A TOTAL of 160 Police Community Support Officers will lose their jobs in two months – but the figure is 30 fewer than expected.

Meanwhile, Nick Alston, Essex’s crime commissioner, is asking the average household to pay £4.95 extra for the police’s portion of the council tax next year.

The £3.8million increase has enabled him to save some PCSO posts. It means there will be 90 PCSOs funded by the force and nine extra PCSOS paid for by parish councils and other organisations.

Plans, announced in October, to close 15 of the 25 front counters at police stations, with 62 reception staff losing their jobs, have been confirmed.

Ten more stations will have their opening hours slashed leaving most, from April, open from 9am to 5pm each day.

Mr Alston said: “I am conscious proposing a tax increase will add to the council tax bill. However, it is essential we increase our commitment to protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities while preserving the strongest local policing teams possible.

“Essex Police is underfunded for the tasks we ask of it and by comparison with other forces.

“We have the lowest reserves in the country, so we do not have the option of absorbing cost pressures by reducing our reserves.”

In 2015/16, the Essex Police budget was £262.5million. It will increase by £800,000 to £263.3million. More specialist officers will be tackling child exploitation and abuse, sexual offences, domestic abuse and cyber crime, which are increasing in Essex and elsewhere.

Mr Alston said: “The changing nature of crime in our county requires increased investment to protect some of the most vulnerable people.

“There will be an increased investigative capacity to tackle these often horrific crimes, and greater support and safeguarding for victims.”

New, but smaller, community policing teams will try to maintain community links.

Mr Alston praised PCSOs and front counter staff, whom he said had acted with “dignity and professionalism”

for months, despite knowing their jobs were at risk.

He said: “There are many valued colleagues who will be sorely missed.”

Mr Alston will present his plans to the police and crime panel, which includes a representative from each district council in Essex, next week.

More Government money is delayed

ESSEX Police could receive millions more from the Government, but not until 2017/18.

Changes to the way the Home Office calculates how much each force receives were due to be brought in from April. They would have meant £10million extra for Essex.

However, the Home Office used the wrong data and the changes were scrapped. Nick Alston, Essex’s crime commissioner, said: “It has been a real disappointment, although there is some hope for the future.”

He also justified the decision to spend millions on a new police headquarters at the same time as closing police stations, cutting jobs and trying to get officers back on the streets.

He said: “We are spending between £2million and £3million on the current HQ to keep it going. We have to have an efficient headquarters.”

Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh, pictured, responding to the budget announcement, said: “The historic underfunding of Essex Police continues to undermine my ability to deliver the consistency of policing to people.

“I have made this case to the crime commissioner and welcome his willingness to seek a further increase in the policing precept.”