The closure of a traffic policing unit will see south Essex officers taking care of the busy motorways.

The traffic unit at Brentwood will close by April as part of a costcutting initiative aimed at improving front-line policing.

Officers and responsibility from the unit will be shared between Laindon and Chigwell road policing units.

The move means Laindon traffic unit will now be responsible for southern stretches of the M25, which belong to Essex Police, as well as having a commitment to other incidents outside the boundaries should extra support be needed.

Head of mobile support division Supt Steve Golding said: "We will still provide a very good service to Brentwood and our present service will not change, only it will be operated at different locations of Laindon and Chigwell.

"There will not be as many officers going out in patrol cars, but the motorways will still be monitored."

An Essex Police spokesman said: "The closure of Brentwood traffic will have no significant effect on the overall quality of road policing in the surrounding areas.

"Essex Police provides a 24-hour response to the motorway and we can and do deploy resources from any road policing unit to an incident on the motorway should the need arise."

Brentwood Council leader David Gottesmann has criticised the move.

Published Tuesday, February 19, 2002