Three men charged after town hit by ram raid spree

Officers investigating the raids seized a vehicle

Three men have been charged in connection with a series of ram raids.

Essex Police said it was linking a "spate of incidents" that caused "substantial damage" across Basildon between 16 and 24 September.

It said it received reports of a silver SUV, being driven into shops in the early hours.

Businesses in Ballards Walk, Wrexham Road, Austen Road and Britannia Court, including takeaway restaurants and shops were affected, it added.

During the investigation, the force said it "began linking" a number of other earlier offences.

In a statement, it said: "As a result of that ongoing work, a vehicle was seized on Wednesday and three men were arrested."

A 35-year-old man was charged with four counts of burglary and one count of theft.

A 36-year-old was charged with one count of theft and a 30-year-old was charged with three counts of burglary.

They were due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

All the charges relate to incidents in August. "Other offences which are being investigated remain active," said the force statement.

Det Sgt James McLean-Brown said it was a "significant step" in the investigation that had "significantly impacted numerous businesses in our town".