News 7 July to 13 July
Southend: Information following airport incident
We are opening a dedicated online portal and phone line for those with information or questions following a serious incident at Southend Airport.
All emergency services attended the scene of an incident involving one plane at about 4pm on Sunday 13 July, shortly after the plane had taken off.
Flights at the airport were quickly grounded to ensure work could immediately begin on extinguishing the flames as quickly as possible.
We have put a wide cordon in place to ensure all our emergency service colleagues can carry out their work safely, and we will be doing so overnight and into tomorrow morning.
The public are asked to avoid the area while this work is carried out.
Most importantly, those with information can get in touch with us through our dedicated Major Incident Public Portal and through a dedicated phone line, 0800 0961011.
International callers can use 0207 1580126.
 E-scooter seized on A131 for road safety breach
On the evening of Wednesday 9 July, officers on their way to another incident spotted a man riding a privately-owned e-scooter on the A131 — a dark, unlit road with a 60mph speed limit.
The e-scooter, capable of reaching speeds of up to 30mph, was being operated without any lighting. The rider was not wearing appropriate safety equipment and was barely visible to other road users. He informed officers he intended to travel approximately 20 miles home.
Due to the significant safety risks posed to both the rider and other motorists, officers stopped the rider and seized the e-scooter.
 Safeguarding our heritage for generations to come
Heritage crime covers a multitude of sins – it’s any unlawful activity which harms the value of our historic or cultural assets.
Threats are many and varied, from the theft of historic artefacts, illegal metal-detecting and stone or metal theft to off-road biking, graffiti and fly-tipping.
While thefts in Essex are rare, sadly, anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and arson at historical sites are more common.
And with more than 14,000 listed buildings, monuments or other heritage assets in our county it’s a not insignificant task to keep them safe from harm.
More than 100 hotels, B&Bs and guest houses across the county have been visited by officers to alert staff to the signs of child exploitation.
In Epping Forest, Southend and Thurrock, undercover officers accompanied by police cadets attempted to book rooms to test whether receptionists would act and intervene when presented with a situation that should have concerned them.
Of the 16 establishments targeted, 11 refused to allow a booking. Although far from perfect, this represents a considerable improvement on two years ago when less than a third of businesses tested raised concerns. Those that failed will be offered extra safeguarding training.
The work is part of Operation Makesafe, a national initiative to raise awareness of child exploitation within the hospitality industry, educate staff and empower them to report concerns.
 County-wide operation targets criminal use of roads
Essex Police’s Road Crime Team led a successful three-day operation to disrupt criminal activity on the county’s road network. The operation resulted in 15 arrests for multiple offences including 4 drivers suspected to be unfit to drive through drugs, the recovery of 5 stolen vehicles, and the seizure of drugs and cash.
Key outcomes from the operation (8 to 10 July):
- Arrested: A cloned vehicle was intercepted on the A12. The driver, wanted for domestic assault and theft, was taken into custody.
- Arrested: A suspect linked to vehicle thefts in London was stopped near Brook Street and handed over to the Metropolitan Police.
- Recovered: A stolen VW Golf was tracked to Colchester. The driver fled but was located and arrested with the help of PD Kaiser.
- Arrested: Two men were detained on suspicion of burglary after a cloned vehicle was stopped on the M25. They were transferred to Thames Valley Police to allow their investigation to progress.
- Arrested: Class A drugs, cash, and other items were seized during a vehicle stop. A man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.
- Charged: A disqualified driver stopped for a registration plate offence was formally charged.
A man’s been jailed for 19 months after repeatedly failing to stop and driving dangerously through residential streets in Southend city centre.
T-Jay Shepherd was behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Astra when the vehicle failed to stop at about 11am on Tuesday 1 April.
A pursuit was then authorised, which saw a roads policing vehicle safely follow the Astra through residential streets in Southend despite numerous instances of dangerous driving manoeuvres by Shepherd.
In total, the pursuit lasted for 12 minutes before the Astra stopped in Victoria Avenue. Shepherd then ran from the scene but was quickly found by officers and arrested.
Shepherd, 32, of no fixed abode, was charged with:
- Dangerous driving
- Failing to provide a specimen for analysis
- Driving whilst disqualified
- Driving without insurance
He admitted each charge at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on May 3 and onThursday 10 July, he was jailed for a total of 19 months for all offences at Chelmsford Crown Court. He was also banned from driving for more than five years.
 Just Here To Work: Supporting staff facing stalking or harassment in their workplace
Unwanted attention of any kind at work is unacceptable and our Business Crime Team works with partners to highlight the types of harassment staff may face.
Whether it’s from customers or colleagues, we encourage people to report such incidents to us through our Just Here To Work awareness campaign.
 Operation continues to tackle drug and drink driving across Essex
We're continuing our robust approach to road safety. In six months, our Roads Policing Unit officers have made a significant number of arrests through specific days of action.
- Arrests: 234
- Drug Driving: 162
- Drink Driving: 19
- Immigration Offences: 23
- Possession with Intent to Supply Drugs: 7
- Other Crimes: 23
- Traffic Offence Reports: 2,156
- Vehicle seizures (no insurance/no tax/stolen): 253
- Speeding offences captured on camera: 823
Speeding remains one of the most dangerous behaviours on our roads, and Essex Police is committed to enforcing speed limits to protect all road users.
Late evening, Sunday 6 July, a roads policing officer patrolling the M11 witnessed instances of excessive speeding, with three drivers caught travelling at speeds exceeding 100mph.
One motorist was stopped while driving at 105mph enroute to Rayne—with a 9-year-old child in the back seat. Upon further checks, officers discovered the vehicle’s insurance had expired just one hour earlier, highlighting how speeding can coincide with other serious traffic offences.
Two additional drivers were recorded at speeds of 108mph and 106mph, both well over the national speed limit of 70mph. One of these individuals was driving while disqualified, and their vehicle was seized on the spot. This happened in wet weather conditions, further increasing the risk to themselves and others.
In a separate incident, a taxi driver carrying passengers was stopped for middle lane hogging, a behaviour that disrupts traffic flow and creates unnecessary hazards for other road users.
 Stephen Morrisson
Epping: Man charged with murder of Stephen Morrisson
A man has been charged with the murder of Stephen Morrisson, who died in Epping in June 2020.
Stephen sustained a single stab wound after a confrontation in a car park in Epping Road shortly before 8pm on Tuesday 23 June 2020.
The 30-year-old sadly died in hospital a short time later, having driven away from the scene towards a nearby Shell garage.
He was able to get out of his car but then collapsed on the forecourt, where members of the public tried to help him and alerted the emergency services.
Over the course of a complex and far-reaching investigation, more than 200 hours of CCTV footage was examined, and the investigative team has seized and reviewed more than 1,000 exhibits, 50 phones, almost 40 computer items and five vehicles.
On Tuesday 8 July, a 28-year-old man was arrested in Feltham, west London.
We’ve now been authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge Yonas Girma, 28, of Hounslow Road, Hanworth, with murder.
He appeared in Southend Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 9 July.
 Clacton: Painstaking work sees ‘violent, reckless’ offender sentenced
A drug dealer, Anthony Watson, has been sentenced to five years in prison for a violent assault that took place on Valentine’s Day 2024 in Clacton, where a man was shot and seriously injured. Watson, who was already on bail for drug offences at the time, was identified through CCTV and vehicle tracking alongside co-suspect Leklan Cabey. A bullet casing found at the scene confirmed a firearm was used, and further investigation uncovered incriminating messages from Watson.
Watson and Cabey were arrested on 1 March, with a large quantity of Class B drugs found in Cabey’s vehicle. Watson later pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. On 8 May, he was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court to five years, to be served consecutively with a 12-year sentence he received in September 2023 for drug supply offences.
 County Lines: More than 80 drug lines taken out in 2025
A recent County Lines Intensification Week provided police forces across the UK with a chance to show off the wealth of work underway to tackle drug dealing gangs.
At Essex Police, we know this work is 24/7, thanks to our dedicated Serious Violence Unit (SVU).
The SVU hosts our Operation Raptor and Orochi teams. They relentlessly target the county lines gangs linked to serious violence and protect the vulnerable people they exploit.
Throughout the week, they raided properties linked to drug dealing, arresting more than a dozen suspects, seizing drugs and cash, and protecting exploited victims.
During one successful operation, officers executed three simultaneous warrants within a tower block in Grays.
Three arrests were made, with cocaine, cannabis, cash and phones seized.
 Driving tired is dangerous
Driving tired is dangerous: we’d ask you to recognise the signs of fatigue and take appropriate action to prevent collisions.
You might think that you’re “just tired” and it will pass, but tiredness impairs reaction time, judgement, and decision-making, making it harder to handle the vehicle safely.
Recently our roads policing officers attended a single-vehicle collision on the A13.
The driver admitted they had fallen asleep at the wheel, resulting in a collision that caused serious damage to their car. Thankfully, they weren't injured, but extremely shaken up.
 Will Dohmatob
Will Dohmatob, 30, of Enfield, was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison and disqualified from driving for nearly 10 years after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. The fatal crash occurred on 3 February 2024 on the A131 at Twinstead, when Dohmatob, driving a box van, fell asleep at the wheel and veered into motorcyclist Andrew Rayner, 44, who was riding at the rear of a group. Mr Rayner was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dohmatob admitted during police interviews that he had “nodded off” while driving, and investigators found he had little to no sleep in the 30 hours leading up to the crash. The van left the road and ended up in a ditch, and the road was closed for several hours for forensic investigation. Mr Rayner’s family paid tribute to him as a man whose warmth and kindness touched many lives.
 ‘Irreplaceable’ 100-year-old Rolls-Royce found following a police investigation
A 100-year-old Rolls Royce Silver Ghost that was stolen in Orsett last month, has been found following a three-day investigation.
The car, valued at over £300,000, was reported to us to be in a yard in the Tilbury area on Sunday 29 June.
Responding quickly to this new information, our Thurrock Neighbourhood Policing Team headed to the location, armed with a warrant, and found the vintage vehicle inside an outbuilding. There was no mistaking the silver body shape with its distinctive black wings that was now covered in a tarpaulin.
Officers found the vehicle intact with its original features sitting on top of the trailer that was also stolen from Prince Charles Avenue, Orsett, in the early hours of Thursday 26 June.
 Do you have a security CCTV or doorbell camera?
Register your camera and help keep your neighbourhood safe. It takes just 60 seconds to add your details to our secure police system and within minutes, you could be helping us solve crime.
We will not have access to your camera, only the registered location of it and would request footage from a camera in the area where a crime has been reported. You choose what you share with us.
To learn more, visit our website and search Essex CCTV Registry.
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events across Essex this week
Monday 14 July
10am to 11am
McDonalds, Hartley Brook Road, Clacton on Sea
11am to 12pm
Miracle House, Silver Island Way, Wickford, SS12 9NR
Tuesday 15 July
10am to 11am
Bianca's Coffee Shop, High Street, Walton on the Naze
10am to 11am
Morrisons Supermarket, Centenary Way, Little Clacton
10:30am to 11:30am
Hatherley Court, Radwinter Road
11am to 12pm
Costa Coffee, Basildon Town Centre, Unit 2, Basildon SS14 1BA
1pm to 2pm
Costa Coffee, T Grove Brook Park West, Clacton on Sea
2pm to 3pm
Jubilee Beach Office (next to fountains), Marine Parade, Southend
4:30pm to 6:30pm
Martin Hunt Drive, Stanway,
Wednesday 16 July
10am to 11:15am
Lister House Medical Centre, Abercrombie Way, Harlow
10am to 2pm
Broomfield Hospital Atrium, Court Road, Broomfield, Chelmsford CM1 7ET
1pm to 2pm
Morrisons - Northwick Road, Canvey Island
1pm to 2pm
Costa Coffee, Clacton Common Factory Shopping Village, Stephenson Road W, Clacton on Sea
Thursday 17 July
10am to 11am
The Snug, High Easter
10am to 11am
Cafe Nero , Culver Street West
1pm to 2pm
Takeley Park, Takeley
2pm to 3pm
Mens Shed, Blatches Barn, Little Canfield
5pm to 6pm
Benfleet Railway Station, Ferry Road, Benfleet
Friday 18 July
Live Facial Recognition deployment in Tendring
9am to 10am
Flitch Green Coffee Wagon, Tanton Road
10am to 11am
Tea on the Heath, Pond Lane, Hatfield Heath
10am to 12pm
Walton Food bank, Standley Road, Walton on the Naze
10am to 11am
Oasis cafe, Orsett Church Centre, High Road
10:30am to 11:30am
Ashfields, Great Canfield
11:45am to 12:45pm
Takeley Old School Hub, Takeley
2pm to 3pm
Stebbing Village Stores, Stebbing
Saturday 19 July
Live Facial Recognition deployment in Southend
9am to 10am
Chelmsford Park Run, Central Park, Chelmsford
10am to 11am
Great Dunmow Fire Station, Stortford Road
10am to 11am
Priors Hall Farm, Lindsell
10am to 11am
Quadrant Department Store, 220 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford
10am to 11:30am
Woody's Restaurant, Thurrock Garden Centre, South Road, South Ockendon
10:30am to 11:30am
Clements Hall Leisure Centre, Hawkwell SS5 4LN
12pm to 9pm
Nearly Festival, Promenade Park, Park Drive, Maldon
12:30pm to 1:30pm
Rayleigh High Street (Outside Boots), High Street, Rayleigh SS6 7EJ
12:30pm to 1:30pm
Clements Hall Leisure Centre, Rochford SS5 4LN
1pm to 2pm
Post Office, High Street, Hatfield Broad Oak
2:15pm to 10pm
Maldon Carnival, Maldon High Street, Maldon, Essex
Sunday 20 July
Live Facial Recognition deployment in Southend
10am to 4pm
Museum of Power, Hatfield Road, Langford, Maldon
12pm to 8:30pm
Nearly Festival, Promenade Park, Park Drive, Maldon
3pm to 4pm
The Martello Lounge, The Promenade, Clacton on Sea
For full details of upcoming events, please visit the Essex Police website and enter your postcode.
 Crime prevention advice
Keep your car and your belongings safe this summer.
It might be tempting to leave your windows open in the heat, but it only takes a moment for an opportunistic thief to strike.
To stay safe, always take valuables with you or keep them out of sight.
Be fraud smart
Stay safe while shopping online
Did you know online shopping fraud is the most reported fraud type seen in Essex?
- Use strong passwords and enable Two-Factor Authentication.
- When making a purchase, use a credit card or another secure payment method that offers additional protection.
If you think you've been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it as a crime.
 Join our team
Police staff jobs
Vehicle Technician £38,754
Property Officer £26,106
PNC Support Officer £24,219
Insurance Technician £32,244
Operational Driver Training Instructor £32,244
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) £26,106 to £31,293
Detention Officers £29,109
Visit our website for full advert, job descriptions and application form.
 This week we remember
 David Evan Bowen Lewis
David Lewis joined the Essex County Constabulary on 19 March 1926, and was stationed for ten years at Coggeshall. He is still remembered in the town for helping to re-erect Coggeshall's church bells so they could be rung on VE day.
After the war David was promoted to sergeant and posted to Ingatestone. Three months later, on July 14 1946, he was called from his house to deal with passengers refusing to leave an overcrowded bus; two young men had to be forcibly ejected. Within a few minutes of the unexpected exertion, David Lewis collapsed and died.
Charles William Gillings
Read about the career of Charles Gillings who served with Southend Borough Constabulary from April 1, 1914 and died on July 18, 1916.
Norman Kaye
Read about the career of Norman Kaye who served with Essex County Constabulary from September 26, 1938 and died on July 18, 1943.
Read more about other Essex officers on the Essex Police Memorial Trust website.
 Obituaries
Geoffrey Markham
It is with great sadness to inform you that former Assistant Chief Constable Geoffrey Markham QPM passed away on 8 July 2025.
The family have expressed that they do not wish to be contacted at this time. Further updates and details about the funeral will be circulated in due course.
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