Chelmsford.

“Both the police and the council community safety teams are aware of the issues in Ambleside Drive and a number of actions to address these are in hand, including a review of lighting at the site.”