Reform UK hires private security to patrol three Essex towns costing over £100k
- 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.
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