Southend: Robbery victim thanks police for rapid return of iPhone

An Adventure Island employee who was robbed of her new iPhone has thanked officers after it was returned later that day.

Kelsey Brown, 17, had been enjoying her break on the sea wall by Southend Pier when the iPhone 13 was taken.

Thanks to quick work from our officers, Adventure Island’s security team and Southend City Council’s CCTV operators, six people were identified and arrested at Southend Victoria train station.

Kelsey said: “I didn’t think I’d see my phone again. I hadn’t had it long. It was a birthday present and my birthday was only in May.

“When I was told they may have caught the person, I tried not to get my hopes up as I thought that once someone steals your phone, it’s gone.

“This time I was so very lucky. When I got the phone back, I was so relieved.”

Sergeant James Mint of the Southend Community Policing Team (CPT) said to combat robbery was a priority for his team and that the quick arrests sent a very clear message to criminals.

“PC Mark Cann was on the scene within moments. We were able to get good descriptions of the people we wanted to speak to and, with the help of the council’s CCTV team, were then able to locate them and make quick arrests.

“This was an excellent example of effective partnership working. We’re all one team working to keep Southend safe. If you come to Southend and you’re here to commit crime, you will get arrested.”

Marc Miller, managing director of Adventure Island’s owners, is in daily contact with Southend CPT as part of the local traders’ group and welcomed the visible police presence in the city.

He said: “We’re a tourism business, and for residents, visitors that come to the town, and people that work at Adventure Island, you want to feel safe. It’s important for people to understand that the police are there to help them, and having bobbies on the beat helps prevent crime.

“The public are reassured when they see police and with the increased numbers you’ve seen since last year, it’s had a massive impact making people feel safe coming to Southend.”

Whether you live in Southend or are visiting for the day, you can expect to see our officers on patrol to keep you safe across the city from Shoeburyness to Old Leigh throughout the summer.

Southend is a safe and welcoming place to live, work and socialise and we're working with local businesses and our partners at Southend City Council, Essex County Fire and Rescue and the British Transport Police to keep it that way.

If you spot a crime taking place or lives are in danger, please call 999. For non-emergency calls, contact us on 101 or you can report online.