A BUSY night in Southend saw six arrests made and a large knife seized.

Essex Police made four arrests in connection with weapons offences and two in connection with assault offences in Southend on Saturday night.

Officers also engaged with people in the city centre at a mobile police station next to HSBC and the Odeon cinema, in the Broadway, London Road, to ensure they were safe.

Following the busy shift, Det Supt Gary Biddle said the force had carried out “really important work”.

Echo: Location - a mobile police station operates close to Southend's HSBC branchLocation - a mobile police station operates close to Southend's HSBC branch (Image: Google)

He added: “They responded to incidents of violence and have ensured suspects were brought into custody.

“Just as important was the engagement with the public. We police with their consent so it’s crucial they know we’re there to help and support them if they need us and I’m pleased to say we received really positive feedback from those we talked to.”

The Safe Space mobile police station is positioned in the city centre from 8pm to 4am.

It’s staffed by six police officers, with regular assistance from street pastors, drug and alcohol support workers, and the council’s community safety officers.

On Saturday, police officers also visited and engaged with several bars and clubs in the city.