AN army of volunteers set up to support villagers during the coronavirus pandemic has been disbanded.

The Colne Engaine Community Response Group was based in the village’s Five Bells pub.

But the lifeline is now shutting down operations after more than three months of helping residents struggling to cope during the crisis.

The group says requests for help have “dramatically reduced” in recent weeks as the lockdown eases.

Organisers called it a day on Tuesday – 98 days after the group was launched.

More than 80 volunteers staffed the group’s operations centre at the pub, racking up 575 hours and answering just over 150 callouts and requests for support.

They also helped to deliver more than 140kg of food for Halstead Foodbank.

The group distributed more than 100 face visors to Essex and Suffolk police and Colchester General Hospital, and delivered more than two car loads of toiletries and clothes to the Safer Places Refuge in Chelmsford.

As the operations centre closed, the group were joined by Essex High Sheriff Julie Fosh in her first official outing since starting the role in March.

She presented the group with a special certificate of recognition for their work during the lockdown, which will hang proudly in the Five Bells when it re-opens tomorrow.

Some of the group’s volunteers joined the High Sheriff to say goodbye to the response group.

They included 14-year-old Millie Jenkins – the group’s youngest volunteer.

Group founder Spike Townsend said: “We are closing because the need for our service has dramatically reduced and the pub needs the space for when it re-opens.

“The support that we’ve had has been overwhelming from our volunteers, operations centre team and especially from the Five Bells pub.

“We hope that people will repay the support they have shown us when they re-open because we really couldn’t have done it without them and they need us now.”

Mrs Fosh said: “Spike has demonstrated exceptional leadership over the past three months setting up the community response team.

“This has been a lifeline to many residents during lockdown with over 80 volunteers offering practical and emotional support. It has been a role model to towns and villages in the surrounding areas and also given advice and guidance further afield.”