Police will no longer be pounding the beat in a town centre during the evening at weekends.

Officers on patrol in Dartford will now only be seen after midnight in the High Street area.

The move comes after it was revealed at a recent crime and disorder overview and scrutiny committee meeting there is little demand for officers in the area before that time.

Police are being deployed to other areas in a bid to tackle incidents which happen outside town centre.

It is hoped the move will lead to between four or six officers being made available to attend other incidents.

Bethany Willis, a bar worker at the Dartford Jug, said: “I think this is only going to cause more trouble.

“Having police around helps to prevent anything from happening.

“This will mean that businesses will have to pay out more money for security and bouncers.”

Landlord at the Stage Door, Paul Lynskey, expressed concern that the issues with street drinkers will worsen.

He said: “A police presence keeps them under control and with less patrols it is going to become even more of an issue.

“I don’t think security is going to be an issue, as we have never really had any problems, but street drinkers are always harassing people.”

When officers were on patrol in the town centre, they were not able to leave the area to attend reported crimes elsewhere.

A pub landlord said: “We have always been well supported by the police, so I have every trust and faith in them and I am quite happy that they know what they are doing.

“I am quite relaxed about it really.”

However, the leader of Dartford Labour group Cllr Jonathon Hawkes has serious concerns the redeployment will affect the night time economy.

He said: “Feeling safe and secure is a vital part of making Dartford a great place to live, work and socialise.

"I think this is only going to cause more trouble... having police around helps to prevent anything from happening" - Bethany Willis

“That’s why local people will be rightly concerned at this latest cut to neighbourhood policing.

“Conservative cuts to police budgets are really having an impact on the ground and this latest cut to patrols will do nothing to help our night-time economy.

“Families and visitors want to be assured Dartford is a safe and welcoming place in the evenings. A visible police presence helps do that.”

During the scrutiny meeting it was revealed the main anti-social activity and crimes occurred during the early hours of the morning, as revellers were making their way home.

In the meeting, the increased use of special constables to work in the evenings was discussed, with the aim of producing more staff for re-location and other duties.

District commander for Gravesham and Dartford, Superintendent Andy Gadd, said: “The number of Kent Police officers serving Dartford is not being reduced.

“Following a review of the current crime trends, Kent Police believe that the district would be better served by having officers readily available for the whole of the district and not just for an area which generally has a low call demand, such as the High Street before midnight.

“Under this more flexible remit officers will still be available to respond to incidents in the High Street but they will also be better placed to respond to calls taking place outside of the town centre.

“Kent Police will continue to respond to incidents across the district and residents should feel assured that the whole of the district is well resources and that Dartford remains a safe place.”