Drummer PC Jake Mabey wows Theydon Bois coronation party

An Essex police officer wowed a coronation street party with an impromptu drumming set.

PC Jake Mabey was on the beat on Sunday as officers dropped in on more than 30 street parties celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III.

At an event in Theydon Bois, he joined the live band to play along to Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit before launching into a solo.

"The minute I started playing everyone turned around or jumped up," he said.

"They were clapping and dancing - I don't think many people were expecting me to jump on the kit. It was a great reaction, everyone loved it."

PC Mabey was with colleagues from the Epping Forest and Brentwood Community Policing Team when, despite having not drummed for a decade, he displayed the skills he had honed in bands as a teenager.

The short performance was greeted by applause from partygoers, with the officer joking he was available for wedding and christenings.

"People assumed they were in trouble when we turned up and they'd turn the music down, but when we told them we were only there to say hello, it would come back to life," he said.

"Community policing is all about being approachable, interacting with the public and building those long-term relationships.

"That's what I really enjoy."

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