ADDITIONAL funding of £1.5million has been secured to tackle serious violent crime in Essex.

Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd has announced the extra money for Essex Police.

The cash will be used to try and stop street violence and knife crime.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Wells said: “I’m delighted to say we have been successful in our bid and £1.5million in extra funding will be invested in our fight against violent crime and knife crime.

“We will use the additional money throughout the next year to further support our activity, which will be focused in identified violent crime hotspots, the targeting of habitual knife carriers and acting on community intelligence.

“We will also intensify our efforts to disrupt and dismantle criminal street gangs causing violence in our communities.

Since 2015, 47,715 knives and weapons have been put into Only Cowards Carry bins outside police stations across the county with more than 4,280 deposited between January and March this year.