Police marked the first anniversary of a security operation at Lakeside.

Project Servator sees highly visible yet unpredictable deployments designed to deter, disrupt and detect criminal activity from shoplifting and pickpocketing to more serious crime including terrorism.

They involve both uniformed and plain-clothed officers, supported by armed officers, police dogs, CCTV cameras, security staff and hundreds of retailers.

Chief Insp Jon Hayter said: “It has been truly rewarding to see how our officers have developed strong working relationships with the staff, security and retail partners at intu Lakeside. This collaborative approach ensures that we have a surveillance resource that is second to none.

“It’s not just about spotting criminal activity; recently our joint working all came together with plain clothes officers, security and state-of-the-art CCTV which enabled us to spot a high risk missing person. We were able to intervene and ensure the safety of this person and this was down to a real team effort within intu Lakeside.”

Marc Myers, general manager at intu Lakeside: "We have very close working relationships with the security services and police at a national and local level so we had no hesitation in working with Essex Police on Project Servator.

“We take the safety and security of our customers and staff extremely seriously and this project is just another way in which we continually adapt and flex our approach. It’s great to have Essex Police in the centre working alongside our own experienced staff on such a great initiative."

Members of the public can report suspicious behaviour either to an officer or by calling 101.