A major police presence was in place on Southchurch Road in Southend city centre this morning following a serious assault in the early hours.
Officers cordoned off the area outside a row of late-night takeaway shops, closing the road between Chichester Road and the Cow and Telescope pub. Local businesses were informed they would not be able to open while police conducted their investigation, causing disruption to Sunday morning trade.
At 11:45am, Essex Police confirmed they were investigating an assault that had been reported at approximately 1:45am on Sunday, 2 February.
A spokesperson for Essex Police said: “If you saw anything, have any CCTV, dash cam or doorbell footage, or have any information, please get in contact with us. Please quote incident 112 of 2 February.
“You can let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
The incident has reignited concerns among residents about late-night crime and antisocial behaviour in the area, with many calling for a greater police presence to deter troublemakers.
Local resident Jo Cheesman commented: “With the takeaways open until the early hours, it’s somewhere people tend to hang around or meet – there will always be trouble with teens giving it to each other. We need to have a police car stationed there as it would save them getting called out most weekends.”
Carol Turner echoed this sentiment, saying: “This is exactly why we need to keep Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) – they’re at the scene alongside the police officers.”
Shirley Dean reflected on how much the town had changed, saying: “I have so many happy memories of my childhood and working life in Southend – the bowling alley on the pier, the band stage with entertainment and dancing, the golden beaches and the longest pleasure pier. But now, it just isn’t recognisable. The council and police need to step up and clean up this trouble.”