The Essex Neighbourhood Watch Association is celebrating 25 years of helping to make the county safer.

Created in 1995 by its President Geoff Ireland the Association now has thousands of volunteers who assist in reducing the opportunity of crime.

To celebrate this milestone, deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Jane Gardner presented the volunteers with a cake as a token ‘thank you’.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, Roger Hirst, has awarded Essex Neighbourhood Watch £56,386 from his Crime and Disorder Reduction Grant Fund since 2016 to help with running costs and activities.

Mr Hirst said: “Neighbourhood Watch do a very important job in communities throughout Essex.

“Working with the police they help provide intelligence to officers, support the elderly and vulnerable and go out of their way to make their local area safer.

“Just knowing that Neighbourhood Watch are active in an area can play a large part in preventing crime for happening in the first place.

“The volunteers make a significant contribution towards creating safe and secure communities. Congratulations and thank you on your 25 amazing years.”

Clive Stewart, Essex County Neighbourhood Watch Association’s chairman and secretary, said: “We operate 14 Neighbourhood Watch Districts across Essex and our 140,000 members are all volunteers.

“We encourage people to come together to make our communities safer and stronger and to look out for each other.

“I’m so proud that there have been Neighbourhood Watch groups for 25 years and really appreciate the support we have from Essex Police and especially the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.”

To find out more about Neighbourhood Watch and how to get involved go to http://www.essexnwa.co.uk/

You can also email your full name and postal address to essexcountynwassoc@btinternet.com