A three-month trial placing private security operatives in the town and city centres of Colchester, Chelmsford and Braintree. The stated aim is a visible presence to reassure residents and deter anti-social behaviour as the Home Office expands the nearby Wethersfield asylum accommodation site. The announcement, made on 28 August 2026 by council leader Cllr Peter Harris, comes days after Harris visited the former RAF base. Reform UK took control of Essex County Council in May