Fuel protestors in Thurrock

A woman has appeared in court in connection with bail breaches related to our investigation into disruption caused at fuel sites in Thurrock.

Stephanie Aylett, 27, of High Oaks, St Albans was arrested on Friday (22 April) on suspicion of breaching bail conditions imposed after she had appeared in court the previous day charged with aggravated trespass.

The charges are in connection with disruption caused by protesters at fuel sites in Thurrock.

At the hearing at Southend Magistrates’ Court, Aylett was made subject of the following bail conditions:

1. Not to enter Essex, save Court appearances.
2. Live and sleep at an address in Harpenden;
3. Curfew of 19:00 – 07:00 daily;
4. To have an electronic tag fitted. She was ordered to remain in the premises from 17:00 – 23:00 until such tag was fitted.

She is next due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 24 May.

In total, we have made more than 460 arrests and charged 23 people in connection with incidents of disruption across the Thurrock district since April 1.

To date, one person has been convicted after admitting aggravated trespass. Catherine Maclean, 64, of Hurstpierpoint, Hassocks, in West Sussex was ordered to pay a total of £409.

Over the weekend Thurrock Council were granted an injunction preventing protestors from blocking roads or impeding vehicles at key fuel terminals across the borough.

It also gives us the powers to quickly and effectively move on anyone attempting to block these sites.

You can read about the injunction on the Thurrock Council website.

Two people have appeared in court charged in connection with disruption being caused at fuel sites in Thurrock.

James Skeet, 34, of Drayton Street, Manchester, and Stephanie Aylett, 27, of High Oaks, St Albans, were charged after being arrested on April 15.

They were charged with aggravated trespass and breach of bail conditions.

Both denied the offence and challenged the bail breach during a hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday 16 April. Both were remanded into custody.

They appeared at the same court yesterday, Wednesday 20 April, for a bail application to be heard.

Both were granted bail with conditions. Skeet was ordered to reside in Manchester and Aylett to stay at an address in Harpenden.

Neither are allowed to enter the county of Essex unless they are attending court hearings.

They are due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on May 24.

In total, we have charged 23 people in connection with incidents of disruption across the Thurrock district since April 1.

To date, one person has been convicted after admitting aggravated trespass. Catherine Maclean, 64, of Hurstpierpoint, Hassocks, in West Sussex was ordered to pay a total of £409 at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin said:

“There are currently no ongoing incidents in Essex and there have not been any since Friday, but we continue to be ready to respond to incidents of criminality should they be reported to us.
“I would again urge anyone who is thinking of causing disruption in Essex not to. We are not against lawful protest but to be clear we will respond to crimes which are reported.
“Our response over the last three weeks demonstrates that people engaged in disruptive, dangerous and reckless behaviour – despite believing it to be protest – are likely to be arrested, charged and put before the courts.
“My plea to you is to find a suitable way to protest and make your views known safely, without putting yourselves, Essex Police officers and our wide emergency services colleagues at risk of serious injury.”

Essex Police has secured the first conviction in the country in connection with disruption being caused at fuel sites.

Catherine Maclean had been charged with aggravated trespass after an incident in Thurrock on Wednesday 13 April.

The 64-year-old, of Hurstpierpoint, Hassocks, in West Sussex, admitted the charge at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Saturday 17 April.

She was ordered to pay a total of £409, including a £270 fine, £105 in court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

Maclean appeared alongside James Skeet, 34, of Drayton Street, Manchester, and Stephanie Aylett, 27, of High Oaks, St Albans, at court yesterday.

They were also charged with aggravated trespass and breach of bail conditions.

They denied the offence and challenged the bail breach.

Magistrates heard how both Skeet and Aylett had been arrested multiple times in Essex since the incidents of disruption began in the early hours of April 1.

Both were remanded into custody to appear in the same court next week.

To date, we have charged 23 people in connection with disruption caused in Thurrock over the last 17 days.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“To have achieved the first conviction in relation to the disruption that parts of the country have experienced over the last 17 days is a real testament to the investigative team we have in place here at Essex Police.
“There is no doubt that this has proved to be a challenging investigation which has required a great deal of time and work from officers, and I want to place on record my thanks to them.
“Sadly, Ms Maclean’s actions means she now has a criminal record. No one – least of all my officers – wants to see this happen but it is a timely reminder that if you come to Essex to engage in trespass, even though you may see it as protest, you will be arrested, you will be charged and that is likely to lead to a criminal conviction.
“We are not anti-protest in any way; individuals have a protected right to protest but these incidents have unfortunately crossed into criminality and we have been left with no other option but act and seek authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service to charge people.”

Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings, who is overseeing our investigation, added:

“Unfortunately for Ms Maclean, she had no option but to admit the offence she was charged with.
“The investigators who we have working on this team are thorough, focussed and determined. We have a strong plan in place to deal with this criminality, as yesterday’s convictions shows.
“In total, 23 people have now been charged as part of this operation with cases being built against a number of other people.
“Our message to anyone intent on causing disruption here in Essex is clear and simple; don’t do it, our officers will arrest you and our first-class investigators will build a case against you, leaving you with very little option but admit the offences.”

There are no ongoing incidents in Essex this morning and no further arrests have been made in the last 24 hours. Our arrest total remains at 461.

We have now charged a total of 23 people in connection with incidents of trespass in Thurrock.

We continue to respond to reports of criminality being reported at fuel sites in the district.

Within the last 24 hours, an additional 37 people have been arrested, taking the total number of arrests since the early hours of April 1 to 461.

Currently, there are no ongoing incidents in the district. However, we continue to have a presence in the area.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“We continue to work alongside the companies which have been affected by the actions of those who believe they are engaging in protest for the last 15 days.
“Security of those sites is paramount, and we remain in dialogue with the industry on how they can best protect their private property against trespass. This is a key element in the longer-term and partnership-wide response to these incidents.
“The role of policing is not one of private security; we respond to incidents of criminality and – where those are reported – we will of course continue to respond appropriately, arrest people where we believe offences have been committed and charge those who we believe are responsible.
“Our response demonstrates that if you come to Essex to take part in reckless and dangerous incidents, you will be arrested.
"I would encourage anyone who may be preparing to take part in renewed disruption this Bank Holiday weekend to re-think your plans. Each time you do this sadly makes you one step closer to having a criminal record.”

ACC Nolan added:

“This is not how I envisaged a significant number of officers being deployed on this Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
“Their first duty is to protect the good people of Essex whilst they enjoy days with family and friends across our county, whether that be on Southend seafront, at Clacton Pier, Epping Forest or simply shopping in Chelmsford High Street.
“They would much rather be out among your communities, protecting you and catching criminals.”

We have charged a further 12 people following protests in Thurrock, bringing the total number charged to 23.

Today, Friday 15 April, we have arrested a further 28 people, bringing the total number of arrests to date to 454.

Officers remain in Thurrock where a small number of people continue to protest.

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin said:

“It is anticipated the road network will be busy today and in the coming days, as people travel and spend time with family and friends during the Bank Holiday weekend.
“Our dedicated officers will continue to work across the weekend to keep Essex moving, keep people safe and minimise disruption to the public.
“We also continue to work closely with our colleagues at the Crown Prosecution Service to secure charges where possible.
“As demonstrated this week, if you come to Essex and engage in disruptive and dangerous protest, we will arrest you.”

We have charged 11 people with aggravated trespass following protests in Thurrock.

They are Benjamin Mitchell, 20, of Buckingham Street, Brighton; Peter Bailey, 66, of Salisbury Road, Lancaster; Jan Sasak, 32, of Bucklawren Road, St Martin, Cornwall; Rosa Sharkley, 22, of Dewe Road, Brighton; Louis McKechnie, 21, of Clearmount Road, Weymouth; Stephanie Aylett, 27, of High Oaks, St Albans; Cressida Gethin, 20, of no fixed address; James Skeet, 34, of Drayon Street, Manchester; Rosalind Bird, 38, of Stanley Chase, Bristol; Nathan McGovern, 22, of White Horse Lane, London and Matthew Powell, 21, of Lower Bristol Road, Bath.

They are due to appear in court on Tuesday 24 May.

We continue to work closely with our colleagues at the Crown Prosecution Service to secure charges where possible.

Today, we have arrested a further 18 people, bringing to total number of arrests to date to 391.

Officers remain in Thurrock where a number of people are protesting at Navigator Terminal.

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin said:

“These charges demonstrate how we have responded, and continue to respond, to criminal offences being committed.
“We have said all along that we support protest.
“But we support protest when it is safe and lawful, not reckless and dangerous.
“Our officers will continue to work hard to keep Essex moving, keep people safe and minimise disruption to the public as we head towards the Easter weekend.”

A further 15 people have been arrested overnight after a trespassing incident at a site in Thurrock.

Each of the people have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.

In total, we have now made 373 arrests in connection with incidents at fuel sites across the district.

At this stage, there are no active protests in Essex and all sites which have been affected over the last 12 days are clear of incident and are reporting business as usual.

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin said:

“We of course remain vigilant, and we are using a variety of policing tactics as we continue to tackle these incidents of irresponsible and dangerous trespass.
“The people who are continuing to renew what they believe to be protest are in fact simply putting their own lives at risk, as well as those of my officers their emergency service colleagues.
“The reality is each time they are taking part in these acts, it is not protest; it is reckless and it is dangerous and we cannot simply standby by as people continue to put themselves and others in harm’s way.”

ACC Pavelin added: “My officers have worked night and day for the last 12 days to prevent disruption and to respond to incidents of criminality.
“However, these incidents cannot be prevented by policing alone. The private companies which are being affected are prosperous industries which are large employers in the area. But with prosperity also comes responsibility to protect one’s own private property.
“Of course, we have responded – and will continue to respond – where crimes are being reported. However, there is certainly still work to be done with the businesses affected and we will continue to work together with all of our partners to ensure that we keep everybody safe and bring to justice those committing criminal offences.
The cost of our response to criminality associated with the incident continues to rise by the day."

In the last 24 hours we have made a further nine arrests following protests in Thurrock.

Those arrested are in custody being questioned on suspicion of various offences.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“As the protests enter their second week, I and my colleagues, want to reiterate that we are not anti-protest.
“Anyone who attends any location and wants to conduct a peaceful protest in a public area will be allowed to do so in a responsible, respectful and meaningful way.
"But we have been dealing with people who are trespassing into restricted areas holding flammable chemicals, posing dangers to themselves and others and its totally unacceptable.
“Some people have already been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
“Their risky behaviour cannot be allowed to take place in such critical locations which could be catastrophic if there were accidental or deliberate actions causing leakage or fire.
“We want to carry out policing activities that keep everyone safe, including people intent on protesting, and that is what we will continue to do.
“But our officers, residents, business communities and the general public need to be considered by the protesters too. This is not a one-way street.
“Our officers need to continue their day-to-day obligations to the communities they serve. Vulnerable victims of crime need our help and support through difficult times, they deserve to be heard too, but the protesters are detracting from that valuable work.
“The impact of these protests is affecting the people of Essex, who don’t deserve to have their daily lives affected in this way and for such a protracted length of time.
“We will continue to work with our partners, including Thurrock Council, the East of England Ambulance Service, and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, and the local fuel companies, and thank them for their support, advice and expertise to help us manage the protests.
“We remain totally committed to protecting and serving the people of our county and are continuing to catch criminals, protect the vulnerable, and bring people to justice.”

Officers remain in Thurrock where a small number of people are protesting.

Since protests began on Friday 1 April, our officers have made 356 arrests.

Officers are continuing to make arrests at Exolum Storage in Grays today.

Early this morning, Sunday 10 April, a group of more than 20 protestors arrived at the site.

Since protests began on Friday 1 April, our officers have made 338 arrests. We are currently in the process of making an additional 26 arrests.

Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin said:

"We cannot stand by while criminal acts are being committed, and lives are being put at risk, in the name of protest.
“We are not anti-protest. Our job is to preserve life and catch criminals, and that’s what we’re going to do.
“Today’s protest is exceptionally dangerous due to where the protestors have located themselves within the site.
“Our officers have been diligent in ensuring that all protestors know the risks involved, and we’ve been working hard to minimise the dangers this morning.
“Put simply: we don’t want anyone to get hurt.
“We’ve been really clear with the protestors. Their acts of criminality on site are not only illegal, but they are continuing to put themselves and our officers at real risk of harm and that is unacceptable.
“These protests continue to impact the people of Essex and beyond.
“We’ve been lucky to have extra support from specialist officers from across the country, to support some of our officers continuing with their day jobs.
“We’re continuing to work closely with our partners, including Thurrock Council, the East of England Ambulance Service, and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, and the local fuel companies.
“Your local officers in Essex remain committed to protecting and serving the people of our county and are continuing to catch criminals, protect the vulnerable, and bring people to justice.”

Our officers have made 338 arrests over the course of seven days following protests in the Thurrock district.

Yesterday, Friday 8 April, marked one week since the beginning of the protests.

The protests have seen disruption to roads and oil refineries in Purfleet and West Thurrock, with protesters often gluing or locking themselves to tanker lorries.

Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin said:

“Our officers have been absolutely outstanding over the past week. They’ve continued to deal with a complex and challenging situation in a really fair, balanced way.
“As a result of these protests, officers have been working around the clock.
“They’ve worked longer shifts to balance protests and protect and serve people across our county – tackling crimes from domestic abuse to burglaries, responding to serious collisions, and launching a murder investigation in Brentwood.
“All this has meant they’ve been missing out on time at home, with a lot of parents missing out on time with their children over half term.
“I’m so proud of all of the hard work of our officers and all our partners who have been involved, including Thurrock Council, the East of England Ambulance Service and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, as well as the local fuel companies, all of whom we’ve been working closely with through the past week.
“As we said yesterday – we want our officers to be protecting and serving the people of Essex, and catching criminals who are causing significant harm to the people of our county.
“Making 338 arrests in seven days – between Friday 1 and Friday 8 April – has been challenging on our resources, but we must stop people from committing offences.
“Policing is not anti-protest, but we will continue to make arrests as long as crimes continue to be committed during these protests.”

Officers have been working round the clock for the last week as we continue to deal with a number of protests in the Thurrock district. 

Today marks one week since the beginning of the protests.

So far, we have made more than 300 arrests in connection with the protests.

Overnight, our officers made two further arrests in the Thurrock district while, early this morning, a group of protesters arrived in London Road, Purfleet. 

Officers have arrested 63 people and the road has been re-opened. 

Throughout these incidents, officers have continually dealt with the challenging situation in a fair and balanced way, and we must thank our communities for their understanding and patience.

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet praised the commitment of officers involved in the operation for the last seven days and also paid tribute to the ongoing work with our partner such as Thurrock Council, the East of England Ambulance Service and Essex County Fire and Rescue service.

He also said Essex Police is working closely with the local fuel distribution companies and strongly encouraging them to reinforce their security plans at each site. 

He said:

“First and foremost, I want to pay tribute to the officers who have responded around the clock to these incidents. 
“Their commitment has allowed us to maintain a 24/7 presence in the area throughout the last week. This has not eliminated the disruption but has kept it to a minimum. Fuel transportation has continued and there is no need for any panic buying.
“This has put a real strain on the force. One of the things I’m focussed on is what more the fuel companies can do to protect their infrastructure, perhaps using private security. 
“If those measures are put in place, policing can deal with these incidents quicker and further reduce the disruption being caused.
“We know the people of Essex would prefer officers to be able to focus on the job of stopping crime and arresting criminals and to be perfectly honest, so do I. 
“To be clear, we are not in any way anti-protest; there is a right to protest but there is no right to commit crime.” 

So far, policing the protests in Thurrock has cost Essex Police in excess of £1 million. 

We have now arrested 268 people following protests held in Thurrock during the last six days.

These people have been arrested on suspicion of a variety of offences at a number of locations across the district.

All protest sites are currently clear, and we continue to work closely with our partners, including Thurrock Council and our blue light colleagues, to keep people safe and minimise further disruption.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“These protests are not being effective.
“We live in democracy where people have a right to protest, however I would like them to engage in lawful protest, without engaging in criminality or causing significant disruption to local communities.
"We are dealing with people who may be intent on doing this, swiftly and catching and deterring many before they even arrive.
“Our ability to police across Essex has been effectively maintained throughout the last six days but for as long as these protests continue, there will remain a strain on our police officers.
“We know the people of Essex want us to focus on catching criminals and keeping people safe.
“We will always do that, but we could do even more of that if these ineffective protests could cease.”

We have arrested more than 70 people today, Wednesday 6 April, following the arrival of people who were protesting at several Thurrock locations, in the early hours.

The people were arrested on suspicion of a variety of offences at a number of locations across the district.

There are a small number of people who remain at one site, and we will work as quickly as possible with our partners, including Thurrock Council and our blue light colleagues, to manage the situation.

All other sites originally affected are now clear.

In addition, further arrests were made yesterday.

Two people were arrested shortly after 5.30pm yesterday in Grays. They have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and causing danger to other road users (Road Traffic Act).

The arrests took place after the pair voluntarily emerged from a tunnel where they had remained in situ for several days. Regular welfare checks were carried out on them, both in terms of their health and the safety of them and those on scene.

A group of seven people were arrested shortly after 4.45pm yesterday, Tuesday 5 April, following a short protest. All seven were arrested on suspicion of committing a public nuisance and obstructing a highway.

We have now arrested a total of 250 people in connection with this operation.

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“Despite having a period yesterday when all sites were cleared, the protesters have returned in the early hours today, causing disruption to the business community.
“We continue to engage with a small number of people who continue to cause disruption and who remain on site.
“We want to bring this situation to a safe conclusion for everyone concerned, allowing the Thurrock communities to resume their business activities.
“We want to resume normality as quickly as we can.”

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service continues to provide support at the site occupied by protesters.

James Palmer, Head of Prevention and Protection at the service, said:

“Our crews have been on-hand to maintain a safe environment and assist in the safe removal of protestors.”

A further 20 people have been arrested as part of our response to protests taking place in Grays.

We continue to approach this incident using a variety of police tactics.

A group of 17 people were arrested shortly after 4.50pm yesterday, Monday 4 April, at the junction of Stoneness Road and London Road, during a proactive stop by officers on patrol.

During a search of the group, officers found a number of items which they believed could be used to cause criminal damage.

All 17 were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

Two other people were arrested last night in connection with the protest during a proactive vehicle stop in Grays.

One additional arrest was also made when a car was stopped proactively by officers in Grays.

In total, we have now made 192 arrests in relation to this incident. Of that number, 24 people have been arrested more than once.

Of all the sites originally affected, all but one are now reporting a complete business as usual function and we continue to engage with a small number of people who remain at one site.

Our aim is to bring this situation to a swift and safe conclusion.

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“Our response to these protests have now entered the fifth day. Thankfully, we have been able to keep the disruption caused to the affected businesses to a minimum and all but one are now reporting business as usual.
“There is a small number of people who continue to protest, and we are working to resolve this as quickly and – most importantly – as safely as possible.
“We are continuing to work alongside our key partners on this issue and our priority has always been to bring this incident to a safe conclusion and to bring the areas affected back to normality as quickly as possible.
“A large element of that is our proactive response, which again has yielded results in the last 24 hours, with 20 arrests made.
“As a result, no new protests have been reported on any sites in the area.
“I want to again emphasise that policing is not anti-protest; we will always endeavour to facilitate protest where we can.
“However, we must be robust when laws have been broken, that is what our community expects of us. That means making arrests when other options have been exhausted and, where we can, pursuing action against those who we believe have broken the law.
“We are in dialogue with the Crown Prosecution Service, as well as other forces, as we seek to achieve that.”

Our response to a number of protests in Thurrock is continuing today, Monday 4 April.

Ten people have been arrested as a result of proactive and preventative work by our officers.

Eight of the arrests took place this morning after officers from our operational support group (OSG) stopped a vehicle in London Road, Grays, shortly after 4am.

When the vehicle was stopped, eight people attempted to leave it. However, all were arrested.

During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers found a number of items which caused them to believe those in the vehicle were intent on causing criminal damage.

Each of the group were arrested on suspicion of various offences including conspiracy to cause a public nuisance and possession of articles to commit criminal damage.

Shortly after midday today, two people were searched and subsequently arrested close to a protest site, in Oliver Road, Grays.

They were arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting criminal damage.

All ten people who were arrested remain in custody this afternoon.

In total, we have now made 172 arrests in relation to a number of protests which took place in the Thurrock area and we continue to engage with a small number of people remaining in situ.

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“Whilst we have reacted – and continue to react – to this incident, we also have officers focusing on the prevention of further disruption.
“We continue to work today, alongside our key partners, to bring these protests to a safe conclusion, prevent any risk to the public and to minimise the impact being caused to the community.
“Our aim is to bring the areas affected back to normality as quickly as possible.
“I want to again emphasise that policing is not anti-protest, and we will always endeavour to facilitate protest where we can. However, we must intervene when there is a risk to life or where laws are being broken – and we will continue to do so.”

We have now arrested a total of 155 people following protests in the Thurrock district.

57 people were arrested yesterday, Saturday 2 April.

A further 35 people have been arrested today, Sunday 3 April.

We arrested 63 people on Friday, 1 April.

The people were arrested on suspicion of a variety of offences.

We continue to work with our partners including Thurrock Council, and our blue light colleagues to manage the situation.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“The operational and logistical challenges my officers have faced in the last 48 hours have been exceptional.
“We continue to work today with our key partners to bring these protests to a swift and safe conclusion, and to minimise community impact.
“A priority has been to reopen the sites disrupted by these protests, and I am pleased with the progress we are making.
“I want to once again be clear: policing is not anti-protest, but we must intervene where there is a risk to life or where laws are being broken, and we will do so.”

We have arrested a total of 83 people following protests in the Thurrock district.

63 people were arrested yesterday, Friday 1 April, following protests in Oliver Road, Grays, in London Road, Purfleet, and in Askew Farm Lane, Grays.

A further 20 people have been arrested today, Saturday 2 April, in Oliver Road, Grays, and Stoneness Road, Grays.

They were arrested on suspicion of a variety of offences.

We are continuing to engage with protestors in Oliver Road, Grays, Stoneness Road, Grays, and London Road, Grays.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“Our officers are continuing to work in exceptionally challenging circumstances with a view to bringing these protests to a safe and swift conclusion.
“I would like to thank businesses, local drivers and workers for their continued patience whilst we carry out our work.”

Update: 1:15pm

We remain on the site of several protests in the Thurrock district this morning.
Our officers are engaging with those in attendance to try and bring the incident to a swift and safe conclusion.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“We are working to minimise the disruption at Navigator Fuel Distribution Centre, Askew Farm Lane, and at a depot in London Road, Purfleet.
“I am pleased to say that we’ve worked quickly to arrest thirteen people so far for the disruption this morning, and that officers were quick to respond to any reports of further incidents across Thurrock.
“Road disruption is currently minimal, and I’d like to thank local drivers, workers and businesses for their patience whilst we continue to engage with those at the three sites.
“I want to be clear: policing is not anti-protest, but we must intervene where there is a risk to life or where laws are being broken.
“This is an extremely dangerous situation for the protestors to be in. We are being clear on the risks, and are continuing to engage with them to try and bring this to a conclusion.
“My hope is that this will be resolved safely and swiftly, so that our officers can get back to protecting and serving the people of Essex.”

As mentioned, eleven people have been arrested this morning on suspicion of obstruction of the highway. They were:

• A 28-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man, both from Norwich.
• A 19-year-old man from Cambridge.
• An 18-year-old woman from Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds.
• A 20-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man, from unknown hometowns.
• We await the details of a further seven arrests.

 

Friday 1 April 2022 7:07am

We are currently dealing with three incidents in Thurrock, where a group of people are reportedly blocking the roads.

We were called to the Navigator Fuel Distribution Centre at 3:50am this morning. A call followed soon afterwards, alerting us to a similar situation in Askew Farm Lane.

Our officers are also now responding to reports from a depot on London Road in Purfleet.

Six people have been arrested so far.

Our officers are currently working to resolve the situation quickly and safely and nearby roads may remain closed as a part of this.

We are urging any drivers to avoid the area and plan their journey accordingly.

We appreciate your patience and understanding.