Southend: 'It's been terrible this year for the violence'

Joan Tiney said the blame for some problems was large groups of young men coming into the city from London

Business owners in a seaside city have said large groups of men travelling from London are "hell-bent" on causing trouble.

Arcade owner Martin Richardson, from Southend-on-Sea, said sometimes up to 3,000 people could arrive in a day.

And Joan Tiney, who owns a hotel, said the violence was the worst she had known it for 40 years.

Insp David Gardiner said Essex Police was "working hard" with traders and the council to "combat the issues".

The "OpenGate system", a metal detector, has been in use in Southend-on-Sea for a month

Essex Police confirmed there had been nine dispersal orders in the town so far this year, compared to 10 last year.

It was also using a new mobile weapons detector called the OpenGate System to keep knives off the street and said it was the first force in the country to use it.

The system has been specifically designed to detect dense metal objects.

Martin Richardson said a "joined-up" approach from police and the traders was taking place in Southend-on-Sea

Martin Richardson, the owner of Happidrome Arcade, said traders had been working together to deal with large groups coming to the city from London "hell-bent on causing trouble".

This included Operation Union, a police operation to tackle the problem and additional CCTV cameras.

"We have the 'town-link' radio system where we share information about the large groups arriving off the trains," he said.

"C2C trains have been brilliant and they've given us access to their cameras so we know when large groups of males are coming into the city and we will get an idea if there's likely to be trouble."

At times between 2,000 and 3,000 people might suddenly arrive on just three or four trains, he added.

"We're not open for trouble. If you play up, you will get caught," he added.

The OpenGate System has been "specifically designed to detect dense metal objects", Essex Police said

Joan Tiney, owner of the Borough Hotel in Southend, said: "It's been terrible this year for the violence, as bad as I can remember it for all the [40] years we've been here.

"People seem to be 'off the leash' after the lockdown and living through coronavirus."

Mrs Tiney said she had spoken to first-time visitors to Southend and they had told her they would not be returning due to the trouble.

She laid the blame with large groups of young people coming into the city from London.

"Police do what they can and we have a large presence around us but they're stretched," she said.

Insp Dave Gardiner said organisations were working together to keep "Southend safe"

Insp Gardiner, from Essex Police, said there had been some incidents of disorder but the force was working to bring those involved to justice.

"We're working hard with our partners, our seaside traders, our colleagues at Southend City Council to do everything we can to make Southend the safe and welcoming place it is to work, live and visit," he said.

"Anyone intent on coming to Southend - we are here in numbers, we will deal with you and we will seek to prosecute anyone who commits serious violence."