ESSEX Police’s choir has handed over more than £5,000 towards a campaign to build a state-of-the-art cancer centre.

Construction on the £3.2 million centre is expected to get under way at Colchester Hospital, in Turner Road, in the new year.

The building will bring together chemotherapy, haematology and radiotherapy under one roof. It will also include a wellness centre, which will offer counselling and support services.

The Essex Police Choir chooses a different charity each year to raise money for.

For 2018 they selected the Cancer Centre Campaign.

In total they collected £5,000 through donations at concerts and from the organisers of events they sing for.

Mark Lawrence, chairman of the choir, said: “The choir picked the charity because cancer, one way or another, has affected, or will affect almost everyone and to have a facility which offers sufferers a better chance of survival, is vitally important.

“To be able to donate such a relatively large sum from a small band of singers, is a privilege.”

The work can now start after planners at Colchester Borough Council gave the project the green light.

The new building will be known as the Collingwood Centre.

The name of the building was chosen by an anonymous donor who gave £1 million to support the project.

In total £2.7million has been raised through the Cancer Centre Campaign.

The choir had only signed up to the campaign’s ‘2019 Club’ where members undertake to raise £2,019 by next March – but were able to surpass that total.

The campaign was launched in 2014 and was supported by the Daily Gazette.

In total £250,000 is still needed to reach the goal of £3.25million. The remaining money will be used to build the wellness centre.

To donate towards the campaign online, visit colchesteripswichcharity.org.uk/cancercentrecampaign.