Southend: Two charged following attempted burglary

Two men have been charged and are set to appear in court following a swift police response to an attempted burglary at a jeweller’s in Southend.

We responded after receiving calls at around 10.15am on Monday 16 February reporting an ongoing incident at a shop in Weston Road.

Members of the public reported men attempting to smash their way into the premises.

An alarm was activated, the shutters began to lower, and the suspects were disturbed by two passing street rangers. Calls were quickly made to us.

This intervention ensured that nothing was stolen, although substantial damage was caused to the shop as the suspects fled.

Further damage was also caused to two vehicles during their escape.

The suspects, who were travelling in a car bearing false number plates, are believed to have abandoned the vehicle and switched to a white van.

This van was quickly traced thanks to fast-paced investigative work, and coordination between a number of forces resulted in a stop on the M1 in Bedfordshire later that day.

Two men were arrested.

Following around-the-clock work, charges of attempted burglary and violent disorder have been secured against:

• Leon Roper, 47, of Coventry Road, Sheldon, Birmingham
• Nathaniel White, 39, of Roma Road, Birmingham

They are due to appear at Southend Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 19 February.

Investigation continues

Detective Inspector Steve Franklin, of Southend CID, said:

“We will not tolerate incidents of this nature in Southend, as I hope our response shows.
“Anyone intent on targeting our businesses will face the full weight of the resources available to us.
“This includes working with partner forces across the country – meaning our reach does not end at the borders of Essex.
“We were helped substantially by street rangers and members of the public in the early stages of our investigation, and this goes to show how valuable that partnership is between the police and those we serve.
“While reaching the point of charge is a significant milestone, our investigation is very much ongoing and I would continue to urge anyone with information they believe could assist us to please get in touch.”

Anyone with information should contact us as soon as possible.

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