Residents in the Eastwood area of Southend have experienced a spate of burglaries and thefts over the last few days. Reports suggest that a suspect – or possibly multiple suspects – moved between locations, attempting break-ins and targeting vehicles for around two hours, undeterred by the presence of security cameras or reports being made to the police.
A night of crime: Timeline of incidents
The first crime spree began shortly before 10pm on Sunday 9 February, with sightings and CCTV footage documenting a series of suspicious activities throughout the area.
- 9:45pm – Astronaut Estate: At least one man was seen attempting to open car doors, seemingly checking for unlocked vehicles.
- 10:20pm – Bellhouse Pub area: Local resident Chris Warren caught the suspect on his security camera attempting to break into his van. “I caught the bloke on camera trying my van door and sneaking into my front garden,” he said.
- 10:35pm – Chesterfield Crescent: The suspect attempted to break into a garage and a back fence before managing to gain access to a vehicle. Abby Saunders, one of the victims, described the incident: “He tried my garage and back fence, then snuck in front of my van in between my smart car and broke into it. He stole a lot of items – in fact, he took everything from my vehicle. I called the police to report it, and an hour later, when I realised he had also stolen a bunch of keys, I had to ring back. The police advised me to call an emergency locksmith.”
- 10:45pm – Bellhouse Road: A man was seen lifting a fence panel to enter a garden before stealing three pairs of Nike trainers from a summer house. The suspect fled when an alarm was triggered.
- 11:00pm – Woodleigh Avenue: A man was caught on camera checking multiple car door handles, once again looking for unsecured vehicles to steal from.
A number of further burglaries or attempted burglaries were then reported overnight on Monday 10 and on Tuesday 11 February.
Councillor warns of an ‘Eastwood crime wave’
Local Councillor Paul Collins, who represents Eastwood Park, acknowledged that crime in the area has been escalating and reassured residents that he has raised the issue with Essex Police.
“We are going through a crime wave in Eastwood,” he said. “I have contacted Inspector Browning of Essex Police this morning with comments made to ask him for his assurance that they are dealing with this matter very seriously.
“In the meantime, please make sure your outbuildings are locked and secure at all times, as well as your vehicles. These appear to be opportunist attacks, trying to find unsecured buildings and cars.”
Police make arrests following burglaries
Following the events of Sunday night, Essex Police took swift action, arresting two people on Monday, 10 February, in connection with burglary and vehicle theft.
A 33-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy were detained by officers from the Southend Local Policing Team. Both were arrested on suspicion of theft from a vehicle on Eastwood Park Close, and the teenager was further arrested on suspicion of a shed burglary on Wren Avenue. As of now, both individuals remain in police custody for questioning.
Appeal for information
Sergeant Alex Farr has urged anyone who may have been a victim of burglary or vehicle theft in recent days to come forward.
“We understand that other people in the Eastwood area may have been subject to a burglary or had their car broken into in the last few days,” he said. “We need those people to contact us and let us know what has happened so we can investigate.”
Residents who have CCTV, dashcam footage, or any other relevant evidence are encouraged to report it to Essex Police. Reports can be made online via the Essex Police website or through their Live Chat service, which is available 24/7.
When providing information, residents are asked to quote incident 17 of 11 February to ensure it reaches the right team quickly.