CCTV footage has been released of a group of police officers who arrived at a Thurrock pub and took away a number of golliwogs that were displayed behind the bar.

Thurrock Nub News broke the story of the incident at the White Hart in Grays yesterday and there has since been substantial condemnation of the action by police, with local people saying it is massively out of proportion at a time when policing in the borough is set to be cut because of a lack of finance.

Police say they are still investigating and are looking into the possibility that displaying the dolls and other memorabilia associated with Robertsons Jams is a hate crime.

A number of uniformed officers took away the items and later two plain cothes policemen followed up with a visit to the venue.

Landlady of the pub on Argent Street in Grays, Benice Ryley, remains hopeful the police will be returning the items taken away in the near future.

Bernice says: "It took five officers to come and remove a shelf full of dollies. What a waste of taxpayers' money.

"When the police officers came, I pointed to the dolls and said 'they haven't done anything.'

Uniformed officers at the White Hart.

"The gollies all went quietly - none of them resisted arrest at all.

"I think the racist people are the ones who complain – it's their problem, not us.

"I have so many different cultures come in here, we are definitely not racist. We do many Indian weddings, for example."

Benice is demanding the dolls are immediately returned and has vowed to put them back behind the bar.

She added: "It is unreal - we haven't broken the law and there is no legal stuff that says I can't display them. It's just silly."