CALLS have been made for more police in Southampton in a bid to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

The newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones is being asked to ensure that more officers are deployed across the city.

This comes as an official report claimed Southampton is the third worst in the country for crime deprivation.

Ms Jones previously pledged to recruit 600 officers in Hampshire but councillors said they want to ensure Southampton gets “its fair share”.

At a full council meeting on Monday councillors raised concerns over the number of police officers in the city with Cllr Darren Paffey saying: “We need more officers than we have now, that is what will make people feel safer.

“It is not just about having more, it is about having enough and that is what we are asking for, having our fair share. We need a proper investment of more officers on the beat.”

Cllr Matthew Renyard asked when the extra police officers are going to be recruited and deployed and urged councillors to call on Ms Jones to “provide policing levels that go higher than pre-2010 numbers” and to bring forward a plan for more police stations with a front office.

But his request was not included in the final motion passed with deputy leader, Cllr Jeremy Moulton, saying that the council has put aside £500,000 as part of a community fund to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime.

“We have a new PCC, she understands the impact of tackling crime in the city. We need to work with her to get the best outcome for Southampton and I think we are pushing firmly.”

He also said the authority is set to invest in new CCTV cameras but leader of the opposition, Cllr Satvir Kaur told the Echo: “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their neighbourhood and currently Southampton residents don’t, despite paying more for it.

“We know crime is double in our city compared to the national average, and Labour want enough police officers (not just replacing those that were cut) and better funding.”

The number of officers to be sent to the city is not known but in a statement Commissioner Jones, said it is the largest urban area in Hampshire and “for this reason it has been a top priority in terms of additional police numbers”.