Billericay police station is a vital community resource that is now under threat from closure as a consequence of the government's cuts to police budgets.

It will mean that the entire Basildon Borough will be served by just one police station which will stretch the think blue line even further and risk increasing levels of crime in the town.

We regret that the government has sacked over 600 Essex Police officers since May 2010 and note that crime in Billericay is now officially rising as a result. 

We believe that at a time when the Conservative-led Essex County Council have switched off our streetlights and crime is increasing, we should not be closing police stations, reducing the police presence in our town and sacking frontline officers.

We believe that Nick Alston - Essex Police and Crime Commissioner - should keep Billericay police station open and not close it under any circumstances.