LABOUR leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper visited Grays this morning (Monday, 20 February), using the town as a backdrop for the promotion of their national policies on improving policing levels and tackling drugs crime.

Early morning visit of Yvette Cooper and Sir Keir Starmer.

The heavyweight duo had a brief early-morning walkabout on Grays High Street, accompanied by local police and a phalanx of plain-clothed protection cops, then they retired to the old Courthouse building for a series of interviews with the national and regional press.

Ms Cooper was further quizzed about the harrowing financial situation facing Thurrock Council and also issues surrounding domestic violence.

Thurrock Nub News editor Neil Speight questioned her over the integrity of politicians of all hues.

Jen Craft flanked by Sir Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper.

Local Labour political candidate Jen Craft accompanied them and afterwards spoke about issues raised.

Our special video report covers today's visit.

Ms Cooper was keen to highlight the claim that, since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, Police Community Support Officers in the East of England have been cut by 75 per cent, from 1,480 in 2010 to just 372 now. 

She added the East of England has seen the joint biggest cut. 

Labour says it will clamp down on neighbourhood drug dealing and rid Britain's town centres of drug dealers after reporting that drug offences across the East of England have increased by 17 per cent since 2015, with knife crime up by 75 per cent. 

The part says it will introduce data-driven 'hotspot policing' targeted at common drug dealing sites to tackle the local gang networks and dealers who are blighting communities. 

Ms Cooper said: "The Conservatives have sat back and allowed criminal gangs dealing drugs and exploiting young people to grow in town centres across the country. 

"At the same time, they have decimated neighbourhood policing including a huge 75% cut to PCSOs here in the East of England. 

"Labour will deliver a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee with 13,000 extra neighbourhood police and PCSOs. Labour will give police the powers to crack down on antisocial behaviour including drug dealing and introduce a tough new law to stop gangs exploiting and grooming kids for crime."