A POSTMASTER says residents are afraid to visit nearby shops after seeing acts of crime and vandalism soar.

The parade of shops in Windsor Drive, Chelsfield, has seen several stores broken into, windows smashed and three elderly ladies mugged as well as constant graffiti in the past year.

Shop owners believe the louts committing the crimes are getting out of hand because there are not enough police patrolling the area.

Dennis Penny, who has managed the post office on Windsor Drive for three years, believes although the police react quickly to crime, more needs to be done to prevent them happening in the first place.

The married father-of-four is calling on police to be more visible and for the installation of CCTV cameras to catch and deter vandals.

He said: "Graffiti has become a huge problem along this road. As soon as it gets cleared it comes back again.

"Not only is it an eyesore, it deters shoppers from coming here because it makes it obvious criminals are hanging around."

Mr Penny tries to encourage his customers, especially the elderly, to be careful when leaving his post office but says this can just add to their concerns.

He added: "My family and I go to bed at night wondering who is going to be victimised next. We shouldn't have to live like this."

Chelsfield and Pratts Bottom councillor John Granger is urging residents to continue reporting any graffiti they see, along with any other criminal activity, to the police.

He said: "Unfortunately, CCTV images aren't very clear, especially at night, so they would not be very useful in catching these criminals.

"We have looked into getting extra lighting for the parade and removing some of the shrubs and bushes in the woods opposite to make the area more open and prevent these troublemakers from hiding."