CAMPAIGNING families are uniting in a battle against crime blighting their area, insisting: “We will not put up with it any more.”

The murder of Hassan Mohammed Ibrahim in York Road, Southend, on July 7 sparked fear and fury among the community.

It’s left some people too scared to walk in certain areas, which they say have been all but taken over by drug dealers and users.

His death was followed by a man being stabbed in the groin on September 12 and a 17-year-old boy being shot with a BB gun on Sunday night.

With many trying and failing independently to get improvements in the area, 30 people have formed a residents’ association.

They want to put pressure on Southend Council and police to come up with ideas to tackle the problems.

Keith Kelsey, chairman of the association, said: “It needs to be made hard for anyone who has a criminal mind.

“The police were doing a lot of patrolling after the murder, which made people feel safe, but we can’t afford as a community to take the foot off the pedal.

“I can only see it getting bigger and bigger. The more people who see we are making changes, the more people will come on board.

“This isn’t just going to be by one individual. It will be a conglomerate of people raising the area up and tidying it up.”

The association will cover the area contained between Stanley Road and Southchurch Road, and between Queensway and Southchurch Avenue.

Despite not even having a name yet, the people power uprising has already had some success.

CCTV has now been put up by the Hastings Road underpass, which is rife with dealing, while trees and bushes have also been cut back to give dealers nowhere to hide.

Other innovative ideas are also being thrashed out to get to the root of the problem.

Councillors are being con-tacted to try to secure a drinking ban on the road – and a dispersal order to stop youths congregating.

An application is being submitted to Southend Council to get permit parking, to stop people coming from outside the area to commit crime.

Mr Kelsey added: “The reason for parking permits is it will give us control on who is in the cars and who is in the area.

“We had to get so many signatures to take it to the council before they would consider it. A lot of residents have driveways and weren’t interested at first.

“However, when we explained the benefits of it they understood we are finding everyone wants to sign up.

“If people want to come down from London they won’t be able to park.

“They will have to move on or be nicked.

“This will be a big one for us to prevent people from outside the area bringing crime with them.”

With fears some homes of multiple occupancy are causing problems, the group plans to lobby Southend Council and South Essex Association of Landlords (Seal) to inspect homes and threaten landlords with closure orders if they have anti-social tenants.

Mr Kelsey said: “Seal has really got to up its game. The council needs to up its game, too.

“Some landlord get anyone in.

They aren’t vetted and they have conflicted interests with other people in the properties. But they don’t care – the landlord just throws them in.”

The association will also act as a neighbourhood watch, with that aspect led by the association’s vice-chairman, John Cooper.

Labour Kursaal ward councillor, Judith McMahon, said: “It would appear there are more incidents which involve knives.

“But I am delighted with the manifestation of the residents’ association. There is now the likelihood of these kind of problems reducing.

“We have an uphill task, but I am certain these incidents will become fewer and fewer. It’s not optimism – it will happen.”