A TRIO of new PCSOs have began patrolling Colchester town centre after completing their trainings.

Dean Athawes, Harrison Defreitas and Michael Kearley will be dealing with anti-social behaviour and crime in the vicinity of the town centre.

Four PCSOs were funded by Colchester Council as part of the Town Centre Action Plan and the new Team Ten, which consists of a police constable, four PCSOs, four special constables and an anti-social behaviour officer.

Sgt Martin Willsher leads Team Ten.

He said: “It's fantastic to have Dean, Harrison and Michael joining the team and I look forward to working with them towards the objectives of the Town Centre Action Plan.

“We have already seen some significant results since the approval of the plan and I look forward to achieving further successes by working alongside our partners to increase visibility and reassurance within the town centre."

The council's public safety boss Mike Lilley (Lab) said: “I’m very pleased to welcome the new members of Team Ten.

“It’s tremendous to have been able to invest significant new money into a dedicated resource that will enable us to drastically step up the action to deal with the crime and antisocial behaviour that has been blighting our town.

“This strong partnership with Essex Police will equip us with the skills and resources to make our town centre even safer and ensure it remains a welcoming and attractive place for everyone.”