- Essex County Council has launched a three-month trial deploying six private security guards to patrol Braintree, Colchester, and Chelmsford town centres.
- The £118,000 initiative, named Operation Vanguard, was introduced by Reform UK following Home Office plans to expand capacity at the nearby RAF Wethersfield asylum centre.
- Reform UK stated the patrols address resident concerns regarding male migrants in town centres, though security firm My Local Bobby emphasised guards are present to ensure safety for everyone.
- The security operatives wear stab vests and hold powers limited to citizen's arrests, with funding drawn from a council community improvement fund.
- Local residents have offered mixed reactions to the trial, with some welcoming the deterrent against crime while others view the patrols as an unnecessary waste of money.
IN FULL
Reform UK council spends over £100k hiring private security to patrol Essex towns
