Braintree: Three arrested for shop theft and £1,000 goods recovered

Roads Policing Unit officers’ quick response results in three people arrested on suspicion of shop theft and £1,000 goods and alcohol recovered.

We were called shortly after 12 noon on Wednesday 21 August, notifying us of suspicious activity in Blyths Meadow, Braintree, where a woman and man were running towards a car and hurriedly trying to get inside it.

An off-duty police officer gave our Force Control Room operator their vehicle registration before their driver headed off in the direction of Chelmsford.

Roads Policing officers were deployed to the scene where they found a discarded bag of medicines, whilst colleagues searched the area for the car.

Officers spotted the Seat car heading west on the A12 at Margaretting, and the vehicle was brought to a tactical stop at Brentwood after a short pursuit in which no one was injured and no cars damaged.

On the back seat of the car was a large amount of stolen goods including alcohol and medications.

The three occupants, a woman and two men, all in their 20s, were arrested on suspicion of shop theft. They remain in custody for questioning in connection with two reports of theft at two stores in Braintree, earlier that same morning.

Head of Essex Police's Roads Policing Unit, Mr Adam Pipe, said:
Roads Policing officers will deal with all offences, especially those involved in the criminal use of our roads, and not just traffic issues.
Thanks to the eagle-eye of an off-duty police officer, their assistance helped my officers respond professionally and quickly to the area to locate and arrest three people, recovering a substantial amount of goods too.
Shoplifting has a detrimental effect on any business, and longer term on the community they serve, and we will continue to do all we can businesses to continue to trade and keep their staff safe.

Our Roads Policing Unit (RPU) provide a specialist response across our road network. Their expertise helps to keep our roads safe and traffic moving. They work to make sure those road users who put others at risk by speeding, driving dangerously or any other illegal behaviour, are held accountable for their actions. Our officers look for those using our roads to commit crime and disrupt criminal activity.

So that our officers can be even more effective on our roads, and better support the Strategic Road Network (SRN), our RPU based at Stanway, Colchester, have moved to our sites in Boreham and Thorpe-Le-Soken.

Our RPU will continue to operate 24/7 across the county. They will continue to work alongside officers and staff throughout Essex to help people and catch criminals. They will also continue to work to prevent and reduce road deaths and serious collisions on our roads.

In line with our Estates Strategy, the site at Stanway, which is not open to the public, will be sold. Funds will be reinvested into your police service.

This move does not affect the police teams who currently, and will continue to, work from Colchester Police Station. The sale of the Stanway site will not change local policing delivery or our visibility in our communities.

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