THE statistics on crime in Peacehaven on page 8 today will be no surprise for residents there.

Some of them told us last week how they are scared to go out at times.

The shopping centre becomes a target after school closing time. Plant pots and the like are vandalised or stolen.

One man was savagely attacked by a gang who had mocked him for his age.

None of this is the police’s fault of course. Those who committed the crimes are 100 per cent to blame. But residents need more help from police and in turn the police need more support from Government.

We all need to feel safe on the streets and in our own homes. That needs to be made a priority. Peacehaven should be a very safe place to visit and walk around in.

The truth is that sometimes if you go to the Meridian Centre at times people have told us that they have feared for their safety and staff worry about gangs going around without fear of being caught and punished.

The loss of the police station has upset people badly and now, if they no longer see the police, you wonder where your taxes are being spent.

The police and crime commissioner has been conspicuous by her absence on this issue.

It is her job to hold the police to account. If her constituents and taxpayers feel that not enough is being done she should act.

And she is a Conservative so she should have good access to policy information.

We all need her to make national policies work for local policing as at the moment people feel let down. Just ask residents in Peacehaven.