Ten of Essex's volunteer Special constables have returned from France after helping to police the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

They were part of the first overseas mutual aid deployment of UK Specials.

Special Constable Leon Dias, who co-ordinated the deployment of Specials from Essex and other Eastern Region forces, says it was a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the "professionalism, expertise and skills" of Essex Police's volunteer police officers on an international stage.

Leon says: "Essex Police Special Constabulary has shown once again that it is a valuable part of UK policing, on this occasion not only nationally but internationally. 

"All of them have demonstrated on an international stage the high standards UK policing upholds."

Special Constables are volunteers, with those who went to Paris having to take a week's annual leave from their day jobs to be there.

This meant their deployment had no impact on day-to-day operational policing in Essex.

The officers were assigned duties which included coverage of the city's Gard Du Nord rail station and the Central Paris Police Station, working alongside the French police and international colleagues.

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Special Constables who attended the games spoke of the "once-in-a-lifetime experience" of attending the games in a police capacity, with Special Constable Wayne David describing it as "an amazing privilege to represent not only Essex Police but Special Constables as a whole, over in France".

Special Constable Rob Freeman added: "The level of mutual respect we found for each other as police officers is global. 

"It was an awesome opportunity which I will not forget.''