A woman who lives in the Dunmow area has accused police of 'ignoring' drug dealing in her village, despite repeatedly reporting the problem.

Essex Police recently came under fire from Uttlesford councillors for not taking action on drug dealing - instead prioritising crimes against people and property.

The 71-year-old resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that she and her daughter have been phoning the police over the past six months.

She said: "I often see the drug dealers. They seem to park up in our village. They always leave the lights on and that’s a sign.

"I've been phoning the police for a long time. My daughter phoned the police [on 101] and it took three-quarters of an hour to get through.

"When they have parked outside the house, the police told me to go out and get the number plate. I don't want them to see where I live.

"At the beginning I kept a record for them. I don’t want to do it now.

"It's every day and every night. It's been going on for a few years. I’m afraid for the people in my village who don’t realise they are drug dealers."

The resident's daughter first called police after the road was closed due to bungalows being built, and one of the builders apparently commented that the building work had temporarily stopped the drug dealers.

"The police aren't doing anything," the resident added. "I'm just frustrated."

Insp Phil Jackson, of the Braintree and Uttlesford Community Policing Team, said: "We know it can be frustrating if, after a report is made to police, there appears to be no immediate action.

"If a report to us does not require an urgent and immediate response it is assessed and will be used as intelligence.

"It is from this intelligence picture that we are able to build patrol plans, so we know where our presence can be most effective.

"It also helps us to develop further lines of enquiry to tackle specific issues.

"It can take time to build up actionable intelligence but the work we are doing can only be done because our communities are letting us know what they have seen or what they believe to be taking place.

"Reports of car registrations believed to be used in drug supply can be invaluable to helping us tackle that issue and when we get them, they are recorded and used proactively as part of ongoing tactics to disrupt groups involved.

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"Over the last 12 months, we have executed seven significant warrants across Uttlesford, seized £40,000 in cash as well as significant quantities of Class A drugs – and we don’t intend on resting on our laurels."

Essex Police have also previously urged residents to report drug dealing by either calling them on the non-emergency number 101, or by using the online reporting tools on their website.

They have stated that they will always prioritise residents where safety is at risk, and if someone is in immediate danger residents should call 999.