ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour is on the rise across the district with spikes of up to 80 per cent in some areas.

Across Epping Forest as a whole the latest police figures show ASB is up 25 per cent compared to this time last year.

But there was good news for the district with burglary, robbery and vehicle crime all down, although violent crime has risen by 17.6 per cent.

Loughton Broadway is the worst affected area for ASB seeing a 79.7 per cent rise of 23 incidents a month to 41.

Owner of Broadway hairdressers Blow Your Top Arnold Burman said: “I had my window broken earlier this year. You could see they'd, just kicked it in. A lot of the anti-social behaviour is in the back of the parade. Earlier this year my wife had her wheel trims taken off. You've got to keep an eye on everything round here.”

District Commander Chief Inspector Alan Ray admitted ASB was a problem but said his force would make new efforts to combat it.

He said: “Anti-social behaviour is quite an issue for us, and it's an issue for the public. We are getting spikes in certain areas and that [the Broadway] is one of them. I think it's mainly nuisance youths in shops”

Mr Ray said Sgt Jacqui Mileham had been appointed as the district's new ASB coordinator and urged residents with concerns to contact her at Epping Police Station on 0300 333 4444.

Although it has less of a problem with ASB, Loughton Forest Ward, which includes the bottom end of the High Road, has been named as the area with the most violent crime in the district.

According to statistics, violent crime in the ward is up 165 per cent on last year, although police have said that is down to the new way of recording crime.

Mr Ray said: “With the change in national recording standards we'll go to an incident and record a number of crimes for one incident.”

The news of its hotspot status came as little surprise to Forest Ward residents.

Doreen Reeve, of High Beech Road, said: “It doesn't surprise me at all. I don't doubt it for one moment- there's always trouble on the High Road.”

Judith Woodman of Forest Road, said: “It's not entirely a surprise at all. I was a probation officer for over 30 years in East London and I'm not easily intimidated, but there are times on Loughton High Road at night when I feel distinctly uneasy.”

Overall crime in the Epping Forest District is down 1.1 per cent compared to this time last year.