BUDDING bobbies on the beat and residents intrigued to find out more about the inner-working of their local police force are being invited to an open day.

Colchester Police Station, in Butt Road, will swing open its doors to the public between 12pm and 4pm on August 27 for the first time in several years.

During the visit, families will be able to explore a variety of different police departments, have their fingerprints taken and learn more about partner agencies.

Representatives from the police’s domestic abuse, CID, crime scene, and dog teams will be in attendance, as well as many more.

There will also be a number of vehicles and items of equipment to look at and try out, and guests will even be able to visit the cells and try on the force’s uniform.

Stuart Austin, inspector for the Colchester Community Policing Team, said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming the public to the police station to give them an insight of what we do on a daily basis to help people, keep people safe and catch criminals.

“This is our opportunity to show the public all the great work that is done, both in the public eye and behind the scenes -we look forward to seeing as many people as possible.”