Colchester: Boy charged with robberies

A boy has been charged with two offences as part of our investigation into a number of robberies reported to us in Colchester.

In total four boys have been arrested as part of our response.

Three 13-year-old boys were arrested on Thursday and were released on conditional bail not to enter Colchester city centre or to be in the area around Philip Morant School.

A fourth boy, aged 16, was arrested on Friday and questioned on suspicion of robbery.

A 16-year-old boy from Colchester has now been charged with two counts of robbery and will appear in Chelmsford Youth Court today, Monday 16 June.

The incidents took place in Castle Park on 1 June, during which an e-scooter was stolen, and in Old Heath Recreation Ground on 2 June, during which a bike was stolen.

'All concerns reported to us are acted upon'

Chief Inspector Colin Cox said:

“The investigation into a series of robberies in Colchester is very much ongoing at this stage but we have worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and we’ve secured two charges.
“We know there have been concerns across the district but I would like the public to know that the investigative team is taking action and I would reiterate that although we have seen a brief rise in robberies in Colchester, the reality is the number of incidents is decreasing over the last five years.
“Looking at pre-pandemic crime levels, in the 12 months to May 2019, there were 189 robberies recorded in Colchester. In the 12 months to last month, May 2023, there were 174.
“And likewise, antisocial behaviour is down by more than one-third in the last year but compared to 2019, it is down by 60 percent. In the 12 months leading to May 2019, there had been 5,054 incidents. In the 12 months to last month, May 2023, there were 1,978.
“I can assure our residents that all concerns presented to us are taken seriously and acted upon.”