Two men have been arrested after two 15-year-old boys were stabbed in a mass rave in Westcliff, Essex, last night, according to police.
Essex Police were called at around 7pm yesterday to reports of a large group of people fighting, including some with weapons, in Chalkwell Esplanade near Chalkwell train station.
A police helicopter assisted officers and colleagues from British Transport Police in carrying out searches and dispersing the crowd.
During their search officers found two boys suffering from stab injuries.
One of the 15-year-olds was injured in the head and leg while the other was stabbed in the arm. Their injuries are categorised as non-life threatening.
Police said an 18-year-old man from Basildon was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and possession of drugs, while a 20-year-old man from South Ockendon was arrested on suspicion of affray.
They remain in custody for questioning.
It comes as reports from a street fight in Chislehurst, south east London, confirm a pedestrian was killed by a van fleeing the scene which resulted in a double stabbing.
Essex Police were called at around 7pm yesterday to reports of a large group of people fighting, including some with weapons, in Chalkwell Esplanade near Chalkwell train station
One of the 15-year-olds was injured in the head and leg while the other was stabbed in the arm. Their injuries are categorised as non-life threatening
Police in Southend-on-Sea were granted a section 60 order allowing for additional stop and search powers until 6am this morning.
Chief Inspector Ashley Howard said: ‘Officers were quickly on scene to deal with the disorder and continue to work throughout the night investigating the initial incident and patrolling the area to ensure our communities are safe.
‘The additional stop and search powers will help prevent further offending and disorder, keeping people safe.’
One nearby resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the PA news agency she was in Chalkwell park with friends at around 7pm when she saw crowds of teenagers.
She said: ‘They were screaming and shouting and kept vanishing throughout the park, the police and an ambulance turned up and a helicopter was circling above for a couple hours.
‘A group of around 70 came back and a girl got beaten to the floor just over the bush from us, at that point we had stood up to look and so did some of the adults in the park near us because there was just so much noise.
‘More police had turned up and two police officers ran after the teenagers that ran out of the park.
Essex Police tweeted out a message to say that officers ‘have been authorised to use additional stop and search powers’ following the incident, while sharing a map of the area
Locals, including an Independent councillor in Southend, tweeted their dismay at the fights
‘One of my friends went with three others to walk and find out what had happened, and one elderly man turned round and said people got stabbed, which then obviously worried us.
‘Even more police turned up, dog units, cars, ambulance van and cars were everywhere.’
She added: ‘It was very scary, we are all fine as a group as we were sat in the same place away from all the chaos but teenagers were constantly running through the park.
‘Thankfully they didn’t come into the field we were sat but it was horrible to see.’
Speaking to Essex Live, Jim Watson – a resident on nearby Kent View Avenue – said that ‘it has been building up for five or six weeks now.
‘Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, all these young kids come down here with their bottles and cans of booze and party it up down at the beach. They will be partying hard down at the beach until midnight every week,’ he said.
‘It’s been bad since lockdown. We have never had this problem before lockdown it was always quiet, but because kids have no where to go and nothing to do they come here.’
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to phone Southend detectives on 101 quoting reference 1144 of July 25.
It comes as reports from a street fight in Chislehurst, south east London, confirm a pedestrian was killed by a van fleeing the scene which resulted in a double stabbing