Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend has vowed to root out anti-social behaviour in Surrey after residents revealed that littering, speeding and fly-tipping are among their biggest issues in a wide-ranging new survey.

More than half the 1,325 respondents to the survey, created by the county’s Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and Community Harm Reduction Partnership Delivery Group, said that anti-social driving, including speeding and inconsiderate parking, were the most significant issues in their area.

However, there was an increase in residents’ satisfaction with their area, with more respondents reporting that their communities are better places to live than they were a year ago.

Close to a third of respondents said they had been personally affected by ASB in the last year – and almost half said they had witnessed ASB in their area.

An average of 40 per cent of residents selected littering, inconsiderate dog ownership and fly-tipping as top concerns in their area. Some 36 per cent chose drug-taking as a key issue.

Since the previous survey, in 2023, more residents said they’d feel confident in who to contact about ASB in their community. A majority of respondents said they’d contact Surrey Police or their local council in the first instance.

However, fewer people knew about the ASB Case Review – previously known as the Community Trigger – which specifically deals with persistent cases of ASB.

A review can be requested if a resident feels that a complaint made about the same issue three or more times in a six-month period has not been satisfactorily resolved. The process provides a powerful way to bring together different agencies for a better solution.

Residents’ views were shared with the Partnership, which includes Surrey Police, Surrey County Council, local councils, health, housing and support services, and is actively supported by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Commissioner Lisa Townsend said: “The impact that anti-social behaviour can have on individuals is huge. “I’m committed to ensuring residents feel safe where they live. That is why it is vital that we keep asking for feedback from our communities to target activity, such as extra police visibility or improvements to victim support, where it can have the greatest impact to improve people’s lives.”

Joanna Grimshaw, head of ASB and Partnerships at Surrey Police, said: “This year’s survey will help us to look at what needs to be done to ensure victims feel confident to report incidents and know how to activate an ASB Case review.”

Since April, Surrey Police has introduced additional targeted, highly visible patrols to tackle areas in the county experiencing the most incidents of ASB and violence, after the Government made £1m available as part of a nationwide programme of “hotspot” policing.

Rowdy behaviour, drug use, anti-social use of vehicles, anti-social drinking and criminal damage are examples of ASB and crime that should be reported to Surrey Police by calling 101, on official Surrey Police social media channels or at https://surrey.police.uk