Monthly meetings between residents and the police have been scrapped.

The Loughton branch of the Neighbourhod Action Panel (NAP) initiative will now meet only four times per year due to “poor attendance”.

At the last meeting, according to Cllr David Wixley, only two police officers and himself attended.

The Loughton NAP is one of very few in the district run by the police, as most are volunteer-led.

The next NAP meeting has not yet been arranged, although two police surgeries will be held on February 18 and March 18 at Costa in the town.