Reform UK's private police in Colchester have been given an official reprimand after they illegally handcuffed two teenage girls. Operation Vanguard is a private security patrol employed at the cost of £150,000 to the taxpayer, to wander the streets of Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester. If we look a little further though, unsurprisingly, Reform UK have some serious questions to answer. The BBC reported yesterday that two of the private police patrol, run by a firm called My Local Bobby, were officially rebuked by the police for illegally detaining these girls. Essex Police said two offences of assault without injury were recorded and “learning requirements” had been “passed to the security staff employers”. The £150,000 contract for Operation Vanguard was awarded without tender to My Local Bobby by Peter Harris, Reform leader of the council. The goons handcuffed two teenagers they believed to be shoplifting, but these security staff have zero powers of detention under the law. As you can see from Essex County Council's own website FAQs below, they have no powers at all. It feels to me that the citizens of Essex should be aware of this fact and be prepared to stand up to these glorified store detectives. FAQs state that they cannot arrest people, they have no powers of stop and search, no power to ask questions and absolutely zero enforcement powers. They are literally performing 'citizens arrests' and being paid £150,000 by the council for it. If those in Essex know this then it could easily open the council up to substantial lawsuits if their vigilantes carry on 'arresting' people illegally. Reform UK are wasting public money again and setting themselves up to be sued. Again. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crly…