FAMILIES living close to Southend seafront are calling for more street lights and CCTV cameras after several violent attacks.

A petition signed by 130 residents out of 223 households living across Pleasant Road, Hartington Place and Hartington Road was presented at the latest council meeting.

It comes after a series of violent incidents including where a man in his 70s was hit with a hammer during a burglary on Pleasant Road and when a man damaged several cars before threatening to stab residents.

Pleasant Road resident, Callum Steven, 25, said: “There is a lot of crime on Pleasant Road, the elderly gentleman attacked with a hammer was a neighbour of mine. We wanted to put together this petition after we started to get around 20 to 30 recorded crimes each month.

“Through a Neighbourhood Watch that we set up we know that we’ve got a lot of drug dealing going on here and yet it is really dimly lit compared to the average street in the town. On Pleasant Road we have just two street lights and the nearby roads are the same.

“It leaves people feeling like they don’t want to go out after dark, there don’t feel safe particularly after what has happened here.

“Extra lighting would help to reduce the crime and push those doing it away from the area. We also want to see extra CCTV cameras because at the moment the police are having to knock on door to ask the residents if they can take footage from home cameras.”

After the petition was presented to the council, councillors agreed on a plan to bring 100 extra street lights to the town but the locations have not been confirmed.

Labour councillor Matt Dent, who represents the ward, said: “We will start getting the street lights in over the summer and I will be advocating for this area to be one that does get extra lighting.

“The petition will be discussed at a cabinet meeting in September but I fully expect the council’s response to either be yes we will do it, if not we have already started.

“I will also be meeting with the portfolio holder for community safety to discuss extra CCTV in the area.” The extra street lighting faced some opposition from the Conservatives who claimed more details of the plans are needed before a quarter of a million pounds is spent.