FAMILIES say they are “reclaiming their neighbourhood" as the community and police work to clampdown on prostitution on a Southend estate.

Ambleside Drive, in Southend, has for years been plagued with issues of gangs, drug dealers, and prostitution.

Essex Police alongside residents had been working hard to tackle the issue of “kerb crawlers” with many residents saying they “have had enough”.

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One Ambleside Drive resident has said they were finally seeing a difference after working alongside police officers.

They said: “As residents, we are taking details of drivers’ cars and registration plates as they pick up sex workers.

“Police then check these reports against CCTV cameras they have in the area.

“I have reported more than 38 drivers to police in the past four months, many of which have then been visited by the police and received Community Protection Warnings (CPW).

“Residents in the area are on a mission to stop this behaviour and clean up the streets by keeping a close eye out, and not letting a single crime go unnoticed.

“People here have had enough, and we are reclaiming our neighbourhood from these lowlifes. This is our home, we live here, and they are not welcome.”

Back in August 2021, Essex Police launched Operation Vimto which has seen more than 50 patrols carried out in the area.

Inspector Paul Hogben told the Echo, issuing CPW seemed to be working as no one is yet to breach the condition.

He said: “Our approach has been, and continues to be, to treat the women working in Ambleside Drive as vulnerable people and victims of sexual exploitation.

“By working with them, support agencies and the wider public, we look to support and safeguard them, while building intelligence to target those that control and exploit them.

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

“And the good news is that, so far, we’ve not found anyone to be breaching the conditions of their CPW.

“However, where the behaviour of the women working in the area willingly contributes to anti-social behaviour and disorder, we explore options to take against them.

“And we’ve recently issued a CPW banning one woman from the area after she had been linked to several disturbances.

“We’re committed to continuing to work with the community to tackle this issue and keep people safe.”