ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour was at the top of the agenda when a shadow cabinet member visited the North-East.

Dan Jarvis was on the campaign trail supporting prospective Labour MP for Redcar, Anna Turley, and Louise Baldock, the candidate for Stockton South.

The shadow justice minister’s first port of call was Dormanstown where he spoke with shopkeepers and businessmen about their concerns about anti-social behaviour in the parade of shops.

He said: “Anti-social behaviour does affect people and having police officers on the streets help address the issue. The government has reduced the number of police officers by 1,600 across the country. We certainly wouldn’t have made the reductions as quickly as the government.”

When asked if the Labour party would boost police funding to redress the officer numbers should they win the general election in May, the shadow minister said: “We will have to see what the financial situation is before we could make any decisions.”

Ms Turley, who worked at the Home Office under David Blunkett, added: “I’m passionate about addressing the problems of anti-social behaviour and when I’m knocking on doors campaigning, that is what people are talking to me about.”

Later he joined Louise Baldock at Endeavour Housing for round table discussion with representatives from Endeavour Housing and local charities about changes to legal aid and their impact on victims of domestic violence.

His whistle-stop tour was day eight of nine of a national tour ahead of Labour’s General Election campaign.