Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry hears the issues facing Newark that Safer Streets will address

Smashed windows, break-ins, street drinkers and disruptive youths are the issues facing Newark town centre, it is said.

All are being addressed through round four of the Home Office-funded Safer Streets programme.

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry heard first hand how the money her office has secured will be spent and the differences it should make while on a walkabout in the town centre.

On that walkabout was Daniel Otton, who runs Buttercross Estates and was representing the business club.

Mr Otton said: "Levels of anti-social behaviour in the town centre is a problem for retailers.

"We had a shop on Middlegate and had a problem with smashed windows.

"Wisegirls was broken into, Giles and Bella before that and Grace Gentle recently had a window put through.

"I think it's just draining because people are getting the same issues over and over again.

He said it was difficult to know what would help or solve the problem which he attributed to a mix youths kids and drunkenness.

"There's not much of a nightlife in Newark," said Mr Otton.

"If there were, there would be more adults around and there might be less chance for the kids to be disruptive and vandalising things. It's hard enough to run a business right now as it is.

"Also the other thing that I see from the perspective of being an estate agent is the rise in domestic abuse - more people leaving relationships.

"That's something that isn't public-facing and relies on people coming forward. it's very important that people have the knowledge of where to turn to.

"Funding is always welcome. Time will tell to see whether it's enough to affect the statistics of crime levels."

Asked if Newark felt like a safe place to live or work, Mr Otton said: "I think it is safe. It feels safe to me, but if I was a single lady walking through the streets at night and there's five or six young people hanging about I'm going to feel intimidated. There remain a lot of positives, people want to move here.

"The high street is busy as opposed to other places, such as Grantham for instance."

Eleanor Smalley, the Safer Streets project officer for Newark and Sherwood, said: "We have lots of interventions coming through, I think we've a total of 31 that are funded by the Home Office.

"We have lighting going into Church Gardens, we've, some camera upgrades and new cameras being fitted, we've got gating going in at St Mark's precinct which will hopefully deter the anti-social behaviour drug-use and rough sleeping and we have work going on surrounding violence against women and girls, along with a new door entry system for flats at Tithe Barn Court, Lovers' Lane and Queens Court."

The police divisional commander for Newark and Sherwood, Inspector Matt Ward said of the walkabout: "It's always useful for a PCC to come and visit the area and to gain an understanding of the actual geography, social dynamic of an area.

"People may think that Castle Beat is simply businesses, but walking here today, hopefully we've demonstrated that it is considerably more diverse than that.

"On the beat, you've got the college, residential areas, you've got parks. you've got the businesses then you've the licensed premises, you've got the riverisde, the castle, the Tolney Lane area - you've got all of that on the same beat so its helping with the understanding that it is considerably more than the town centre's shops and businesses, and by that we are also able to point out to her the work that has been done, and the work that is still to be done, to help her understand what we still need to do so she can help to plan that in, understanding that there are a lot of other districts in Nottinghamshire.

"Safer Streets projects already taken place have already made a significant difference. We have already seen the effects of them.

"Take St Mark's for example, where there is still more to do. I know that St Mark's has seen a significant reduction in the number of shops in the area, but for me, that's an economic thing rather than a policing thing at the moment.

"It has had a problem with the NCP youths going up there, items being thrown from the roof, but to me the work that has been done in that area, and by NCP, has seen a significant reduction in anti-social behaviour.

"The opportunity is now here for further work to target-harden, and that can only be beneficial.

"If you raise the expectations of an area, the attitude of people living in that area should be raised, but then if you also make it more difficult to commit crime or anti social behaviour in that area, you reduce the effects on communities.

"Here, with the range of anti-social behaviour, vehicle crime, violence against women and girls, Safer Streets has an impact. Not just concentrating on one particular element, but all of them, which is not without difficulties in balancing that, and that's why particular people have particular responsibilities within that, works.

"It is a great problem to have. The problem of being given the opportunity to solve issues is a better one to have than there being no means to solve those issues. I would prefer to have that problem every day of the week."