The former police station at Shrub End, in Colchester, is being put up for sale as Essex Police continues to reduce the size of its existing estate.

The building, in John Kent Avenue, was closed to the public in 2011 because of a decline in the number of people who physically come to police stations.

The public now prefer to contact the police via telephone or online.

The site is one of several being sold as the estate is reduced from 80 to approximately 30 buildings to hep modernise the force.

It is hoped the change will enable officers to stay visible in communities for longer, be more accessible, and give Essex Police the resources to build its specialist capabilities.

Acting Chief Inspector Danielle Booth of Colchester police, said: “We know that the community want local, visible and accessible policing.

“Colchester is policed by dedicated officers who do and will continue to respond to emergencies, investigate crimes, work to resolve local problems and work alongside partners to protect people from harm and prevent crime occurring.

“To further enable us to keep officers on the frontline and more visible to the communities they serve, Essex Police has given all 2,000 of its uniformed officers’ smartphones.

“These phones enable officers to perform key policing tasks without having to return to police stations, meaning they have more time to fight crime and more time to spend on patrol.”

The current police estate in Essex costs £10million a year to run, but the buildings would require some £30million of maintenance work to bring the up to standard.

Roger Hirst, police and crime commissioner for Essex, said: “We need to invest our resources in the areas that are going to make the most difference to our communities.

“We cannot do that by investing the money we have in maintaining buildings we don’t use.

“Instead we will support our front line officers by providing them with better technology, helping them stay more visible and providing a better service for the people of Essex.”

For those wishing to visit a police station, the Colchester building, in Southway, offers a front counter service from 9am to 5pm seven days a week.

Crime can also be reported on 101 or at essexpolice.uk.