ANGRY residents turned out in force to lambast the police over a massive rise in crime in Harwich.

More than 200 people packed into Kingsway Hall on Wednesday night to question top cops over the apparent lack of police presence in the town.

The public meeting was organised by town councillor Geoff Smith following concer ns over an increase in burglaries in recent weeks.

An 81-year-old resident told how burglars broke into her home and stole a large piggy bank filled with £2 coins, which she was saving for Christmas.

Another Harwich resident told police at the meeting: “I have lived here for five years. 

"You have let the whole people of Harwich down terribly.

“We moved here because we wanted a better quality of life, but all I read about are muggings, stabbings, someone being beaten up, now burglaries.

“You cannot sit there and say you do not know who these people are and you cannot do something about it.

“If you don’t, the town folk are going to take things into their own hands.”

She added: “You’ve got to help the people in this town – you’ve got to push for extra police here.”

One resident said his sheds had been burgled three times earlier this month and, despite handing CCTV to police, he had yet to hear back from them.

Chief Inspector Russ Cole said eight arrests have been made over the burgla- ries so far, including four on Wednesday.

He added that for operational reasons, he would not state how many officers were on patrol at any given time.

“At 5.45pm on Wednesday, I heard from my detective inspector that four arrests have been made in relation to the dwelling burglaries,” he said.

“The police’s job is not to act as judge and jury.

"My team’s job is to investigate, get the best evidence and put these people before the courts.”

Concerns were also raised over the lack of street lighting at night and the closure of Harwich Police Station to the public.