Maldon district councillors will hear this week how the town's newly upgraded CCTV system has helped monitor social distancing in key areas as well as tackle crime.

A report to Maldon District Council's Crime and Disorder Committee on Thursday, 11 March will tell how images from the upgraded CCTV system at various locations in Maldon, including the High Street, Promenade Park, Hythe Quay and two community centres at Brickhouse Farm and West Maldon, have been remotely monitored at the Chelmsford CCTV Control Centre since 1 July 2020 by skilled CCTV operators.

The capital project has been funded by Maldon District Council.

The report goes on to state: "These cameras have already been used in several incidents but have also enabled the district council to make more informed decisions during the Covid-19 crisis around social distancing by providing pedestrian counts and to keep a watchful eye on river levels during storm surges in the autumn.

"From inception to the present day the system has been used for 72 logged incidents which has resulted in six arrests ranging from drug supply, public order to vulnerable missing persons."

In another section of the report, it is revealed that crime figures for Maldon district for the rolling year to 31 January 2021 showed a decrease in all crime by 2.9 per cent (108 less offences) when compared with the same period the previous year. However, anti-social behaviour increased by 56.5 per cent (456 more incidents).

The current performance figures for the same period for Essex as a whole show a decline in crime of 10.5 per cent and an increase in anti-social behaviour of 34.4 per cent.

However, the report also explains that during and post lockdown, anti-social behaviour included and increase in issues including noise, fly tipping, neighbour disputes and reports of Covid-19 breaches around social distancing. The district council's Community Engagement Officers have been doing joint patrols with Essex Police under Operation Talla to reinforce the message around social distancing, which is a recommendation but not law.