Special Constable Joe Eardley with his daughter Jolene in the early 1990s A special constable who has spent three decades keeping the streets of Colchester safe has said a fond farewell to the force. Joe Eardley, 71, joined Essex Police in January 1988 and became a familiar face patrolling Colchester town centre on Friday and Saturday nights. Joe, who combined his police work with a full-time job as a prototype engineer, said he’d enjoyed every bit of being a special constable. He worked with roads policing and as part of the Safer Colchester project team before joining the Colchester Community Policing Team 11 years ago, rising to the rank of Section Officer.
St John s Car Park Mural by artist Leroy Picture: Leroy “I m very grateful that the council gave me their complete trust from start to finish on this new project, and I hope that local residents and visitors alike can enjoy these murals for many years to come.” Mike Lilley, the council s communities boss, added: “I’m delighted that once again we have been able to collaborate with the same local artist to create this third, tropical-inspired mural in St John’s Car Park. “We will be posting photos of the murals on the council’s Twitter @YourColchester and Facebook /EnjoyColchester pages for everyone to see, and hope people will come and see these bright and colourful artworks in person as they are a unique asset to the car park.”