PARTS of Huntingdon have seen a spike in crime and anti-social behaviour – but senior police officers believe the worst is over.

Hartford and Oxmoor saw a sharp rise in vandalism so police stepped up patrols and organised undercover operations in the areas.

In November, there were 110 reported crimes, increasing to 128 in December.

Senior officers say that after they made north Huntingdon a priority, investigations have led to several arrests, including four teenagers due at Huntingdon Youth Court on January 24, on suspicion of vandalising cars and houses, and attacking a man.

Ian Ford, sector inspector for Huntingdon, said: “We identified Oxmoor and Hartford as a priority area at the beginning of December.

“Since then, we set up an action plan and have doubled the number of patrols and undercover operations which seem to have resulted in significant arrests.”

Jill Watkin-Tavener, chairman of the Oxmoor Community Action Group, said the more pressing issue for the group was the amount of dog excrement in the area.

“We’ve not seen an increase in anti-social behaviour although we did see a rise in criminal damage, which the police seem to be on top of, so I can’t honestly say that it is an issue. It’s just people getting drunk over Christmas.”

Police said they have also caught a “prolific burglar” who was alleged to have broken into Huntingdonshire Regional College on January 6.