A DRIVE to prevent sexual offending over the Christmas season has prompted Essex Police to increase the visibility of specialist officers.

Known as Operation Sled, Essex Police will deploy more officers in the city’s busiest areas to reassure the public and protect anyone who appears vulnerable as the party season intensifies over Christmas.

The officers who specialise in preventing sexual offending are in addition to the members of the local and community policing teams who will be on duty and attending incidents as usual.

Detective inspector Fred Tomkins, who is co-ordinating Operation Sled, said taxi ranks will have an increased police presence, as well as other areas where offending is likely to take place.

He said: “During the Christmas period, you get a lot of people out in town who may have a drink or two more than they do at other times of year.

“You might get up to 100 people in the taxi queue so we’ll be there asking people if they’ve had a good evening, if they’ve got somewhere to go and if they know how they’re going to get there.”

Sexual offences in the Colchester district have decreased by 13.8 per cent over the past year, according to figures from Essex Police.