AFTER a passing out parade by newly qualified officers, Essex Police says it now has the most officers it has ever had.

Fifty-two new officers are preparing for front line duties following the ceremony at the force HQ in Chelmsford in a parade led by Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet and attended by the Home Secretary Priti Patel.

A statement from Essex Police says: "This means that later this year there will be more officers than ever before protecting and serving Essex.

"And we project a force of 3,755 full time or equivalent officers dedicated to helping people, keeping people safe, and catching criminals by March 2023, thanks to public support and funding from both the Police Uplift Programme for 20,000 extra officers in England & Wales and also from the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

"There has been investment in new policing units such as the Town Centre Teams which provide a visible reassurance to rural and urban communities and a deterrent to criminals.

"There has also been investment in new specialist teams such as the Quest team, which investigates non-recent child sexual abuse, and the Domestic Abuse Problem Solving Teams, which break the cycle of abuse, supporting victims and bringing criminals to justice."

Officers at the passing out parade.

Welcoming the new officers DCC Prophet said: "I am immensely proud of everyone who steps forward, as our new colleagues have today, to protect and serve our communities.

"Essex Police is now the largest it has ever been. We may be stronger than ever before, but our Essex Police values remain the same.

"We work hard, we are thoughtful and caring in our actions, we listen to our communities and our priorities are simple: we catch criminals, we protect people and we keep people safe."