CCTV and more lighting has 'undoubtedly helped' slash antisocial behaviour in Southampton crime hotspots, a police commissioner has said.

Police and Crime Commissioner (PPC) Donna Jones said that while lockdown played a part in the crime drop, preventative measures helped reduce it.

It comes after a report revealed that in 2019-20 there were 1,745 recorded incidents of antisocial behaviour in the Bargate area. This dropped to 947 in 2021-22.

The hotspots include Hoglands Park, Palmerston Park and various streets in the area.

Ms Jones secured £550,000 in funding from the Home Office's Safer Streets Fund for the work.

The money went towards additional lighting, more CCTV cameras, gates, and fencing, as well as £130,000 allocated to set up projects to engage with young people in Southampton.

She said: "Whilst national lockdowns would have played a part in the 2020/21 statistics, the implementation of crime prevention measures paid for by the Safer Streets Funding has undoubtedly helped reduce ASB in some of the city’s hotspots.

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"As commissioner, it is my role to ensure that central government funding is used effectively in areas that are an issue for local people and these interventions have helped drive down crime and ASB, which is a priority in my police and crime plan.

"In addition to the physical changes made to some locations to design-out crime, I have also provided more than £130k in funding for diversionary youth programmes in Southampton which are working to engage young people in positive activities to divert them away from ASB and crime.

"This has included projects that respond to hotspot areas of ASB and exploitation and delivering crime awareness programmes into primary schools, in addition to initiatives that engage young people in music, art, theatre and sport.

"These projects take a proactive approach to working with young people, creating brighter futures at the same time as reducing crime.”

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