POLICE are hoping to catch out criminals with "unpredictable deployments" as they take part in a new policing operation.

Officers with Essex Police are warning residents not to be alarmed if they see a rise in uniformed police officers in their area.

In a bid to keep people safe during the warmer months, Essex Police is deploying more uniformed patrols and specialist operations in towns across the county.

One such operation is the new Operation Servator which was carried out at Leigh train station on Wednesday.

Officers from Southend, along with PD Polly, teamed up with British Transport Police for the operation.

It saw passengers at the station have to walk through a specially designed "knife arch" which detects dangerous weapons.

Echo: PD Polly was on duty at Leigh station (Essex Police)PD Polly was on duty at Leigh station (Essex Police)

The operation is part of Project Servator which is a national programme.

It aims to outfit officers with specialist training and see them conduct "unpredictable deployments."

The same Southend officers also patrolled other parts of the town on Friday in a bid to crackdown on crime during the summer.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "With more people out and about in the warm weather, please don’t be alarmed if you see an increase of uniformed officers too.

"Sometimes you may not see our officers as they’ll be in plain clothes but, as the summer continues, we’ll have more uniformed patrols and specialist operations in towns across the county to keep you safe.

"For example, on Wednesday officers from Southend joined forces with the British Transport Police for Operation Servator at Leigh train station.

Echo: Officers were stationed at Leigh train station on Wednesday (Essex Police)Officers were stationed at Leigh train station on Wednesday (Essex Police)

"Project Servator is a national programme which sees officers carry out what we call ‘unpredictable deployments’ with uniformed and plain-clothed officers, police dogs, drones, and CCTV.

"The same officers patrolled Western Esplanade, Marine Parade and the town centre in Southend, as well as Old Leigh, the Broadway and the Cliffs in Leigh.

"We want everyone in Essex to have a good time this summer, and most importantly, for you all to look out for each other – just as we have done this past eighteen months."