AN independent member of Essex Police Authority fears plans to cut 1,100 police jobs could turn Colchester town centre into a no-go area at night.

Essex Police has revealed as many as 400 officers and 700 staff posts could be cut across the county over the next four years as part of its bid to save £45million.

Authority member Paul Bishop, of Spurgeon Street, Colchester, said he feared alcohol-related trouble in the town centre at weekends and antisocial behaviour would increase.

He added: “These cuts are being forced on us by the Government and obviously a loss of staff is going to have an impact on the level of service, and the public should have no doubt about that.

“It is too early to say what impact there may be, but there will be an impact on the quality – and I am concerned for the residents of Colchester in particular.

“We have been very successful in cutting crime and antisocial behaviour in the town centre and neighbourhood policing has also been a great success, but all those things are facing a step back.

“In terms of the night-time economy, we will go back to a position when I first joined the police authority in 2005, when Colchester town centre was, for many people, a no-go area.

“We saw an increase in police officer numbers and patrols and have seen good leadership from Colchester police, which led to a massive improvement on Friday and Saturday nights at weekends, but my fear is that it will go back to where we were some years ago.”

Chief Insp Lee Davies, of Colchester police, disputed that Colchester was ever a no-go area and said officers would not walk away from the town centre despite cuts to police numbers.

He said: “My intention as district commander will be to maintain focus on the night-time economy in Colchester.

“The reduction in numbers won’t stop us policing that.

“Our policing is intelligence-led and our emphasis over the coming years will be to work closely with our partner agencies to look after the town centre.”

Reeves Watson, chairman of Colchester Pubwatch, said he had been reassured by the police that the town would not see a reduction in policing at night.

He added: “We have been assured that, although the logistics may be different, the results and the response from the police will be the same and in some areas it will be improved.”