YOBS carrying out a spate of attempted robberies prompted the launch of additional stop and search powers around Southend’s seafront and town centre.

Police believe a group of people who entered Southend from out of town are linked to the incidents and swiftly took action on Friday night to keep the public safe.

Officers were authorised to use stop and search powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, meaning they did not need to have reasonable grounds to carry out stop and searches.

Officers were authorised to use these powers between 11.15pm Friday night until 5.15am Saturday, with the area where the additional powers were in place including Marine Parade and the High Street.

But the “worrying” incidents have prompted urgent calls for further action from seafront traders, with Paul Thompson - owner of Pebbles One - pushing for a more “zero tolerance” approach.

He said: “As a business we tend to have to close earlier than we need to if there is trouble. We actually had to close by 8pm in the May half term.

“I want to see these criminals arrested and put before the courts, and we need to let people know if they come to Southend to commit crimes there will be serious consequences.

“The best way to prevent this sort of thing happening in the first place is to have a more visible deterrent in place at all times.

“At the moment they think they can get away with it and think Southend is just a soft touch.”

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New stop and search powers on Southend seafront following series of robberies

Echoing calls, Nicola Tiney, who runs the Borough Hotel, is pushing for a bigger police presence in the town.

She said: “These people walk down the seafront like they own it at the moment.”

Chief Inspector Ian Hughes, District Commander for Southend, assured the force is “dealing robustly” with anyone intent on committing crime.

He said: "Southend is a safe place to live, work and enjoy but I understand some incidents in recent months have caused concerns.

“In the year to the end of June we’ve seen overall crime in Southend fall as well as violence with injury offences and we are dealing robustly with anyone who’s intent on committing crime here.

“Earlier this month we launched a plan with our partners from the council, fire service, Southend BID, and businesses which is seeing increased visibility along the seafront and elsewhere

“We also recently launched Project Servator in Southend to disrupt and tackle those committing crime, criminal damage, and anti-social behaviour.

“This sees officers get specialist training and carry out what we call ‘unpredictable deployments’ with uniformed and plain-clothed officers, police dogs, drones, and CCTV.

“Where crimes take place we are dealing with it.

“Just yesterday we secured 20 charges against a teenager as part of an investigation into a series of phone thefts on the High Street.

“Where disruption takes place we utilise the powers available to us to deal with it including additional stop and search powers through Section 60 authorisations and dispersal orders.

“Our Op Raptor team has also secured injunctions against 15 people who are members of gangs that have been causing issues.

“This injunction bans them from parts of Southend, Old Leigh and Rayleigh and if they breach that ban, they face being put before the courts.

“And we’ve already seen the courts back us up – one teenager who breached the ban was sentenced to two months youth detention.”

Inspector Tony Adams, added: “We utilised the extension to the stop and search powers to the stop and search powers we already have in order to keep you safe.

“We will not tolerate people coming to Southend intent on committing crime, these extended powers are just one of the tools we have available to protect the public.”