A TEAM of police officers has moved into Rayleigh police station to tackle issues for local residents.

The neighbourhood policing team will now be based in the High Street so they can be in the thick of it.

They have also been bolsteredby four new officers – one sergeant who will lead the team,and three Neighbour Specialist Officers.

The moves are part of an overall strategy by newly appointed District Commander, Chief Inspector Glen Westley based on the concept of ‘policing on the doorstep.’ He said: “Having the team together in the heart of the town instead of travelling from Rochford means officers will be locally focused and able to spend more time out on the beat.

“The more they are out in the community meeting residents the better we can understand people’s concerns and deal with them.

“Rayleigh is a safe town with relatively little crime and disorder and these changes underscore our commitment to maintaining the safety of residents.

“They have told us that they want the reassurance of seeing more officers on the streets and these moves are a step towards this.”

Councillor David Sperring, Chairman of Rayleigh Town Council, welcomed the changes.

“We are pleased to have our Neighbourhood Policing Team based in Rayleigh, which after all is the biggest town in the district, “ he said.

“While we understood the logistics of having the district’s neighbourhood policing teams together in a central base, having the Rayleigh team back in town is what we wanted and they can be assured that we will support them in every way we can.”