CHELMSFORD’S Town Crier has declared the city will become ‘like the Wild West’ if the number of Police Community Support Officers is cut.

Tony Appleton, of Baddow Road, Great Baddow, is horrified by Essex Police proposals to cut PCSOs in Chelmsford from 31 to 7 as part of a county-wide bid to save money.

Mr Appleton, who cried the news of the royal births of Prince George and Princess Charlotte outside St Mary’s Hospital in West London, took to the city’s streets to proclaim his concerns.

Mr Appleton, 79, said: “I want to try to do something about it.

“If they are made redundant over Christmas, the busiest time of year when shop lifters and pickpockets abound who will be there on the spot, right away, to protect shoppers crowding into the city centre?

“It will be a shoplifters’ paradise.

“I don’t feel safe in the city without them, I know we have CCTV but things can happen so quickly.

“I feel safer when I see them out and about in the city.

"Without them it’s going to be like the Wild West!”

Mr Appleton, who waved a placard and cried his concerns in the city centre for three hours, plans to return to the High Street next week and will also continue his campaign on Twitter using the hashtag #pcsos.

He added: “I’m getting lots of support on Twitter and Facebook.

“I hope people will be inspired to do something to save their PCSOs too.

“I would be absolutely disgusted if they go and I’m going to do everything I can to stop it.”

Find Mr Appleton on Twitter @lordofgreatbadd