Police in the county have scrapped the use of life-sized cardboard cut outs of police officers.
The two-dimensional cardboard cut outs are waving goodbye to their place in shop windows after failing to make an impact on crime and anti-social behaviour.
The intention of the effigies was to deter would be criminals in a relatively cheap way with twenty models created as part of a trial - each costing around £100.
Although Essex Police’s plan had been to deter crime, ironically it actually increased it due to people stealing them.
After the trial Essex Police determined they would not continue to use them.