ESSEX Police has revealed Tilbury and South Ockendon stations will close and be sold.

At a press conference held at 1pm, the force has outlined plans for swinging cuts to stations, PCSOs and other staff.

Also being proposed in Thurrock is 32 of the 38 PCSO's in the borough being removed with a new community policing team being introduced. The team would be made up of one local policing and partnerships inspector, two sergeants, nine constables, one dedicated youth officer and six PCSOs.

Grays station will remain open to the public seven days a week from 9am-5pm. Corringham station, which closed to the public in 2011, will now be sold as well.

In a statement, Essex Police said: "The financial challenges are clear and stark. Essex Police is anticipating cuts of around £63 million by 2019-20, on an annual budget of around £262 million. Around 83 per cent of the budget is spent on the salaries of police officers, PCSOs and police staff.

"With £1 million paying for 20 police constables for a year, these financial challenges inevitably mean that Essex Police’s workforce will become significantly smaller over the next few years."

There are currently 25 police stations with front counters in Essex. The plan is to reduce this number to 10 front counters by April 2016.

Essex Police proposes to keep front counters open to the public from 9am to 5pm in south Essex: Grays, Basildon and Southend Stations not open to the public, but used as bases by police, will be kept in: Brentwood, Canvey and Rayleigh Pitsea and Billericay stations will also close completely.

Stephen Kavanagh Chief Constable, Essex Police, said: "Money is a really big part of the changes we have to make, but it’s not the only factor. Many of the changes we announce today would need to be made even if money wasn’t a problem.

We need to get smarter, we need to get more efficient, and we need to put our limited resources where they can help people in need, not in to outdated buildings or outmoded styles of policing."