POLICE will be ramping up patrols across the city of Southend after recruiting nine new officers.

The recruits will be joining the town centre team which was formed in 2019 to target busy areas such as High Street, Warrior Square and the seafront.

It means the team has more than doubled in size and is made up of 15 officers and two sergeants.

Insp Paul Hogben, of the community policing team, said: “Southend is one of the busiest seaside destinations in the country and since the easing of lockdown restrictions we have seen a rise in the footfall entering the centre of the city.

“As a result, we are increasing our presence to reassure the public and keep them safe.

“The centre and seafront have historically been our biggest crime hotspots, so we are dedicating more resources into the area where we expect to see the most disorder.”

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Essex Police says the expanded team will “maintain a constant visible presence in the centre of Southend” and will deal with anti-social behaviour.

Officers will also target violent crime and disorder linked to alcohol consumption.

Insp Hogben added: “We don’t want people to be alarmed, we want people to get used to seeing uniformed officers.

“We’re not there because something bad has happened or we think it might, this is all about preventing crime, helping people and keeping them safe.”