STREETS should now be safer as an extra 700 homes have signed up to a Neighbourhood Watch project.

Eleven new volunteers in 17 roads across Hadleigh have been announced.

PC Sharon Lawrence and the Hadleigh neighbourhood policing team, as well as residents across the town, were joined by the deputy mayor of Castle Point, Norman Ladzrie, and other council members at a special launch at Hadleigh Church hall last week.

PC Lawrence said: "This will be the largest ever Neibourhood Watch launch in Hadleigh and Benfleet and underlines the growing recognition among residents that the scheme has an important contribution to make.

"We would like to see every road in Hadleigh covered by the scheme."

The Neighbourhood Watch scheme aims to help people protect themselves and their homes and reduce the fear of crime by improving home security, greater vigilance, accurate reporting of suspicious incidents to the police and fostering a community spirit.