OFFICERS keeping Colchester safe during England’s World Cup clash with Wales used a tongue-in-cheek approach – including referring to the city’s CCTV system as a video assistant referee.

Essex Police’s Colchester community policing team said it had announced a “starting 11 line-up” for policing the city ahead of England’s final group game on Tuesday.

The force said Inspector Austin “took the captain’s armband” ahead of the match, leading the team in preventing any trouble.

The team said the 11 officers were drawn from Colchester’s town centre team and B Shift community policing team.

Opting for “three at the back”, PC Bishop, PSCO Hardy and PC Shemming “got the nod to start ahead of some strong competition”.

The team added: “In the midfield four, we see PCSO Compton re-join his former town team colleagues.

“PCSO Compton and PC Mond have a great record of problem solving together from their days in the town, so they start in the two central midfield positions, and we see the two experienced officers out wide in PC Patrick and PC Greig who have been on the town team since it was introduced.

“Up front we have the target man, PC Essam who is enjoying a long and established period in Colchester’s community policing team, joined by the award winning PC Bowyer.

“We also include PCSO Robinson in the starting 11 after her switching allegiances from Tendring to Colchester earlier this year.

“While a usual team talk would be about ‘taking no prisoners’, I can assure you Insp Austin has told the team if anybody is causing problems that we do take prisoners to the nearest custody block.”

After a quiet first half, the Colchester policing team added: “We have Colchester City Council on VAR in the city centre, but so far we have not had to run any decisions by them.”

But after a second half which saw England net three unanswered goals, the team “came under some pressure”.

“VAR was called into action and it resulted in one male being ejected from a licensed premises and instructed to leave the town,” they said.

“The atmosphere was raised in the second half and everyone appeared in good spirits, PC Shemming getting the assist for the ejection.

“A cheeky 1-0 win for Colchester community policing team.

“In all seriousness the team have been out in town and continued to be in the town while people make their way home.”