Southend facial recognition after terrifying machete attack

The innovative technology will be in use from Thursday to Sunday this week in response to a violent machete attack in the early hours of Sunday morning September 15. 

Police have arrested a total of four people in response to the incident. 

A 32-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of affray has been released on bail whilst police enquiries continue.

Terrifying - Pictures showing a machete fight in Southchurch Road (Image: Provided)

Two men, aged 19 and 24, and a 17-year-old boy, were arrested yesterday on suspicion of GBH.

Detectives continue to question the 24-year-old and the 17-year-old. The 19-year-old will face no further action in relation to this matter.

Facial recognition van - In Southend (Image: Newsquest)

Chief Inspector David Browning, Southend district commander, said: “This investigation continues to progress at pace and I know the detective and staff team are specialists in their field.

“But I also know the public will naturally expect their police force to do all we can to ensure people intent on committing crime in our city are stopped and caught.

“Having this technology available to us is a significant asset; we are using it to identify and locate people who we want to speak to in connection with serious offences.

Control room - Police monitoring the facial recognition camera (Image: Newsquest)

“And I want to be very clear that the overwhelming majority of people in our city have nothing to worry about – but violent criminals do.

“The people involved in serious incidents cannot expect to walk freely in our community and this technology allows us to keep our communities safe.”