A FORMER village police station which has been closed for more than a decade has been put up for sale.

Essex Police have announced the former police station in Feering is on the market.

The force says the move is part of delivering its 'estate strategy' and the ongoing review of its properties across the county.

A spokesman said: “We continue to realise savings by removing parts of our estate that are inefficient and not best placed to deliver community policing fit for the 21st Century.

“This is so we can ensure we can provide efficient and effective policing to our communities now and in the future.

“The former police station, in Feering Hill, closed to the public prior to 2010 and our intention to sell it formed part of our 2015 public announcements.

Braintree and Witham Times: Closed - the former police station in Feering Hill,Closed - the former police station in Feering Hill, (Image: Essex Police)

“As has been well publicised since 2015, we have continued to sell parts of our estate that are old, inefficient, out of date, or not best geographically placed to serve the needs of our communities.

“Some also require a significant investment to maintain as well as to bring them up to a standard fit for the purpose of modern policing.”

The force says while it has sold some buildings, for others it has invested in refurbishing strategically placed police stations, shared co-locations and in a police service which is “visible and accessible to all our communities”.

In Braintree, Essex Police says in the last 12 months to November 2023, crime has fallen by 10 per cent and anti-social behaviour has fallen by more than 37 per cent compared to the 12 months to November 2022.

Braintree and Witham Times: Boss - Chief Inspector Martin Richards, district commander for Braintree and UttlesfordBoss - Chief Inspector Martin Richards, district commander for Braintree and Uttlesford (Image: Essex Police)

Chief Inspector Martin Richards, district commander for Braintree and Uttlesford, which covers Feering, said: “Crime, including anti-social behaviour, is falling in Braintree.

“This is down to the work from our dedicated community policing team and police community support officers, who are operating successfully from our nearby Braintree police station and are visible every day in Feering.

“It really is our police officers who prevent, tackle, and respond to crime and engage with our communities, not our police stations.

“The sale of the former police station will not change this.”