As crowds gathered outside a seafront bar at midnight, a man dressed in black and wearing a balaclava jumped out of a car and brandished a machete-like knife in front of panicked onlookers.

Seconds later he and two others - also masked - fled the scene in the vehicle, leaving a bystander covered in blood and nursing gaping head wounds caused by a hefty blade.

Alarming footage of the incident in Herne Bay’s Central Parade soon surfaced, leading to claims the town had become “lawless”.

“Everyone knows you can commit crimes and police are nowhere to be seen,” exclaimed one Facebook user.

“It’s definitely getting worse – I don’t feel safe anymore,” added another.

But is the town actually more dangerous than it used to be?

Well, according to recent figures, it’s almost three times as violent.

In the 12 months to August this year there were 105 violent crimes in Heron ward - an area covering the seafront and town centre.

This was only one more than the year before, but police say the severity of the violence has escalated.

Heron ward’s ‘harm score’ - calculated using a weighted scale of offences, ranging from 2pts for cannabis possession to 7,832pts for murder - has almost trebled from roughly 11,000 to 32,000.

The alarming rise has led to the area being branded a “hotspot” for violence by a senior police officer for the district.

Hassan Hassan owns the Makcari’s ice cream parlours on the seafront and also Captain Jack’s bar, where the victim of the machete attack had been drinking just moments before.

He says he is growing increasingly concerned about escalating violence in the town.

“The last two to three years, I think from my own personal experience, serious crime is definitely on the up in Herne Bay,” he said.

“I do think it’s got a lot to do with the drug problem Herne Bay has.

“It’s concerning for everyone, not just business owners but residents and visitors alike.

“What kind of world do we live in if we can’t go for a stroll along the seafront or walk down the high street past 8 o'clock at night? It’s ridiculous.”

Mr Hassan believes the answer lies in more police on the streets, and welcomes plans to deploy more patrols in the town.

“I think 100% that’s needed – it’s a very big deterrent,” he said.

“I’ve seen violence on the seafront before, and it’s not until those blue lights come along that the crowds disperse.

“Until that point they carry on doing whatever it is they were doing, so it's definitely a deterrent.”

While extra police are welcome, some believe the solution is a little more nuanced, including the victim of March’s seafront attack, who says he was “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he told KentOnline police need to better understand how youngsters are drawing inspiration from gang culture in London.

“We first saw it in Gillingham and Chatham and now it’s arrived in Herne Bay,” the 30-year-old said.

“More youngsters are carrying knives and they’re walking around with masks covering their faces, so they think they can get away with anything. They can’t control their urges - it’s an ego thing.

“What happened with me was just the tip of a very big iceberg.

“I think anyone wearing a mask in the street should be automatically stopped, searched and asked why they’re hiding their identity. They need to be held accountable.

“But more importantly than that, the police need to understand where the change in culture is coming from - the music, the videos - it’s not cool.

“If they don’t do that they’re not going to get to the root of the issue.”

The machete attackin March - for which three suspects were arrested and remain on bail - was a significant factor in Heron ward’s high harm score.

In the same month, two men attacked a brother and sister in Herne Bay’s High Street, punching and stamping on them almost 100 times in just 90 seconds.

The "savage, vicious and cowardly" assault left one of the victims with a fractured skull and resulted in both offenders – Patrick Holmes and John Hazelgrove – each being jailed for four years.

Chief Inspector Paul Stone - the Canterbury district commander - spoke about crime in the town during a recent meeting of Canterbury City Council’s scrutiny committee.

Central Parade, Mortimer Street, High Street and East Street were highlighted as “key repeat locations” in Heron ward.

“The number of offences in that particular area has actually remained stable - the difference is the actual level of violence that’s being used out there,” Ch Insp Stoner said.

“As a result of that we’ve seen attempted murders and GBHs that have occurred over the past 12 months, which has inflated the score.

“Most of the issues out on the coast, I think it’s fair to say, are probably fuelled by drugs and drug-related activity.

“We don’t want to inflame the situation out there - it’s not the wild west by any stretch of the imagination.

“Other crime in Herne Bay is actually falling, it’s just the level of serious violent crime that we’re trying to address and tackle.”

Cllr David Thomas (Con), who represents the area, shared concerns about youngsters having no respect for the police.

“What we have got from the youths [in Heron ward] is intimidation just from what they’re wearing – wearing face masks, hoodies and stuff like that,” he said.

“They almost feel they’re above the law and that’s what’s coming through with some of the youth now.”

Ch Insp Stoner revealed £15,000 of funding had been secured to deploy more officers in the town centre and help “identify and address any underlying issues behind the offending”.

But is more bobbies on the beat the solution?

Stuart Mercer, who lives in Whitstable but regularly visits Herne Bay, is not so sure.

He told our reporter: “That’s dealing with the end of the issue rather than the real issue, which is why is there more crime?

“Is it because there’s not enough for young people to do, is there not enough work, is it because people are homeless?

“I’d like to know the reason for the increase in crime in this area, what’s the cause of it, before deciding to put more policemen out, because that’s not solving the underlying issue.”

Sophie Strotton, the manager of Garage Coffee Roasters in Richmond Street, was of the same opinion, adding: “I think having more things for youths and people who are engaging in violent crime, other things for them to put their energy into, would be a far better use of the money.”

She is also one of many who believe that, while the statistics show the severity of violent crime has increased, the majority of residents are not impacted.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the most violent place,” she said.

“There are constantly reports about violent crimes happening, but I’ve not actually ever seen anything happen myself.”

Kevin Jones, who has lived in Herne Bay for all of his 74 years, was also surprised by the numbers.

“I cant say we’ve ever noticed that,” he said.

“I don’t suppose it's got any more than anywhere else – obviously there’s things going on on a Saturday night that we would be unaware of.”

Susanne Richards, who has lived in the town for a decade added: “I’ve not witnessed any violent crime.

“I don’t really go out at night but I would feel slightly unsafe going out at night from things I’ve heard over the years.”

Figures reveal crime in general has fallen more across the Canterbury district in the last three months than anywhere else in east Kent.

And Ch Insp Stoner says the wider public should remain reassured that violence in Herne Bay involves, and impacts, only a very small percentage of people in the town.

He said: “We want to send a strong message, but also one of calmnes,s and we are seeking support from councillors to reassure the residents that this is not something they need to worry about.”