More than £200,000 has been awarded to community safety, crime reduction and victim-related projects in Hertfordshire.

The grants came from the Commissioner’s Community Fund and from a victims commissioning budget that was taken over from the Government.

The money has gone to community groups or projects from around the county to pay for a variety schemes or projects that will help cut crime, reduce anti-social behaviour, help victims or reduce reoffending.

Groups that will benefit from the funding include Herts Watch, which aims to cut cold-calling in the county, Youth Connexions and Druglink, which will use the funding to set up a Coffee Cart service in Hertsmere Civic Offices to aid recovering drug and alcohol clients.

Announcing the new round of funding, police and crime commissioner David Lloyd said: “As with previous rounds, the quality of applications for funding was exceptional. I am delighted to be able to award more than £200,000-worth of funding to projects that will make a real difference to people in Hertfordshire, whether they be victims who need supporting, vulnerable people who need protecting, or diversionary schemes that will draw people away from crime or anti-social behaviour."