A crimewave has swept across a square mile of Rochester and two councillors are leading the way in a bid to stamp it out.

Teresa Murray and Nick Bowler say on-street drug-taking and antisocial behaviour are rife in the area around the busy Delce Road.

And following two high-profile incidents in less than a week in nearby Maidstone Road, they have drawn up an action plan.

A man died after crashing his car into a brick wall while being chased by police and a massive brawl broke out in an Indian restaurant leaving the owner battered and bruised.

The two have raised problems with a senior police officer and have arranged for a mobile police station to be available regularly in John Street.

They are also pleading for more residents to join Neighbourhood Watch to report incidents to the police and be prepared to be witnesses.

Cllr Murray, deputy leader of the council’s Labour group, said a number of issues had led to the problems.

She said: “The high density of housing development, which I have vehemently opposed, without providing the proper amenities and landlords abandoning tenants who are often vulnerable are two of the problems.

“We need to be sending a clear message to criminals and drug dealers that we are not prepared to tolerate their behaviour in our ward and do everything we can to make things better.

“People deserve to feel safe where they live and should feel comfortable about reporting crime.”

Cllr Murray and her Labour colleague Cllr Bowler have seen first hand the drug dealing on street corners in their ward, Rochester East.

She said: “It’s going on in broad daylight and they are very open about it. Just sitting in a car and observing we saw several incidents of what we suspected were youths picking up drugs on their bikes and a BMW driving suspiciously around.

“We have assurances, having met a senior officer, that our reports are now being taken very seriously and that extra police resourcing is being deployed in the area.

“However, we are very conscious that the police have been asked to make £15m savings for each of the next three years and that this is likely to result in cuts to PCSOs.

“We’re working to encourage our constituents in Rochester East ward to come forward with any information they may have that could help.”

Other incidents in recent months include flytipping outside disused garages in the Fleet Road area.

The councillors described it as “the worst flytipping they have seen in their 15 years on Medway Council”.

And yobs caused outrage when they damaged cars, vandalised vases and pulled out plants outside Naylar and Son funeral directors in Delce Road.

The mobile police station will be outside the shops in John Street from 6pm on Thursday, September 3.