Private security patrols to begin at Essex locations frequented by asylum seekers

Patrols by private security guards are to begin from Monday at three Essex locations that asylum seekers frequently visit, a council has confirmed.

Six trained and uniformed "security operatives" would patrol Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford centres seven days a week, from 10:00 to 18:00, as part of a three-month trial, said Reform UK-led Essex County Council.

The initiative, named Operation Vanguard, was launched in direct response to concerns raised by residents and would "deter anti-social behaviour", it added.

It came after the government said it was looking to increase the number of people at MDP Wethersfield - which has been used to house single male migrants since 2023 - from about 800 to 1,220.

However, new Essex Police Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said crime linked to the large asylum accommodation in the county was "very low".

However, the guards have no enforcement powers and any criminal matters will be referred to Essex Police, the council said.

Speaking to BBC Look East presenter Susie Fowler-Watt, Nolan said: "Crimes and incidents associated with the Wethersfield site are very low.

"Certainly, as far as I've seen, there is absolutely no reason for anyone to be concerned about criminality associated with migrants from the Wethersfield camp in Essex."

County council leader Peter Harris said: "Six trained security guards, two each in Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester, will provide a visible and reassuring presence on our streets, particularly for women and children.

"Our message is simple: the safety of Essex residents comes first."

David King, a senior Liberal Democrat county councillor, previously said the scheme "risks divisions and community tension".

"It could only work if the security officers integrated with already established arrangements," he said. "They won't know the place, they won't know the people, they won't be connected up."

Chelmsford City Council's Stephen Robinson, who leads the Lib Dem-run authority, said: "I think it's really important that we don't create division and that policing is carried out by the police."

Meanwhile, Conservative county councillor Lee Scott said: "We're not opposing it, but we are in the future looking at it to see if it's succeeding and making people feel safe."

The government does not record criminal offences by immigration status, but according to analysis by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, external, foreign nationals in England and Wales are convicted at roughly the same rate as British nationals.

The council said the trial was "a direct response to concerns raised amongst local residents - particularly women and girls - over gatherings of male migrants in town centres who were regularly transported in by bus from the former military airfield to spend their free time".

"It intends to deter anti-social behaviour, provide reassurance to residents and businesses, and gather evidence about whether additional support may be required," a spokesperson said.

The local authority said it would be funded by drawing down £150,000 from the "community innovation and improvement fund"., external

There would be no additional cost to taxpayers and no increase in council tax as a result of the scheme, it added.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Reform deputy leader Richard Tice said the security guards would wear body worn cameras and "provide comfort and reassurance".

He also claimed the guards could be authorised to respond to breaches of any public space protection orders.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Public safety remains our first priority and we expect any criminality to be taken seriously. We work with local police to ensure the safety and security of local communities around the site, the staff who work there and those accommodated.

"The concerns of communities are central to our immigration reforms. We are working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, close every asylum hotel and move asylum seekers into alternative accommodation including former military sites."