POLICE officers past and present celebrated a milestone event for one of their specialist branches.

The 70-year anniversary of the Marine Unit was marked by a celebration at Burnham Yacht Club.

Officers from the Burnham-based unit were joined by Assistant Chief Constable Paul Wells, members of the marine community and retired marine officers.

Since 1949, Essex Police has been patrolling the coastline and waterways of the county preventing crime, catching criminals and protecting the people of the county.

Mr Wells attended the ceremony and presented the team with a commemorative plaque

He said: “This is a fantastic achievement not only for the unit but the entire force too.

“We are proud to be one of only seven police forces in the country to have this specialist unit and the team’s continual work to prevent crime, protect the community and deter criminal activity is outstanding.

“We are also fortunate to have two special constables, who have undergone the specialist training required to be a marine officer and their work within the community is invaluable, something which the team were recently recognised for, receiving a Lord Ferrers Award, which highlights the vital role volunteers play in community policing.

“It takes a dedicated and self-motivated individual to become a marine officer, deploying both day and night, in all weathers to ensure the county is safe and criminals are brought to justice.

“On behalf of the force, I would like to thank every officer who has served on the Marine Unit over the last seven decades for their hard work and dedication to keeping Essex safe.”

Essex police, fire and crime commissioner Roger Hirst added: “With more than 350 miles of shore, Essex has the second longest coastline of any English county.

“That fact makes the work of our marine unit invaluable when it comes to keeping people safe as well as preventing and detecting criminal activity on our waterways.

“The work of the team cannot be underestimated.

“The people of Essex are lucky to have a team of such dedicated and specialist officers who work in sometimes difficult and dangerous circumstances to protect them.”

Today, the unit polices 562 miles of coastline and waterways from the Thames at Crayford Ness to the River Stour in Manningtree, working alongside the RNLI, UK Border Force, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Port of London Authority, which also commended the team.

A spokesman said: “We are very pleased to send our very best 70th birthday wishes to our friends at the Essex Police Marine Unit.

“For seven decades we have been honoured to work side by side with them to keep the public safe on – and next to – the River Thames in Essex.

Coastal operations area commander Rob Steventon, of HM Coastguard, added: “We’re also proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our colleagues in Essex for search and rescue operations and in fact all our emergency services colleagues who come together and work as one team to keep people safe.”