Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill have been hit by high rates of burglaries

During Thursday's Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) meeting Chigwell ward member Darshan Sunger spoke of a sharp rise in burglaries in his area.

Compared to 2015, in 2017 there were 61 per cent more burglaries in Chigwell, the figures jumping from 119 to 192 incidents.

Buckhurst Hill saw a larger, 77 per cent increase over the same period, with Epping Town enduring 53 per cent more last year than in 2015.

Ongar and Epping West however, saw figures fall around 30 per cent in two years.

Cllr Sunger said: "My mother said she no longer felt safe in her own house, in fact she was safer being outside than in her own home.

"She refuses to open the door to anybody when she's alone, even if it is a police officer."

He later told the Guardian: "We have a huge problem in Chigwell. Burglaries have taken off big time. It is an alarming increase."

Cllr Sam Kane, Safer, Greener and Transport portfolio holder, argued the council was addressing the 'slight rise' in crime across the district.

As well as funding park guards to patrol the streets for three months, the council had paid for three extra Essex police officers to operate in Epping Forest, he explained.

"Last night there no burglaries and there was one in Chigwell during the last week," Cllr Kane said.

"The increase in police personnel and the park guard are all making a difference.

"The perception of crime can be more damaging than crime itself. There have been some outrageous reporting of crime in Chigwell on social media and it is really not helping."

Cllr Kane urged all victims of crime to report the incidents to police on 101 for non-emergencies and 999 for emergencies.

Independent councillor Stephen Murray asked whether the council had consider spending the funds allocated for the extra police officers - paid for through a 2.5 per cent council tax increase - on lighting the district's streets during the night.

Cllr Kane said EFDC had, but opted against it.