A last a Lib Dem candidate, but Castle Point is safer without them

Now, at last, that the Liberal Democrats have selected a candidate for Castle Point (see http://www.rayleighlibdems.org.uk/) I think it appropriate to point out that our community is safer without them.

• They stand for legalising the sale of cannabis.
• They stand for ending gaol sentences for drug possession.
• They voted against measures to tackle anti-social behaviour.
• They voted against powers to break up teen gangs.

I want a safer Castle Point; I support Labour’s measures to tackle crime.

Crime and legal aid

Essex Police have a Crime Mapping page on their website which allows the user to check crime levels in their area.

Castle Point has average levels of crime everywhere except Canvey Island South, which has an above average level of crime. The borough as a whole is described as average.

Of the neighbouring local authorities Rochford is shown as below average, Southend as above average, and Basildon and Thurrock as average.

The monthly average for Castle Point has decreased when comparing to last year, which is also true of all the neighbouring local authorities.

On a slightly related subject, the Bar Council is celebrating sixty years of Legal Aid. Legal Aid was established by Clement Attlee’s post-War Labour government. To quote from the Bar Council’s booklet “legal aid has become a vital safety net not only for those clearly disadvantaged and vulnerable, but also for hardworking ordinary citizens who deserve professional help at times of great anguish and need.”