5pm: Customs worker Simon Collis joined around 70 of his colleagues from HM Revenue & Customs in Harwich on the walk-out.

He believes if the government focused on the £120billion left uncollected by the Treasury each year, these cost-cutting measures would not be needed.

He said: “We are not prepared to lie down while they do this to our pensions.

“This is all about protecting our rights.

“It’s not a question of public sector versus private sector, the government is trying to create a wedge between us.”

Earlier today Mr Hollis addressed a rally of more than 400 workers in Colchester. 4:10pm: Essex Police say that only 5 per cent of support staff have been on strike today.

A spokesman said: "As of 3:30pm today there have been no reported problems and all emergency and non emergency calls have been answered and responded to in the most appropriate way.

"Across the county Essex Police has worked with partner agencies to ensure minimal disruption to anyone not taking part in a protest and going about their daily business.

"At the present time there are no strike-related incidents to report."

Current police staff numbers are 2241 including PCSOs.

4pm: NHS physiotherapist Ian Succamore was one of those who went on strike over the pension reforms.

He joined colleagues outside Clacton Hospital in Tower Road before moving their protest to the steps of Tendring Council’s headquarters in Station Road.

Mr Succamore, 36, lives in Coggeshall, and has been working as a physiotherapist since 1997.

The father-of-two said: “I will lose £6,000 a year.

“For people like Bernard Jenkin to say the private sector would love our pensions, well I would love the wages the private sector has.

“I am pleased I haven’t lost my job like many people have.”

3pm: Clacton MP Douglas Carswell says he is against the strike, but conceded people in the public sector needed to see everyone was tightening their belts.

He said: “If everyone takes a hit, like in Ireland, we can all accept it.

“Once you start identifying this group or that group that’s when people get upset.”

The Conservative MP believes if the demands of the unions were met, taxes would have to rise across the country.

He said: “Most of the private sector people in Tendring were not authors of this crisis.

“You would have to massively raise council tax and national taxes - which I am not in favour of.”

1:30pm: At least 125 schools across Essex are closed today, according to the latest figures from the County Council (ECC).

The figure could be much higher as around 230 schools have not told ECC if they are open, partially open, or closed.

Stephen Castle, the cabinet member for Education, said: "It is extremely disappointing that so many schools are choosing to close on the day of industrial action.

"Schools have a responsibility to pupils and their parents to provide education and wherever possible I would have hoped schools would have tried to fulfil this obligation.

"I hope that those schools which are closed let parents know at the earliest opportunity so they had the time to make alternative childcare arrangements."

1pm: Deborah Hollister, headteacher of Manningtree High School, says the school had no option but to close after welfare and safety services were disrupted.

She said: "Having kept most of the school open for students in June, in common with many other schools we have a significantly higher number of staff involved in action on this occasion, including those with vital welfare and safety responsibilities.

"Any disruption to education is regrettable”

12:30pm: Good debates on our Facebook profile about the strikes.

Reader Chris Tye said: "The private sector has suffered for 3 years.

"It is about time that the public sector shared in our pain.

"When will the people who have had year on year pay rises, iron clad pensions and work benefits that the rest can only dream of realise that the country is broke."

Christopher Steven Charles Rose responded by saying: "Is the country broke or are the Gov simply trying to pay off national debt at a greater rate than they should!?

"As a county we paid off the national debt from WWII over 12 terms and not in 35mins of which these clowns are attempting and failing."

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12noon: Harwich MP Bernard Jenkin belives those on strike will not have much support from workers in the private sector.

He said: “Many are suffering far more than those on strike, those taking part in the strikes are the ‘haves’ rather than the ‘have-nots’ in our society.

"The latest offer to public sector workers still provides generous pensions which private sector workers envy.

"This strike does not help people without jobs or without pensions.

"A typical public sector worker on a final salary of £34,200 will retire on £22,800, an income for which the equivalent pension pot is an extraordinary £4-600,000.

"There are probably no private sector employees on those kinds of salaries who will retire with anything like such a pot of cash – most people on such wages will end up with nothing."

11:30am: There are picket lines outside Clacton Police Station and Clacton Hospital.

One of those on strike is PCSO Dan Foley, who told me: "I have not had a sick day in more than six and a half years, so coming out on strike was a tough decision."

10:30am: Essex County Council have released a statement saying 'vulnerable' people have not been put at risk by today's strikes.

Deputy leader David Finch said: “A quarter of all employees at ECC are union members and we have been in constant dialogue with local trade unions and have agreed that certain emergency provision roles in our adults and children’s services will be exempt from strike action.

"Of course we would have preferred no industrial action at all, but the exemptions we have agreed with the Unions means that our most vulnerable customers will not be put at risk.

“There is likely to be a knock on effect for some of our employees who have childcare issues due to school closures and we have arranged different working arrangements for those employees to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.”

10am: Tendring Council's refuse collection has not been affected today as it is operated by private company Veolia.

Other departments have been affected and Neil Stock, Leader of Tendring District Council, said the Council respects the rights of staff to strike and recognises that their issue is a national one concerning pensions.

“All essential service will be fully covered and all departments will be operating, albeit some with reduced numbers,” he said.

9:30am: East of England Ambulance service are urging people in Tendring to only dial 999 in a life-threatening situation.

Alan Murray, Director of Service Delivery, said: “A considerable amount of contingency planning has taken place in preparation for Wednesday.

“If your condition can be treated by other NHS services then this will free up ambulances to get to someone who could be in a real life-threatening situation so please think before you dial 999.

"Our priority is to ensure we continue to answer emergency calls to those patients in the greatest need.

"Please only call 999 in an emergency.”

9:00am: Public sector workers across Tendring are due to go on strike today to protest against proposed changes to pension plans.

Schools, police, fire and council services are all expected to be affected.

Both Harwich and Dovercourt High School and Manningtree High School will be closed to pupils while staff take part in industrial action.

Tendring Technology College and Clacton Coastal Academy are also closed, while Clacton County High School is only open to sixth form students Travellers using Stansted Airport have been warned to expect long delays at border control because UK Border Agency staff are among those striking.

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