Large groups turned away in Southend
A police operation has been in place
Police have engaged with hundreds of people travelling to and enjoying Southend on Tuesday, with the vast majority of those interactions positive and constructive.
Officers say Southend remains a safe city, and our policing is focused on ensuring that a small number of individuals intent on causing disruption do not affect everyone else’s enjoyment.
They say any issues identified were dealt with swiftly through proactive and visible policing.
This work involved close partnership activity, including with British Transport Police.
This activity resulted in the following outcomes:
13 arrests were made.
This included eight arrests of wanted individuals identified using Live Facial Recognition technology.
More than 230 stop and searches were carried out.
More than 600 people were prevented from travelling into Southend at railway stations.
Three knives and two gas-powered air weapons were seized.
Officers will continue to be visible across Southend throughout the busy summer months.
Chief Superintendent Chris Bradford said: “We’re committed to ensuring Southend remains a place people can enjoy as a popular family resort.
“By and large, people visit and enjoy our city every day without issue and with minimal disruption.
“We know that large groups can, at times, cause disruption, and we acted on intelligence about potential issues or offences arising on Tuesday.
“We will not allow a small minority to spoil the atmosphere for the many people who want to enjoy the city responsibly.”