A FED-UP resident living in Southend’s “unofficial red light district” says it is “closing for business permanently” as kerb crawling and prostitution is decreasing.

Ambleside Drive has long been plagued by problems with gangs, drug dealers and prostitution.

Essex Police has upped its presence in the area in recent months while residents are actively reporting incidents.

Officers issued a number of community protection warnings to sex workers, which ban them from the area.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, says the number of kerb crawlers coming to the area are dwindling as they continue to “win the battle” against gangs running the sex trade in the area.

He said: “Since the residents of the area have been actively reporting kerb crawlers and loitering sex workers, there has been a significant and consistent decreased level of activity over the past year.

“This is a significant change on what we experienced before, with sex workers and their pimps coming onto residents’ property, destruction of public and private property, and other anti-social behaviour.”

Residents have installed doorbell footage cameras to record conversations, which are then reported to police.

“We have the resolve, and the technology to end this activity once and for all,” he continued.

“Modern CCTV with sound recording means that everything is captured meaning that we can easily report deals between sex workers and kerb crawlers as the conversations are also captured.

“There really is no way of perpetrating crime in our area without being caught on CCTV with sound recording. The historical red light district is closing for business permanently.”

In 2021, when charities and police had up to 16 reports of prostitution and drug dealing in Ambleside Drive and Honiton Road, Essex Police launched Operation Vimto to tackle the issues the area.

Inspector Paul Hogben said: “We’ve been working hard to tackle this issue and are pleased that people living in the area are seeing a difference.

“This approach has seen us issue suspected kerb crawlers with Community Protection Warnings (CPWs), banning them from the area and restricting their opportunities to continue this behaviour.

“So far, we’ve not found anyone to be breaching the conditions of their CPW.”