EFFORTS made by Bexley police and Bexley Council to deal with crime in the borough, have received a lukewarm response from the public.

Their attitude has been revealed in a regular survey carried out by the Met. Police, in boroughs across London.

Temporary borough police commander Superintendent Glyn Jones described the results as “very disappointing”.

Asked how good a job Bexley’s police are doing, nearly half the 600 people surveyed, (48 per cent), said they thought the police were only doing a fair job.

While 42 per cent thought policing was good, only three per cent said they thought it was excellent, and six per cent thought policing in the borough was poor.

When asked to agree Bexley police were dealing with issues which mattered most to Bexley people, nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) could neither agree nor disagree while only 19 per cent tended to agree.

More than two thirds of people, 69 per cent, could not agree the police and council were dealing well with crime and anti-social behaviour.

Another 21 per cent tended to agree and three per cent to disagree.

Mr Jones said this quarter’s survey had showed a “significant rise” in confidence.

He said: “This measure seems an anomaly when we are seeing reductions in the crimes people tell us are really important to them.

“The same survey tells us people are far less worried about anti social behaviour, people’s fear of crime in Bexley has fallen sharply and people feel safe in their homes and walking alone in their own neighbourhoods.”

He added: "With all this good news we are still trying to make sense of the response to the confidence question.”