Essex Chief Constable David Stevens is being urged to fight for more police officers after none was free to catch a suspected criminal at a hall ... next door to a police station.

Ken Rogers, of De Vere Close, Wivenhoe, waited 20 minutes for police to answer his emergency call. He then rang back and was told no officers were available.

Mr Rogers saw someone trying to force the door of the town's William Loveless Hall, next to the police station.

He said: "He was putting his shoulder to the door, but when I asked what he was doing, he said he was just looking at the sign."

Wivenhoe's two constables were off-duty so Mr Rogers dialled 999 before following the man, who was looking at parked cars in High Street.

Mr Rogers then called the police again: "The control room said there were no officers available to answer the 999 call. It's a disgrace. What if I had made a citizen's arrest and was waiting?

"They said there was no offence committed, but it was an attempted burglary."

Mr Rogers said the police had since apologised and he has appealed to Chief Constable David Stevens to push for more officers.

He said: "He should have a go at the Home Secretary if he can't supply officers to answer a 999 call."

A police spokesman said the force only had a finite number of officers. If they were all busy, calls had to be dealt with in order of seriousness.

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