New Marine Unit launch to keep 350 miles of coastline safe welcomed by PFCC
Essex Police’s Marine Unit launch Toby Speller is continuing the force’s proud tradition of policing the Essex coast to help keep visitors and our marine communities safe.
On Saturday, PFCC Roger Hirst officially welcomed the boat into the force, to serve alongside the unit’s other vessel, Sentinel, on sea and river patrols along 350 miles of coastline from the Stour to the Thames.
The launch is named in tribute to special constable Toby Speller who volunteered with the Marine Unit for six years until his untimely death from Covid-19 in January 2021.
Attending the official launch at Bradwell Marina on 9 May alongside PFCC Roger Hirst were members of Toby’s family, Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington, Essex Deputy Lord Lieutenant Charles Anderson and Essex High Sheriff Susannah Dutton.
They were joined by police officers and staff, serving and retired, from the Marine Unit who knew Toby and officers from Operational Policing Command.
Following a naming ceremony and blessing, conducted by police chaplain Peter Pleydell, guests were treated to a tour of the new launch.
Toby joined Essex Police as a special constable in July 2004, starting his voluntary career with response and neighbourhood policing teams in Southend and Laindon.
A dedicated and professional officer, Toby became a Special Inspector at Southend before joining the Marine Unit in 2015 as one of the first Specials to be part of this dedicated team.
At the beginning of June 2025, the force took delivery of a new vessel to replace our previous launch, Alert IV and the service wanted to remember Toby’s passion for and commitment to the Marine Unit and the marine community by naming the boat after him.
The Toby Speller is 42 feet in length, weighs around seven and a half tonnes and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 35 knots.
Importantly, she has been designed to operate safely in all sea conditions, giving Essex Police the resilience to respond to incidents in all weathers, anywhere in the county's coastal waters.