St Albans businesses, community groups and residents are invited to have their say on how crime prevention can be improved in the district.

A public consultation has started to shape a plan for making St Albans a safer place to live and work - covering topics such as antisocial behaviour, drug dealing, burglary, knife crime and street drinking.

The consultation is running until Sunday, February 29, and is intended to help the St Albans Community Safety Partnership (CSP) complete its strategy for the following year.

The CSP is a group of agencies which work together to reduce crime in the district. Members include St Albans district council, Herts police, the police and crime commissioner, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and various voluntary organisations.

They consult annually with residents and local groups to identify strategic aims and priorities. Priorities for 2020/2021 are to establish an effective response to violent crime, focus on possession crime such as burglary and vehicle theft, assist landowners, businesses and the community by tackling rural crimes such as fly-tipping, antisocial behaviour and violent crime, and to support victims of domestic abuse by tackling perpetrators and educating people about healthy relationships and personal safety.

They also aim to promote physical and mental wellbeing by tackling hate crime, alcohol and drug misuse, homelessness, and street drinking, as well as assisting vulnerable people at home and in the community.

Cllr Jacqui Taylor, portfolio holder for housing, inclusion and protection, said: "St Albans district is fortunate to have relatively low crime levels, but we cannot take this for granted.

"The Community Safety Partnership wants to win the battle against crime and respond effectively to the needs of the people who live and work here.

"To do so, we need to hear their views on how we can improve and where our priorities should lie. By completing the questionnaire, people can shape the community safety plans for the district in the coming year."

To complete the survey go to https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/JMZ3P6HA paper form of the survey with a pre-paid reply envelope are available from Carol Almond on 01727 819538.