More than £1.5million of additional funding has been secured from the Home Office to help tackle serious violent crime within Essex.

The extra funding will be used to increase police activities and help tackle street violence and knife crime.

The announcement was made by Nick Hurd MP, the Minister of state for policing and the fire service.

Mr Hurd had a meeting last month between the Home Secretary and senior officers from across the country to make the decision.

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.”

The announcement follows continued operations around the national knife crackdown, Operation Sceptre.

Since 2015, 47,715 knives and weapons have been put into Only Cowards Carry bins outside our police stations.

Over 4,280 were put into the bins between January and March this year.

Police continue to urge people to report crime to us on 101 or online by visiting www.essex.police.uk/do-it-online.

In an emergency call 999.

You can also report information to Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111.