Police choir disbanding after 35 years on stage

The choir estimated that it had helped put more disabled toilets in churches than any other organisation in Essex

A police community choir has announced it will disband after 35 years of singing for audiences.

The Essex Police Choir said it had struggled to attract new members since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and its long-serving musical director was due to retire.

The group says it will stage its final performance next month, which will be Norman Eastbrook MBE's 362nd concert.

"This is a very sad time for us, but equally one of celebration," said choir chairman Tony Willson.

"For 35 years we have had great fun ourselves, whilst being able to raise money for good causes, but we just cannot get enough singers that want to sing for us anymore."

Essex Police Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said it was a "shame" the band was retiring

Over the last 10 years, the choir said membership had declined from more than 70, to about 30, with further departures expected by the end of this year.

Mr Eastbrook helped form the band in 1989, and since then, the group said it had raised more than £300,000 for charities.

It estimated that it had "probably" helped put more disabled toilets into churches than any other organisation in Essex.

Essex Police Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said: "It is such a shame that we will be losing our choir, but we have to recognise that membership of voluntary organisations has seen a downturn in recent years and the choir has to have a balance in order to produce a good performance."

Its final Christmas concert is due to take place on 14 December at St Luke's Church in Tiptree.