ESSEX Police is only able to respond to half of the 1,200 incidents officers are called out to on a daily basis.

The figure was revealed during a meeting discussing a recent spike in burglaries in south Essex, where residents complained officers were not attending incidents.

Nick Alston, Essex Police and Crime Commissioner, insists the force always attends incidents where there is a risk of immediate harm, but has urged the public to be realistic about the speed of response.

Mr Alston, along with MP Stephen Metcalfe and Thurrock Chief Insp Leigh Norris, attended the SS17 Against Crime meeting at Homesteads Village Hall, in Dunstable Road, Stanford-le-Hope.

The packed session, which was standing room only, was organised after a reported spike in burglaries in Stanford-le-Hope and Corringham.

Mr Alston said: “Even though crime has gone down, the amount of people contacting police has gone up.

“The Chief Constable has said 600 a day is about the limit of what they can guarantee, and that is focused towards 999 calls, where there is a risk of harm.”

“There are, on average, 300 crimes a day in Essex, so you can see lots of these calls are for things like neighbour disputes.

“Sometimes people are calling in for things like noise and parking, which aren’t even police issues.”

Mr Alston believes it is important police call handlers make it clear to the public when to they can expect a response from an officer. He said: “If someone comes home from a weekend away and discovers someone has been in and taken a laptop, the police response can probably wait until the next day.

“But if that person is elderly and anxious and cannot secure their door, the police would be far more likely to go round. The police have always prioritised and this is nothing new.

“But I need to reassure people that, if they call 999 genuinely, no one is going to be told off.”

An Essex Police spokesman added: “We must prioritise the calls we go to first to make sure that those who are in gravest danger, at risk or vulnerable are seen first.

Burglary remains a priority for the force and in the overwhelming majority of cases either a police officer or crime scene investigator will attend.”