Posted on August 3, 2017.
This article first appeared in Essex Live News
A furious resident has slammed the recent parade of Ferraris through Essex as misuse of taxpayers’ money and police resources. The anonymous complainant, who wrote to Essex Live shortly after the show took place on Saturday (July 22), was caught up in traffic as Essex Police officers escorted the vehicles on their tour.
The angry faultfinder, who signed the letter as ‘Concerned of Essex’, did not take issue with the parade itself or the congestion it caused.
His or her issue lay in the allocation of police resources to the event.
“There looked to be at least three police cars and four police motorcyclists in attendance at the point I saw the display travel past, and I need to question whether this was an appropriate use of our police service,” they wrote.
“We are told police resources are overstretched and underfunded, and stories abound of the public not receiving the level of protection they need.
“Yet this Ferrari parade tied up the already overstretched police force, with many officers and vehicles being diverted to what I can only describe as ‘a fun run for Ferraris.'”
The parade saw more than 100 cars, which are thought to be worth more than £80 million, drive delight spectators as they drove in convoy through the county’s streets.
Among the makes that drove along Bond Street in Chelmsford, there was a Ferrari 250 Gt Berlinetta SWB, worth more than £10 million, a Ferrari Laferrari Aperta, worth approx £6 million, and a Ferrari Laferrari, worth up to £3 million.
The event took place to celebrate the platinum anniversary of the make, with 110 privately owned Ferraris travelling from a secret location through to Billericay High Street and into Chelmsford before continuing to Colchester via Maldon.
“To further fuel my concern of misused resources, I am now being told that the use of these police officers and vehicles was given ‘free of charge’ to the organisers of the parade,” they continued.
In response to the letter, a spokeswoman for Essex Police said: “Officers from our Roads Policing Unit escorted this weekend’s Ferrari 70th anniversary parade. Thousands of people from across the county came to enjoy the event, and it is the joint responsibility of police and organisers to ensure the safety of all in attendance.
“Prior to Saturday, July 22, the event was subject to a Safety Advisory Group, consisting of all the emergency services and councils. This was a large-scale event which covered a significant part of the county, therefore public safety was paramount and a policing presence appropriate and proportionate.”
