"August was a busy and challenging month for the Thurrock Community Policing team, with several high profile and serious incidents and investigations requiring our assistance.

As well as this we have continued to work on our local priorities and have achieved some great results.

On August 1, PC Martin Hatfield was on patrol when he was made aware of an ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) hit on a vehicle nearby which was potentially involved in bulk shoplifting offences within the area.

PC Hatfield managed to locate and stop the vehicle and arrest 2 male occupants.

Both males were charged with theft offences and one male was remanded in custody.

Stolen items were also recovered from the vehicle and from a house search conducted shortly afterwards.

There was a large scale funeral which took place in Thurrock on August 3 and the Team assisted the procession by carrying out traffic control in the areas of South Ockendon and Stanford Le Hope so as to minimise the impact on other road users.

 PC’s Paul Armstrong and Peter Kittle were alerted to a fire at a derelict unit in West Thurrock on August 4 that appeared to have been frequented by youths.

Realising that the building was unsafe, PC Armstrong worked with partner agencies to have the premises properly secured to prevent anyone entering.

On August 5, whilst on Operation Wagtail, our initiative in West Thurrock to combat cruisers and dangerous driving, PC’s Adam Colbear and Paul Armstrong issued 2 cannabis warnings to males stopped in Chafford Hundred.

Also on 5th August PC’s Andy Cayless and Peter Kittle were patrolling Badgers Dene in Grays acting on concerns from the local community, when they stopped a group of youths and quickly identified that one was in possession of a quantity of cannabis.

The youth made full admissions in interview to possession.

Tilbury hosted a community event on August 10 at the Anchor Field park, aimed at raising awareness of Hate Crime.

PCSO’s Aimee Dilloway and Billy Page attended the event which was well received by the local community.

PC’s Neil Brand and Paul Armstrong were made aware of an illegal rave on August 13, and the officers located the area in which the rave was being held.

PC Neil Brand gathered intelligence and evidence on persons involved in organising these events, and then worked with our partnership agencies in order to issue Community Warnings to prevent any further events.

PCSO Billy Page was on patrol in Stanford Le Hope when he was made aware of a robbery, whereby an elderly female had been pushed and a bag stolen from her in the underpass at Hardie Park.

PCSO Page attended the scene and after completing an area search based on the description the victim had given he was able to locate and detain the suspect, who was then arrested and charged with robbery.

PCSO Page and PC Sean Phillips then completed a search of the area and were able to locate the victim’s stolen possessions.

Several members of the team assisted in dismantling a large cannabis cultivation in Grays on August 19, with approximately 200 cannabis plants being booked in for destruction. The investigation is ongoing.

PC Martin Hatfield attended a road traffic collision on August 20 where one person attempted to flee the scene of the accident on foot. After a brief foot chase PC Hatfield detained and arrested the male for drink-drive offences and for taking the vehicle without consent of the owner.

Thurrock CPT have also been assisting Essex Police’s Major Crime Department with a murder investigation in South Ockendon, and arrests have now been made.

Our next local community meeting will be in September and held in the Corringham/Stanford Le Hope area. The details will be announced on our social media sites shortly."

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