Members of the public will not able to report crimes at Dunmow Police Station after it closes its doors tomorrow (March 2).

The Chelmsford Road station, a £7.5million building, will no longer be open to the public as Essex Police’s plans, which were announced in October, came into effect.

In Saffron Walden, a chemical leak is still forcing the police station to be closed. However, it was one of nine stations to remain open between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

There are plans to move the town’s police base to Uttlesford District Council’s London Road headquarters, though that has not yet come to fruition.

Police chiefs announced the cut after research showed Saffron Walden’s front counter was visited 551 times over two months and 376 people went to Great Dunmow during the same period, though the majority of visitors were couriers making deliveries to the business centre.

The police say the plans will help make £63m worth of cuts to the force by 2020.

Braintree and

Uttlesford chief inspector Craig Carrington said: “While Great Dunmow police station front counter will close to the public on March 2, I want to reassure people living in those towns that keeping them safe remains our absolute priority and the closure will have no effect on my team’s local patrols and ability to respond to calls for help. The heritage and mementos linked to the history of these police stations will be preserved for the community.

“Our job is to remain at the heart of our communities, but every expensive and outdated buildings which aren’t well-used by the public means fewer officers on patrol stopping crime and helping vulnerable people. Later this spring residents will be able to do much more online including reporting crime and lost or found property as well as having access to lots of useful information and services.

“Saffron Walden police station remains closed to the public due to the state of the building, but an announcement keeping a police station open to the public in the town will be made shortly.”