News 22 July to 28 July
In a Commercial Vehicle Unit first, officers use a “safe pass” mat to promote animal road safety at Chelmsford equine centre.
On Saturday 20 July, officers from our Commercial Vehicle Unit attended Beechwood Equestrian Centre at Rettendon Common, Chelmsford, to promote equine road safety using a new “safe pass” mat used to inform and educate drivers about the safe passing distances and speeds for horses and wild animals.
The mat, supported and partly funded by road safety partners Safer Essex Roads Partnership and National Highways, visually shows drivers the minimum distance to observe to allow safe passing of, not only horses, but cyclists and pedestrians.
 M25: Drunk driver heading in the wrong direction to avoid roadworks is jailed
Thanks to calls from the public, a drunk driver on the M25, heading in the wrong direction, has been jailed.
In the early hours of Wednesday 21 February, Essex Police’s Force Control Room received multiple 999 calls from the public to alert them to a car travelling in the wrong direction of the M25.
Roads Policing officers were deployed to the area and located a white van driving the wrong way from Brook Street roundabout, heading towards the M11 junction.
Officers stopped the van and arrested the driver for dangerous driving.
When breathalysed at the roadside, the driver was twice the legal drink drive limit.
During interview at Grays Police Station, the driver admitted he was driving in the wrong direction because the road closure on the B track, the side of the road he should have been on, meant he was running out of fuel.
Jake Port, 35, of Whalebone Lane North, Romford, was charged with dangerous driving and drink driving and was remanded into custody to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court the following day.
He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday 23 July. He was fined £200 and disqualified from driving for 2 years and 8 months.
 Esther Martin
Jaywick: Man charged over death of Esther Martin
A man has been charged as part of our investigation into the death of Esther Martin in Jaywick.
Esther, 68, was fatally injured after being attacked by two dogs in Hillman Avenue on the afternoon of Saturday 3 February.
Both dogs were later confirmed to be XL Bullies.
A man was arrested in connection with our investigation later that day.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised Essex Police to charge Ashley Warren, 40, of Walnut Road, Leyton formally Hillman Avenue, Jaywick, with:
- Two counts of owning or being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death;
- Two counts of possession or having custody of a fighting dog;
- Two counts under the Animal Welfare Act;
- Possession of a bladed article;
- Possession of a Class B drug.
He is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 22 August.
This is the first case to be charged since new laws on owning XL Bullies came into force this year.
 Peter Chippington
Harwich: Drug dealer jailed
A Harwich drug dealer has been jailed for 20 months, thanks to the work of local Harwich Community Police Team officers.
Whilst on routine patrol in Harwich on Sunday 25 February, officers received information about a property in Weavers Court, believed to be concerned in drug supply.
Upon arrival of the Harwich Community Police Team officers , Peter Chippington was arrested at his home address by officers.
When they searched his address, they found cannabis in the living room and bedroom valued at over £4,700, amphetamine and drug paraphernalia including scales and bags and over £1400 cash, some of which was counterfeit.
Furthermore, a number of knives were found, a taser and a noxious spray.
Peter Chippington, 48 of Weavers Court, Stour Road, Harwich was charged with possession of drugs with intent to supply and he was remanded into custody to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 27 February.
He was further charged with seven counts of possession of offensive weapons in a private place and possession of counterfeit currency alongside firearm offences relating to the noxious substance and a taser.
When he appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on 12 July, Chippington was sentenced to a total of 20 months imprisonment.
 Nick Barrett and Summer Andrew
Couple jailed for facilitating the sexual abuse of a child on Omegle
A couple, who used the former online chat site Omegle to facilitate sexual offences against children have been jailed for a combined total of 15 years.
Summer Andrew, 23 of Old Road, Clacton and Nick Barrett, 23 of Claydon Road, Harwich appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday 17 July where they were sentenced.
An investigation by our Police Online Investigation Team was launched in December 2021 following intelligence about Andrew and Barrett engaging in sexual activity online whilst in the presence of children online.
Further enquiries revealed that the pair had filmed themselves having sex in exchange for watching live footage of a four-year-old child being abused.
They were arrested and charged on 29 June 2022. Nick Barrett was charged with engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.
Summer Andrew was charged with arranging the commission of a child sex offence.
Barrett pleaded guilty to both offences and was sentenced to 12 years to serve at least 7 years in prison. During the court process, Barrett was described as lacking “insight into your sexual preoccupation and present a real risk of sexual harm to children in the future.”
Andrew pleaded not guilty but following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, was found guilty on 11 April 2024. She was sentenced to three years in prison.
Both were issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and an indefinite Notification Requirement Order.
 M25: Truck driver admits dangerous driving and is disqualified
Thanks to a concerned driver calling 999, a man who admitted dangerously driving a truck with a crane on the back, has been disqualified from driving.
David Sharp of Campion Close, Kent, appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 16 July where he was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and fined after he admitted dangerous driving, obstructing officers and failing to provide a specimen at an earlier court appearance. The 35-year-old was also disqualified from driving for 19 months.
Upon receiving a 999 call from a concerned driver, Essex Police’s Force Control Room deployed Roads Policing Unit officers to a report of a truck being driven dangerously - drifting between lanes, braking unnecessarily and driving along the hard shoulder several times - along the stretch of M11 southbound, between Loughton and Harlow.
It was was located on the clockwise track of M25, heading toward junction 28, where the driver was directed to stop on the hard shoulder before being arrested and taken to Harlow Police Station.
David Campion was remanded into custody to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Monday 22 January where he pleaded guilty to all charges; dangerous driving, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and two counts of obstructing an officer. He was also given an interim driving ban.
 If you call 999, stay on the line
When someone contacts us or needs our help, our priority is to ensure they are safe.
Which is why when you call our emergency line, we need you to talk to us; even if you have misdialled or called by accident.
If you abandon a 999 call and we can’t get hold of you, we don’t know if you are in fact at risk and need our help.
Demand for our services is high with around 300 calls every month abandoned. We want to reduce this so that our Contact Centre officers can focus on answering the calls from those who need our help the most.
Almost 100 children safeguarded by one team this year so far
This year so far, the Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) have safeguarded almost 100 children from dangerous online offenders.
POLIT form part of Essex Police’s Crime and Public Protection strand and were recently confirmed to be top in the country for securing charges in relation to online child abuse investigations.
Since the beginning of 2024, the team have carried out 82 warrants, with 34 of these deemed to be for very high-risk or high-risk offenders. As a result of these warrants, 73 arrests were made and 93 children were successfully safeguarded.
The team are continuing to develop and stay one step ahead of online offenders.
The ways in which online offenders are obtaining and sharing indecent images of children is changing, as demonstrated in the investigation into 58-year-old Daren Anthony Jones.
Jones was jailed for three years in May after pleading guilty to ten offences including possession of a paedophile manual, possession of a prohibited image of a child and taking an indecent photo of a child.
Jones had been storing these illegal images on two virtual reality headsets which were located following searches at his address in Chelmsford. This was the first investigation within the POLIT at Essex Police where indecent images of children were found on VR headsets.
The work of POLIT officers meant that Jones was arrested, charged and convicted within three days.
POLIT act quickly upon receiving intelligence around an individual accessing, downloading or sharing indecent images of children.
The work of the team recently resulted in a man being jailed for four years after repeatedly trading indecent images of children on dark web chat rooms.
Lewis Parker, 23 was arrested the day after intelligence was received about him accessing these chat rooms, allowing POLIT to seize the equipment he was using and gather the evidence needed to convict him on 10 May.
Road Crime Team join forces in cross-border operation to tackle serious crime on roads
This month, our Road Crime Team took part in a successful three-day policing operation in the eastern region to tackle road crime that saw a total of 57 arrests for a variety of offences across seven police force areas.
Throughout the operation, 9-11 July, the policing response involved Essex Police working alongside officers from six forces – Surrey, Thames Valley, Sussex, Metropolitan Police, Kent and British Transport – and alongside colleagues from Essex Police’s Operational Support Group (OSG), Roads Policing officers and Dogs Unit to tackle cross border vehicle-related crime, focussing on identifying and disrupting individuals concerned in committing offences.
In Essex, 13 stolen and uninsured vehicles were recovered and 10 people were arrested as follows:
- 2 recalled to prison – with one being arrested in connection with a stolen vehicle
- 2 drug driving
- 1 theft from person
- 1 assault
- 3 drink driving
- 2 drug driving
 It's never too late to reach out for help
Is a family member or partner being angry, aggressive or violent towards you or the people you care about?
Maybe the behaviour just started or recently got worse. Even if it’s always been like this it doesn’t mean it’s ok.
No matter how long it’s been going on, it's never too late to reach out for help.
Essex Compass can offer help and advice. Call 0330 333 7 444.
You are not alone.
 Have your say - PFCC Police and Crime Plan survey
Over the summer, The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for Essex, Roger Hirst, is seeking public feedback about his Police and Crime Plan for 2024 to 2028.
He is running partner workshops, public engagements, group activities and a public survey to gather thoughts about whether the priorities are right, if there is something that has been missed and what should be included.
This valuable feedback helps the priorities develop. You can view the developing versions of the priorities and take part on the survey by visiting the PFCC website.
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events across Essex this week
Monday 29 July
10am to 11am
Morrison's Supermarket, Centenary way, Little Clacton.
10am to 11am
Billericay Community Hub, High Street, Billericay CM12 9BQ
10:30am to 11am
Ashdon Coffee Morning, 2 Radwinter Road, Ashdon
10:30am to 11am
St Nicholas Church, Castle Hedingham
11am to 12pm
Knightswick centre - Furtherwick Road Canvey Island
2pm to 3pm
Morrisons - Northwick Road, Canvey Island
Tuesday 30 July
10am to 11am
M&S Food, Unit 1, Brook Park West, T Grove, Clacton.
10:45am to 11:45am
Rochford Banking hub, West Street, Rochford SS4 1AJ
11am to 12pm
Towngate Theatre, St. Martins Square, Basildon SS14 1DL
11am to 11:30am
Halstead United Reform Church
1pm to 2pm
The Range, 27, 34 High Street, Chelmsford CM1 1DA
Wednesday 31 July
11am to 2pm
Emergency Services Day, Southend Seafront, Marine Parade by the water fountains
11am to 12pm
Outside Marks & Spencer, 62 High Street, Chelmsford, United Kingdom
1pm to 2pm
Miracle House, Silver island Way, Wickford, SS12 9NR
Thursday 1 August
12pm to 1pm
IKEA Lakeside (Customer restaurant), Heron Way, Essex
2pm to 3pm
East Tilbury Hub, Princess Avenue, East Tilbury
Friday 2 August
10am to 11am
Gossip, 14 High Street, Great Wakering SS3 0EQ
12pm to 1pm
Queens Hall, Halstead
Saturday 3 August
9am to 10am
Parkrun, Central Park, Chelmsford
10am to 2pm
Community Engagement Action Day, The Walls, Manningtree.
7pm to 8pm
Truro Crescent, Rayleigh SS6 9RU
For full details of upcoming events, please visit the Essex Police website and enter your postcode.
 Secure your garden tools
Mowers and large tools are amongst the most common items stolen from a shed.
Although it might sound like stating the obvious, never leave your garage or shed door unlocked if you’re not around. Keep the door closed between uses so that no one can see what's inside.
It’s always worth draping an old sheet or blanket over the top of mowers or bikes to keep them covered from view.
Be fraud smart
Planning to book a holiday or short break.
If something looks too good to be true it probably is. Stay scam savvy by reading online reviews from reputable sources before making any bookings.
You can also confirm if an accommodation really exists by verifying the address through web searches and online maps.
Check that your travel company is a member of a trade body e.g., ATOL
 Join our team
Police staff jobs
PNC Support Officer £23,121
Senior Network Engineer £38,349
Operational Driver Training Instructor £30,783
Geographical Facilities Assistant £23,121
Commissioning Lead PO2
Insurance Professional Lead £57,033
Contact Centre Officers £24,921 to £27,351
Visit our website for full advert, job descriptions and application form.
Would you know what to do if you answered a 999 call to someone asking for help? Regardless of your answer, you wouldn’t be expected to – that’s our job.
Our Contact Centre Officers are trained to confidently and effectively deal with an emergency call.
Our Contact Management Centre is the heart of Essex Police. It’s the first point of contact for those who need us.
Every year in Essex, we answer more than a quarter of a million calls to 999 and around half-a-million calls to our 101 service. Dispatching officers to those in need, our Contact Management Centre operates 365 days-a-year, seven-days-a-week, 24-hours a day.
As a Contact Centre officer you'll be trained to work quickly under pressure. You'll be taught the skills to remain calm, even in the most challenging of situations. While reassuring the caller, you will gather as much information as possible to help determine the response needed. This is integral in keeping both the public, and our police officers, safe. Your skills and professionalism mean we can continue to help people, keep our communities safe and catch criminals.
 This week we remember
Henry Ernest Wright
Police Constable Henry Wright was 21 years old when he joined the River Police at Colchester. It was a rule of the River Police that every officer should be a good swimmer, and officers were allowed to bathe on duty if there was nothing else to do.
On Tuesday August 1 1899, Henry Wright failed to hand over his patrol boat at the end of his shift at 5pm. Eventually a search was started, and the boat was found at the mouth of Pyefleet Creek with Henry Wright's uniform in it; his body was found two days later. The coroner brought in a verdict of accidental death.
James Edmund Stone
James Stone took part in the initial bombardment but was seriously wounded on July 6. After treatment at a casualty clearing station he was removed from the battle area making the slow and painful journey to a field hospital located on the outskirts of Rouen. He died at the hospital on August 2, 1916. He was twenty-two years old.
Albert Davies
Police Constable Albert Davies served with Essex County Constabulary from December 21, 1937 and having completed training he was posted to Braintree, Witham and Chelmsford. Six days after his marriage to Florence, he was recalled to the army. Albert was killed in action on Friday, August 4 1944., whilst serving as Lance Serjeant 2733791 with 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards. He was aged 28.
Read more about other Essex officers on the Essex Police Memorial Trust website.
 Obituaries
Geoffrey Emsden
The Chief Constable regrets to inform you of the sad death of our former colleague Geoffrey Emsden who retired as a Superintendent in 1997 and served at Stansted Airport, Brentwood, Stanway, Training School and Headquarters. He passed away on the 19 June 2024 aged 78 years.
Terence Cook
The Chief Constable regrets to inform you of the sad death of our former colleague Terence Cook who retired as a Sergeant in 1995 and served at Chelmsford and Regional Crime Squad. He passed away on 9 July 2024.
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