GRIEVING residents are being confronted by "intimidating" day-drinkers meeting in large numbers and boozing in a graveyard, it has been claimed.

The graveyard, at St James the Less church in Hadleigh High Street, has become rife with antisocial behaviour according to residents who claim issues with drinks and drugs are plaguing the area.

According to residents, who have taken to social media to highlight the issue, a large group has been intimidating and upsetting residents who are visiting the graveyard as well residents who are cutting through the graveyard to reach the High Street.

Former Tory councillor, Jacqui Thornton, has been made aware of the issue and is urging Castle Point Council to take action to tackle the problem as soon as possible.

She said: “We have a congregation of people in the churchyard using benches, meeting up with drinks and alcohol involved, I have spoken to the warden of the church, and she is quite upset.

“We definitely need to get something done there as it is a walkthrough for people, there are seats for people, and they are there for contemplation and if people are there to visit graves, it should be used as a pleasant walkthrough.

“However, people are now intimidated, and the council must do something, the community is very upset about this and have been discussing what we can do to address this. Do we need to stand guard there? It is very difficult, this is an elderly community, and it is not right.”

Mrs Thornton has also head rumours of fighting between those gathered on the churchyard but lacks information about the scale of the problem.

Mrs Thornton added: “I am mindful of it, intimidation, day-drinking and drugs, and I feel that some kind of public safety protection order could be put there, but the area is also incredibly small.”

She added that CCTV funded by the council is another possible solution that could help to address the problem of nuisance day drinkers in the churchyard, with the suggestion that they could be hidden out of sight.