Thurrock/Basildon: Ten arrests after road crime operation
Ten men were arrested during a roads policing operation targeting criminality across Thurrock and Basildon.
Officers from Roads Policing, the Operational Support Group and Intelligence teams carried out proactive vehicle stops using ANPR technology, resulting in arrests for drug driving, drug offences, weapons possession and immigration offences.
Among the key arrests were two men stopped in a suspicious Audi on the A13, where officers found cannabis and two knives, and a disqualified driver found with significant quantities of Class A and B drugs.
Overall, 67 vehicles were stopped, six cars and a motorbike were seized, 18 traffic offence tickets were issued, and 39 immigration checks were completed in partnership with the Home Office. The operation also included checks on takeaway delivery riders to ensure they were properly licensed, insured and legally entitled to work in the UK.
Tilbury: Nine years in prison for attempted robber
A Tilbury man who forced his way into a home, seriously assaulted the occupant and attempted to rob him has been jailed for nine years.
Josh Jerrum, 33, of St Chads Road, Tilbury, attacked the victim with a lamp after forcing entry to a property in Elgar Gardens on 24 October 2025 and demanding cash and valuables. The victim suffered a serious head injury.
Following a forensic-led investigation, Jerrum was arrested on 19 November 2025 and later found guilty of attempted robbery and grievous bodily harm at Basildon Crown Court.
At sentencing, he received nine years’ imprisonment for attempted robbery and 16 months concurrently for GBH. He was also sentenced to 12 months, to run concurrently, after admitting a separate burglary at a Tilbury shop in September 2025 where cigarettes, wine and cash were stolen.
Clacton: Sex offender sentenced for possession of thousands of indecent images
A 74-year-old Clacton man has been given a 20-month suspended prison sentence after admitting possessing thousands of indecent images of children and extreme pornography.
Following an investigation by Essex Police's POLIT team, officers seized devices containing more than six million image and video files, including 14,168 indecent images of children. Ian Moore was also found to have photographed children walking to school.
He has been made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, banning him from a range of internet-enabled devices and locations including schools, playgrounds and nurseries, while remaining under ongoing police supervision.
We are appealing for information after a woman injured in a collision in Pitsea last month has, sadly, died in hospital.
Two vehicles were involved in the collision in the car park area of the Tesco under the A13 at around 10.30am on Friday 21 August.
A passenger in one of the vehicles was taken to hospital but despite the best efforts of the medical team has, sadly, since died.
No arrests have been made and our investigation is ongoing.
We want to hear from anyone with dashcam footage or who saw anything in the area at the time of the collision. Please get in touch quoting 42/148017/26
That's the warning from Sergeant Christian Denning from the Essex Police Business Crime Tea. He's been talking to the BBC about shop theft and took questions from listeners on the BBC Essex Ben Fryer show recently.
“There’s always a price being paid somewhere along the line so, if something was £10 and you see it for £5, who has had to be a victim for that £5 to be dropped off?
“Think about the people on the front lines in these stores and how much they’re having to suffer for you to get a bargain.”
Shop theft in Essex is down – with 1,028 fewer offences recorded in the year to 31 July 2026, compared with the previous 12 months – while arrests are up.
More offenders are also being put before the courts more quickly without the need for arrest. This is because retailers have provided us with good quality CCTV images and witness statements, leaving the offender with no choice but to admit their crimes.
Two people were robbed in the Marlescroft Way area on 7 August and then on 27 August. On both occasions we believe victims had been lured there on false pretences and then threatened with a knife and money was taken. Warrants were executed at two addresses in the town on 28 August and two people were arrested.
Louie Williams, of Lower Alderton Lane, Loughton, has been charged with two counts of robbery, possessing a bladed article, possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and blackmail.
Brooke Benjamin, 32, of Kelvedon Close, Hutton has been charged with handling stolen goods.
Williams is next due to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on 28 September while Benjamin is due at the same court on 6 January.
Chelmsford: Shoplifter banned from shops for two years
Officers in Chelmsford have secured a banning order against a prolific shoplifter.
Fifty-two year-old Claire Wood, of Maltings Road, Chelmsford, has been given a Criminal Behaviour Order banning her from all Marks and Spencer, Co-Op, and Tesco stores in the city for two years. She has also been barred from going to the TSB bank in the High Street. It follows several incidents in the city.
A man has been charged with drugs and weapons offences following a proactive stop search by officers on patrol in Wickford.
Officers were carrying out targeted ‘hotspot’ patrols in the town centre on Saturday 12 September when hey saw an illegally modified e-bike. The stopped and spoke to a man and carried out a search, and then arrested the man while recovering a number of items.
Luke Saunders, 22, of Market Avenue, Wickford has been charged with possession of a Class A drug, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, and driving without insurance. He is due to appear at Southend Magistrates’ Court on 28 October.
A man has been charged with drugs and weapons offences following a warrant in Grays.
Officers carried out warrants at two addresses in the town on Friday 11 September. It was part of an investigation into the sale of drugs in the area. Two men were arrested and a quantity of drugs, money, and illegal vapes were recovered.
Ben Knight, 37, of Crammavill Street, Grays, has since been charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine and possession of an offensive weapon in a private place. He is next due to appear at Basildon Crown Court on 12 October.
A 59 year-old man from Grays arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs has been released on bail until 15 November.
Upcoming community police events across Essex this week
Let’s Talk events are informal drop‑in sessions where you can chat with local police officers about what matters to you. Whether it's neighbourhood concerns, local priorities or questions about policing in your area.
There’s no need to book and no pressure to stay, you can just stop by for a quick conversation.
To find a Let’s Talk event happening near you, please visit the Essex Police website and enter your postcode.
Locking doors and windows is one of the simplest but most effective ways to protect your home. Even a quick trip out can give someone the chance to enter unnoticed. Make locking up part of your everyday routine, whether you're heading out, going to bed or just moving between rooms.
Banks will never ask you to transfer money to protect it
If you’re asked to move money to a “safe account”, stop immediately. Banks will never ask you to transfer money to protect it. This is one of the most common tactics used by criminals to steal savings.
Senior Network Engineer £41,856 Document Receiver/Reader £33,603 Contact Centre Officers £27,204 to £29,859 Police Community Support Officers £27,204 to £32,613 Detention Officers £36,399 to £39,135
Visit our website for full advert, job descriptions and application form.
This week we remember
George William Gutteridge
George Gutteridge joined Essex County Constabulary in April 1910 and served 8 years before joining the army. He re-joined Essex Police on 23 February 1919 and by 1922 was based at Stapleford Abbots. On 26 September 1927, George was fatally shot in the head whilst on duty.
The Chief Constable regrets to inform you of the sad death of our former colleague Steven Simmans who retired as a Constable and served at Tiptree, Colchester and Chelmsford. On retirement he became a member of the support staff and worked as a Criminal Investigator within the Major Investigation Team before later becoming a Firearms Enquiry Officer. He passed away on the 26 August 2026 aged 73 yrs.
Find out the best way to contact us when it’s not an emergency and the specialist services we offer for people with hearing or speech impairments who would like to contact us.
