Police in Avon and Somerset will receive £400,000 to tackle burglary and theft and make streets safer.

The funding forms part of the government’s £25million Safer Streets Fund, where South West police forces will benefit from a share of £1.2million.

The investment will be put towards measures proven to cut crimes which blight communities, leave residents feeling unsafe and cause distress to victims.

Funds will go towards improving security in areas affected by acquisitive crimes such as burglary, vehicle theft and robbery.

The government says these offences are crimes people are most likely to encounter and are estimated to cost the UK billions of pounds annually.

New security measures which will be funded through the scheme include changes to street design, such as locked gates around alleyways, increased street lighting and installing CCTV.

The funding will also be used to train community wardens, deliver crime prevention advice to residents and establish Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said: “I’m delighted the Home Office recognised the value of our bid. I want to say thank you to my commissioning team who worked hard to secure this investment.”

Police and Crime Commissioners were invited to bid for a share of the £25million Safer Streets Fund in January, with each project eligible for a grant of up to £550,000.

Bids were evaluated against a set criteria and bidders outlined plans to reduce crime in hotspot areas, demonstrating value for money, evidence of community engagement and long-term sustainability.

Ms Mountstevens added: “The extra funding will be put towards deterring residential burglary and acquisitive crimes and we will continue to work with our partners to effectively cut crime in the areas that need it most.

“This extra funding will ensure that we can continue to support our communities to ensure everyone in Avon and Somerset is safe and feels safe.”

The funding comes alongside the government’s commitment to recruit 20,000 additional police officers over the next three years, to inject £1.1billion into the policing system for 2020-21.