A MOBILE police station is to visit Colchester General Hospital every week.

The move is an effort to encourage patients and staff to work with local police to beat crime affecting the hospital and surrounding area.

The hospital, in Turner Road, recently suffered what police described as its most serious crime in many years – the theft of 14 cylinders of nitrous oxide gas.

Boy racers are suspected to be to blame for the theft, since the gas can be used to boost the performance of certain cars.

Raiders in a white van broke in on January 11. Similar cylinders were stolen from an East of England Ambulance Service depot in Hertfordshire the next day.

The mobile police station will make its first call at the hospital on Friday. It will be parked between the main hospital building and Gainsborough Wing between 10.45am and 1.30pm every Friday from now on.

Alan Coley, of Essex Police, said: “This is the first time a mobile police station has had a regular slot at a hospital in the county.

“The mobile police station is a good way of reaching out to people who may not have time to come to visit us.

“The hospital is a busy place so I’m sure we will be well used.”

Peter Symiss, security adviser at the hospital, and a former Essex policeman, said it would also help deter criminals.

He said the theft of the cylinders had been the most serious crime at the hospital since he joined, almost nine years ago.

The police station will be manned by Police Community Support Officer Malcolm Dyer and allow residents, visitors, patients and staff to report crimes and road accidents and raise concerns.

Mr Symiss said: “Mr Dyer is always looking for new locations where a lot of people go. It’s a good way to take the police station to the people, rather than the other way round.”