CONCERNED councillors have unanimously backed a petition calling for Clacton’s police station to be kept open.

Essex police and crime commissioner Nick Alston has revealed as many as 50 police buildings, including police stations, could be sold off next year in an effort to save millions of pounds.

Mr Alston has not yet revealed which stations will be axed, but there will be at least one station for each of the 14 policing districts.

It is thought the move means Clacton police station will survive, but Walton and Thorpe police stations will be axed.

Tendring Council voted unanimously to back an 800-name petition by Theresa O’Hara, a coach tours manager, of Edith Road, Clacton, calling for the town’s police station to be spared.

Council leader Neil Stock said Mr Alston would be invited to a public meeting to answer questions about the planned closures.

“We want him to meet our committee and also give the opportunity for residents to put their views forward,” he said. “We can then try to get to the bottom of what is, and what isn’t, being proposed.”

Previous council leader Mick Page had written to Mr Alston urging him to consider the needs of Clacton and other towns in the Tendring district when reviewing the costs of running stations and property across the county.

Mr Alston was criticised by councillors for failing to respond to the letter.

Chris Griffith, ward councillor for the St James’ ward, where Clacton police station is based, called on Mr Alston to assure residents the station would remain open before the results of the reviewwere published.

He said: “It is absolutely vital a town like Clacton has a police station.

“As it is a resort, the population swells during the summer and we need a functioning police station."

Mrs O’Hara said it was “fantastic” that the council had backed her petition.

She added: “What we now need is for Nick Alston to come down to Clacton to find out howstrong the feeling is here, so that he understands that axing Clacton’s police station is not an option.”

Essex's police and crime commissioner has insisted he will listen to residents and councillors over his plans to axe police stations.

Nick Alston said: “Since becoming police and crime commissioner for Essex, I have held valuable meetings in Clacton, Harwich and Frinton, with members of the public asking many excellent questions of both myself and their local policing team.

“I have already accepted an invitation to attend the Tendring Council community leadership and partnerships committee on October 26.

“I have previously been pleased to attend council committees in May 2014 and May 2013.

“I was scheduled to attend the community leadership and partnerships committee on June 8 this year, but that meeting was rescheduled by the council.”

Mr Alston added: “I published an extensive article on the future of the Essex Police property estate in June 2015.

“Both Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh and I presented considerable details about the property estate plans at the Essex Police Challenge event on March 12.

“The overall shape of the plans is firmly in the public domain, but no final decisions have yet been made around individual police stations.”