Four cuckooing suspects charged with drug offences

Essex Police said officers forced entry to a property in Braintree, Essex

Four men have been charged with drug offences after officers investigated concerns of a gang "cuckooing" the home of a vulnerable person.

The practice involves individuals or gangs manipulating people to gain access to their properties and use it as a base for illegal activities.

Essex Police said it attended an address in the Braintree, Essex, on 23 March and found the men, who are all aged between 22 and 24, in the living room.

They have been charged with being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and are due to appear in Chelmsford Crown Court for a plea hearing on 22 April.

At the time of the arrest, a number of electrical items were seized alongside almost £3,000 in cash.

Safeguarding measures have now been put in place for the victim by police.

Det Sgt Jonathan Stephenson said: "The pace at which this investigation had to be progressed in order to keep a vulnerable person safe should not be underestimated.

"We don't tolerate the supply of drugs in Essex – or the exploitation that we very sadly see running alongside it and we've got teams working round-the-clock to make sure the people we believe to be involved are arrested and put before the courts."