A TOP politician has been to the coast to talk crime and visit residents with Clacton’s Tory election candidate.

Home Secretary Theresa May arrived in Holland-on- Sea on Monday amid tight security to boost the Conservative campaign trail.

She met Tory parliamentary candidate Giles Watling to discuss some of the big issues affecting the area, including crime and policing, before heading out into the community.

Mr Watling said: “It was fantastic to have the Home Secretary come down to Clacton to discuss the continuity and reinforcement of policing in the area.

“I will be encouraging that we maintain the level of policing on the street and we will have further discussions about the police station in Clacton, because that is something that is really concerning people.

“We need officers out on the streets to provide a strong, permanent police presence in Tendring.”

He added: “Theresa May is a very switched-on woman and she wants to help, particularly in places like Clacton.

“We paced the streets of Holland-on-Sea and talked to residents, and it gave me cause to be very optimistic about the future for our area.”