A popular seaside resort has been named as the worst for anti-social behaviour in the UK.
Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, according to reports, has four times the national average when it comes to anti-social behaviour. It is the worst hotspot in the country with a whopping 68 incidents for every 1,000 residents.
The area was once a bustling resort with thousands making the 75-mile trek from East London to Clacton-on-Sea, but the town is now a shadow of itself which is littered with nitrous oxide canisters, graffiti and terrorising gangs of youths.
The congregation of the youths have seen residents refrain from going into the town centre on evenings due to their threatening attitude.
Residents have pushed for a larger police presence on the streets, with many claiming there are not enough foot patrol officers in the town. Two residents have said that the town centre now has a "horrible" and "really nasty" atmosphere.
Kebab worker Alex Evans admits she will never walk alone when her shift finishes at 9pm because she feels unsafe.
Speaking to The Sun, she said: "We have a lot of fights around here on the weekends.
"I've lived here for four years and it's steadily got worse and worse. Police do turn up if we call them when things kick off but I wish they'd have a bigger presence before things get violent."
According to statistics conducted by Crime Rate UK, Clacton-on-Sea recorded 646 arson attacks, 296 shoplifting incidents and 3,221 reports of violent and sexual offences.
Just two miles to the west of Clacton-on-Sea, Jaywick has been dubbed Britain's "most deprived town" and could end up under water if nothing is done to tackle the threat of severe flooding, locals say.
Jaywick, which featured in a controversial Channel 5 documentary, has faced its fair share of challenges including drugs and alcohol issues, regular fly-tipping and, earlier this year, an outbreak of canine parvovirus that killed at least a dozen dogs.
But now there are fears the town - and potentially people - could be lost to flooding.
Local councillor Dan Casey told The Express said he is terrified Jaywick's flood defences will fail. In 2013, water came within two and half centimetres of topping the sea wall.
The independent councillor said: "In 1953 we lost 35 people through the floods down here and if it came across the wall now there’s a lot more people that live down there, so I’d hate to even think [about it] and I just hope that day never comes."
Cllr Casey, who represents West Clacton and Jaywick Sands, added that properties in some areas of the town, such as Brooklands on the seafront, are not designed for flooding.
He wrote on his website: "We’ve still got the same housing in the Brooklands area which is now basically 70, 80, 90 years old and, how would you say, they’re not really flood resilient and we live in a flood plain.
"You’ve got to look at what you’re going to do about the housing."
