News 14 April to 20 April
 Arrests made and drugs and caiman seized
Officers from the Thurrock's Neighbourhood Policing Team, working to tackle the sale of drugs, have arrested two people and seized cannabis, weapons, and a caiman during a warrant in Aveley.
The warrant was executed at an address in the Purfleet Road area on Thursday 17 April.
During the search of the address officers discovered a significant cannabis grow, several weapons including knives, and a four-foot long caiman, all of which have now been seized.
A 36 year-old man from Purfleet has been arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis, contravention of the dangerous wildlife act, and possession of an offensive weapon.
A 35 year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis, possession with intent to supply drugs, contravention of the dangerous wildlife act, and possession of an offensive weapon.
They have both since been released under investigation.
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Chelmsford’s Neighbourhood Policing Team has secured an order banning a shop thief from a Tesco in the city for five years.
Forty-five year-old Ryan Guest admitted stealing items from the store on Dukes Street on 11 January this year.
At Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 10 April, Guest, of Montgomery Close, Chelmsford, was given a Criminal Behaviour Order which banned him from the store for five years.
It also requires him to engage in drug and alcohol support and leave any shop or commercial premises immediately when asked by a member of staff or police.
He is also banned from being in any possession of any open container or vessel of alcohol in a public place and must not be intoxicated through drink or drugs in a public place.
 "One death is one death too many"
“Officers policing our roads have had to deliver the worst possible news to 22 families already this year.
“This is a truly shocking number that I personally am appalled by.
“To then see drivers reaching speeds of more than 120mph on our roads, displaying such disregard for human life, it’s a slap in the face.”
Those are the words of Adam Pipe, our head of roads policing, after four vehicles were captured travelling at speeds of more than 100mph across a 30-minute period on the A12.
Two officers from our dedicated Roads Policing Unit, who regularly patrol our county’s highways, were conducting speed check at Margaretting on Saturday 12 April.
During a single half-hour period one vehicle was caught travelling at 123mph.
Another was caught at 110mph, with two further vehicles clocked driving at 102mph.
Each offender will receive a court summons.
We uncovered an industrial-scale cannabis farm in Halstead, leading to the arrest of two men. Acting on a public tip-off, officers from the Braintree Neighbourhood Policing Team discovered between 400 and 500 cannabis plants at a property on Colchester Road. The suspects, aged in their 20s and 30s, were arrested on suspicion of producing a controlled drug and remain in custody
Two men are guilty of supplying drugs in Colchester after officers discovered a dog bed containing a large supply of Class A and B drugs thrown from their balcony.
We showed Vincent Vata and Zubair Sahak, both 24, both of Quayside Drive in Colchester, were both involved in supplying illegal substances, and a phone recovered from their address contained more than 13,000 pages of messages advertising drugs for sale.
Officers arrived in Quayside Drive to arrest Vata in connection with other offences on 13 March 2023 when he failed to answer the door promptly.
 Man jailed for assaulting his brother and the police officer arresting him
Despite being assaulted, a Grays response officer was still able to arrest a suspect he’d spotted walking down the street.
And now 31-year-old Rocky Price has been jailed for that assault, as well as the original assault the Essex Police officer was responding to.
Our officers swiftly responded to public concerns about a car being driven erratically on the A414 in Chelmsford. Officers detained the driver after discovering Class A drugs in the vehicle. The driver was charged with possession with intent to supply, drink driving, and possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation. He admitted the charges and is set to be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court in May
 Officers arrest five in simultaneous vehicle theft warrants
We have arrested five men in connection with a series of vehicle thefts across Essex, with cars believed to be stolen and sold on for criminal gain.
Five teams of officers from Southend and Castle Point & Rochford Neighbourhood Policing Teams, with support from our Operational Support Group and Dog Unit, targeted addresses in Southend, Basildon, Westcliff and Leigh early on Tuesday 15 April 2025.
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events across Essex this week
Monday 21 April
12pm to 1pm
St Helena Hospice Cafe, Unit 4 Angora Business Park, Colchester
Tuesday 22 April
10am to 12pm
Community in a cup, Maldon United Reformed Church
10:30am to 12pm
Witham Town Hall, Heritage Suite, Witham
11am to 12pm
Waitrose & Partners, Saint Andrews Gardens, Colchester, England
3pm to 4pm
Costa Coffee, 50 Pier Avenue, Clacton
Wednesday 23 April
10am to 12pm
Amazon, London Distribution park, Windrush Road, Tilbury
10:30am to 12pm
Alresford start up cafe, St Andrews Church, St Andrews Close, Alresford
10:30am to 11:30am
Manningtree Library, High Street, Manningtree.
10:30am to 11:30am
Manningtree Library, High Street, Manningtree
11am to 12pm
Morrisons, 175 London Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet
Thursday 24 April
10am to 12pm
Saint Cuthbert's Catholic Church, Chapel Rd, Burnham-on-Crouch
10am to 11am
McDonalds, Hartley Brook Road, Clacton
10:30am to 11:30am
Thurrock Council cafe, Civic Offices, High Street, Grays
10:30am to 11:30am
Zest cafe, University of Essex
11am to 12pm
Miracle House, Silver Island Way, Wickford, SS12 9NR
7pm to 8pm
Unit 7, Building B Chesterwell Mews, Leda Way, Colchester
Friday 25 April
10am to 11am
Morrisons Supermarket, Centenary Way, Little Clacton
12pm to 1pm
IKEA Lakeside (Customer restaurant) Heron Way,
Saturday 26 April
10am to 11am
Asda Supermarket, Bull Hill Road, Clacton
12pm to 1pm
Sainsburys Rayleigh Weir, 21 Stadium Way, Benfleet
4pm to 5pm
Sainsburys Rayleigh Weir, 21 Stadium Way, Benfleet
For full details of upcoming events, please visit the Essex Police website and enter your postcode.
 Crime prevention advice
Home security
Secure your home, secure your peace of mind.
Consider installing strong locks, security lights and always lock your doors and windows, even if your just stepping out for a minute.
Be fraud smart
Turn on 2-step verification
Whether it's your email, a social media account, or your online banking, losing access to a digital account can be stressful.
Enabling 2-step verification (2SV) will keep criminals out of your accounts, even if they work out your password.
It's a simple way to give your accounts an extra level of protection.
 Join our team
Police staff jobs
Vehicle technician £38,754
Visit our website for full advert, job descriptions and application form.
 This week we remember
Frederick James Redhouse
Frederick James Redhouse service with Colchester Borough Constabulary and volunteered for military service in 1915 with the Military Mounted Police. In 1917 he was serving on the Western Front and was struck by a piece of shrapnel whilst regulating traffic. He died of his wound on 25 April 1917.
William A Mann
William A Mann served with Essex County Constabulary from 6 June 1914. His police service lasted just 2 months before being recalled to the army at the outbreak of war. Gunner Willian Mann was deployed with 24th Headquarters Brigade, Royal Field Artillery when he met is death on 26 April, 1915.
Read more about other Essex officers on the Essex Police Memorial Trust website.
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