A MAN was arrested at a train station after a weapon was found, as part of a crackdown on crime in Essex which saw a dozen people arrested.

Essex Police carried out almost 370 hours worth of operations on Friday, arresting a total of 12 people for a variety of different offences. 

In Epping Forest, officers supported British Transport Police as they detained a man at a train station on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon.

A man in Harlow, meanwhile, was also arrested on suspicion of drink driving and driving with no insurance. His car was also seized.

In Southend, officers seized an electric bike and electric scooter which were breaching a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) and spoke to members of the public on patrol throughout their evening.

They also carried out a knife sweep in Warrior Square which resulted in a weapon being found and seized and a man arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency 

Elsewhere in the county, a man in Chelmsford was arrested by officers following a stop and search, and in the Tendring officers located a second man who had a warrant for his arrest. 

Two more men wanted in connection with a robbery were also located after officers carried out a warrant in Chelmsford.

29-year-old Luke Buxton and 28-year-old Chris McDonald, both of Spring Close in Chelmsford, have since been charged with robbery. Buxton was also charged with possessing an offensive weapon.

On the roads, meanwhile, officers carried out 200 speed checks and stopped more than 150 vehicles to ensure the vehicles and drivers were following the rules of the road.

As part of these stops, officers identified a man wanted on suspicion of rape, a second man wanted on suspicion of sexual offences, and a third man wanted on suspicion of shoplifting, who were all arrested.

15 vehicles were seized over the course of the day, and 90 traffic offences were recorded.

Chief inspector Steve Scott-Haynes said: “The vast majority of people using our roads are doing so safely – but we will catch you if you are driving dangerously.

“This work on the highways is just one element of all the work we carried out on Friday as well. With half-term coming to an end we have been out on patrol to make sure everyone can enjoy the break and good weather considerately.

“And we’ll be out in towns, in cities and on our roads again today.”