A SPECIALIST police squad dedicated to keeping Colchester town centre safe is set to be axed.

Essex Police has to find £63million cuts by 2020, including £20million next year.

A series of proposals, subject to consultation, have been announced to save an estimated £16million.

Colchester’s specialist town centre team would be disbanded.

The team focused on keeping the centre safe, tackling alcohol related problems and combating the tricky night time economy.

It will be merged into a new, smaller, community policing team.

The town is also set to lose 14 of its 20 PCSOs from April 2016.

Opening hours at Colchester Police Station will also be slashed.

In 2011 the station on Southway was open 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

Hours were cut to between 8am and midnight three years ago.

Now they will be cut again and the main station will only be open to the public from 9am to 5pm each day.

Three police stations, in West Mersea, Tiptree and Copford, were closed in 2011.

The West Mersea site is now due to be sold to the community with Copford station going on general sale.

Sites in Ipswich Road, Stanway and Shrub End could also be sold.

These are not part of the consultation, because there is no public access to the buildings, but they could still be sold meaning teams, such as those dealing with major investigations, emergency response, traffic and specialist crimes, would be relocated.

Acting Chief Insp Gary Chapman, acting district commander for Colchester, said: “In Colchester we are fortunate our central police station will remain open and it is proposed it will continue to offer front counter services.

“Our community is unique and my officers will continue to meet those unique needs with dynamic and diverse policing.

“The community policing team will remain in the heart of their local communities, investigating crimes, supporting victims, solving local problems and working with local partners to drive down crime and prioritise your safety.

“They will be supported by specialist colleagues such as detectives in our CID, domestic abuse, sexual abuse and child abuse investigation teams.”

The community team, subject to consultation, will consist of one inspector, two sergeants, nine constables, a youth officer and the six remaining PCSOs.

The team will not deal with neighbourhood disputes, low level antisocial behaviour or parking issues asking other authorities to help deal with incidents.