Operation Vanguard sees Braintree and Essex councils clash

The concerns were raised in response to Operation Vanguard, a £150,000 three-month pilot scheme announced by Essex County Council.

Under the scheme, security operatives will be deployed in Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford, with funding provided through the council’s Community Innovation and Improvement Fund.

The patrols aim to address public concerns about the daily transport of 800 asylum seekers from the former RAF Wethersfield site to the town and cities.

Braintree Council leader Tom Cunningham voiced his objections in an open letter to Essex County Council leader Peter Harris.

He raised the gap between public perception and actual crime levels in Braintree, and said efforts to prevent crimes committed by asylum seekers are not fully supported by evidence. 

“Whilst one crime is clearly one too many, there are numerous other crime categories in Braintree and across Essex that have experienced greater increases and are not attracting additional funding or dedicated resources," he said.

"We are continually working to promote a safer town centre for everyone.

“In fact, Braintree town centre is experiencing less crime than three years ago."

He warned that introducing a private security firm on Essex streets to protect one section of society risks "undermining" efforts to promote community cohesion.

Dispute - Tom Cunningham has hit back at claims about crime levels in Braintree. (Image: Claudia Bradley)

Mr Cunningham also pointed out that Essex Police officers will not work in joint patrols with the security teams, as it could "inadvertently legitimise" the initiative.

He also criticised the behaviour of those who film migrants for online content, and said their "increasingly concerning" conduct had prompted enforcement options to be considered.

In the letter, Mr Cunningham challenged claims made by County Hall deputy leader Russel Quirk, regarding the funding of activities for asylum seekers at Wethersfield in April 2024.

He said: "There was nothing to do for the hundreds of men housed in a remote part of rural Essex.

"This urgent stopgap lasted a matter of months while we directed the Home Office to provide their own arrangements, which have now been in place for more than two years."

In response, Peter Harris defended Operation Vanguard as a "positive and proportionate response" to growing public concerns.

He said: "Concerns for community safety are clearly there, particularly among women and girls, because of the daily gatherings of asylum seekers – gatherings which will increase in number and size as the facility expands.

"I have voiced these concerns directly to the Home Office, which now runs a fleet of 17 minibuses to the three nearest towns and cities on a daily basis."

Action - Peter Harris says residents have raised concerns for several months. (Image: Ben Shahrabi)

Mr Harris visited the asylum centre on August 21 and said he has been hearing similar concerns for several months.

He criticised the induction process at Wethersfield as "woefully inadequate", and the way asylum seekers are introduced to British culture and the expected standards of behaviour towards women and girls.

He said: "But we are not prepared to sit on our hands and wait for the next incident.

"We are taking action."