The Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire, Dr Alan Billings, has been awarded over half a million pounds to deliver a Safer Streets project in Hexthorpe, Doncaster.

The Home Office offered PCCs from across England and Wales the opportunity to bid for the funding from a £25million scheme which aims to crack down on burglary and theft in crime hotspots across the country.

Dr Billings has been granted £549,964, to continue and develop work in Hexthorpe, Doncaster.

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings said: “This is good news and a very significant amount of money for Doncaster. The funding will go some way in combatting house burglary and other crimes in Hexthorpe, making the streets safer and helping people feel more comfortable in their own community.”

The funding will be used to provide better CCTV and improve the look of the area by refurbishing communal spaces. There will also be improved street lighting.

Dr Billings continued: “The funding application was made after reviewing police data and following feedback from the community in Hexthorpe. They were asked what would make them feel safer and overwhelmingly people said that they wanted to feel ownership and pride in their community. With this in mind we applied for the funding and were successful in our bid.”

“We will now work with South Yorkshire Police and the local authority to ensure that the community see the results.

Deputy Mayor, Cllr Glyn Jones, said: “Doncaster Council and its partners welcomes this significant and much needed funding to help improve the Hexthorpe community.

“For too long now, residents have felt unsafe and perhaps intimidated in and around their homes. As well as the materialistic benefits e.g. improved street lighting and CCTV cameras, we are hopeful that, ultimately, the locals feel a sense of ownership and pride in their area.”