Officers could soon be trotting the beat as Essex Police considers plans to bring horses back to the force.
Chief Constable Roger Baker is behind plans for the mounted police unit, disbanded in 1999 amid cash pressures, to be re-established. A decision will be made at an Essex Police Authority meeting on Monday.
In a report, he describes mounted police officers as "an imposing but reassuring sight" which provide an "effective way of preventing and detecting crime, reducing the fear of crime and increasing feelings of public safety".
Horses from the City of London Police were in Colchester for recent games against Ipswich Town and Southend United.
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