COLCHESTER could get 12 extra traffic officers to try and cut road deaths and serious injuries.

Policing teams were cut when armed response officers with dual responsibilities for traffic were moved out of traffic teams.

Insp Steve Brewer, who runs the Stanway road policing team, admitted it has been a struggle.

But the problems could be solved because the number of traffic officers working out of Stanway is set to rise by more than a third.

The changes are part of the Essex Police restructure to save £45million over four years.

The extra officers will not mean more recruits but more working for the specialist traffic units.

The Stanway team operating out of the station in New Farm Road has 26 PCs, four sergeants and the inspector.

It is one of four road policing teams in the county.

The team works on a three-shift pattern with six days on duty followed by three off.

Under the new arrangement officers will do longer shifts for six days followed by four days off.

Insp Brewer said: “It will be very different with the change in shift patterns but I am confident we can make it work if we get the increase in traffic officers.

“I think it will be good and it will take us back to the level we had.

“Last Christmas we lost the armed officers from here and with the reductions we did not have enough traffic officers.”

At the time there were 72 officers working for the teams with 36 at Stanway and 36 at Laindon in the dual roles. Forty were taken away.

The four teams no longer have geographic boundaries.

Traffic officers are also able to patrol more regularly since the serious collision investigation unit in Boreham took over fatal collision investigations.

And more regualar police officers will be based at the station in New Farm Road instead of in Colchester town centre as part of the restructure plans.

Will it mean longer response times for people living further away from Stanway?

Not according to Insp Brewer who says the teams will already be out patrolling so.

He said the idea is to have an investigative team and a response team.

The response team will carry out the initial investigation and then it will be passed onto other officers to investigate so the response team can get back out on the street.

Insp Brewer said the aim is to change the way officers work to try and cope with the budget cuts.

He said: “The loss of staff is quite huge but I am encouraged by the proposals.

“There will be pressure on everybody and there will need to be greater supervision and management of officers.”