WORRIED residents living and working in Southend’s notorious York Road have insisted they want to move away after a second serious incident in less than two months.

Families in York Road have revealed how they are living in fear with police cordon’s now becoming a regular fixture in the area.

Yesterday’s “gunpoint” robbery comes less than eight weeks after an attempted murder probe was launched in York Road after a teenager was left fighting for his life in hospital following an attack in the early hours of the morning.

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A shopworker, 32, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I don’t really want to live here any more and worry it’s getting worse around here.

“It’s not the first and won’t be the last incident like this.

“I am horrified and think it’s dreadful.

“We can’t have this sort of thing going on and I hope the man’s doing ok now.

“He must have been petrified.

“I think having a big police presence is worrying, but is also some reassurance and I feel a bit safer with them here.

“I am sure others will be as shocked as I am about what’s happened here.”

A dad-of-two, aged 47, said: “I worry a bit about my family and children and we don’t want to be living here any more.

“It used to be a nice place to live, but is not any more as sadly it’s not a nice place at all. It’s not the first time we’ve had trouble here.

“I saw about it online and it sounds terrifying for the man involved.”

He said it was a shock to see the large police cordon and the number of the officers and police vehicles in the street.

A mum-of-one, who asked to remain anonymous, raised concerns about her child seeing the police presence.

The 28-year-old said: “It’s not nice having all this on our doorstep and I don’t want my son seeing all this.

“I think it is a worry when you see so much police tape, the police vehicles and the officers. I am assuming it is drug related.”