ARMED police units across Essex are to be centralised into a single unit.

Essex Police’s armed response vehicles are based with road policing units at Laindon and Stanway, but will be centralised in Boreham from December 1.

Moves to shake up the armed response service also include taking the responsibility away from road policing officers.

There are five road policing units in the county, based at Laindon, Rayleigh, Stanway, Boreham and Chigwell. The units in Laindon and Rayleigh – which cover the A13 and A127 – will be merged into one.

Chief Insp Nick Morris, in charge of firearms cover in Essex, said: “There are two armed response bases in Essex, where the officers carry out a dual role of authorised firearms officers and road policing officers “Essex Police recognises that each of these roles is specialist in its own right, which is the driving force behind the centralisation process.

“Basing the units at a central location will allow for a more intelligence-based central strategy.”

Chief Insp Morris added that the current set-up means some areas receive a disproportionate level of cover.

Under the new regime, armed response vehicles will patrol areas identified by intelligence and, when not responding to firearms incidents, will support local divisions.

Supt Iain Logan added that the units in Laindon and Rayleigh, which are already managed by one inspector, will be merged into a single unit based at Laindon.

He said response times to incidents in the south of the county will remain the same, but the combined unit will be more effective and flexible.