Southend home-bred gangs blamed for weekend violence

Violent scenes on the seafront and in the city centre over the summer were blamed on “out of towners” visiting Southend, but councillor for public protection, Martin Terry, has blamed the weekend’s problems on “tit for tat attacks by gangs fighting over turf”. 

On Saturday, a man was stabbed in Eastwood after four men chased him through Rayleigh Road, before a knife was seen during a brawl in Southchurch Road in the early hours of Sunday morning. 

Violence - The brawl in Southchurch Road (Image: Provided)
Mr Terry has emphasised that the Eastwood incident was a targeted, gang-related incident which, though “unacceptable and frightening” – is contained between various “home-bred gangs” the police are working to smash.

Eastwood Park Lib Dem councillor Rob McMullan has raised concerns about the timing and location of the Eastwood stabbing, fearing the public could have been put in harm’s way regardless of the incident “being targeted or not”. 

Mr Terry said: “This is gang-related. The lot in the summer were gang-related and we have the same home-bred gangs now, not London bred, which is a sad reflection of the time.”

Cordon - The cordon in Southchurch Road following the brawl (Image: Vince Goodwin)

However, Mr Terry is confident that the police can and will break apart the gangs responsible for violence and pointed to a 30 per cent decrease in reports of antisocial behaviour in Southend.

He added: “What is important to say is that the Eastwood incident was clearly targeted and while frightening, the public shouldn’t be worried, and it is gang related.

“The general public need not be concerned. This violence is unacceptable in our society, and it was a targeted attack, notwithstanding that I find it, as a resident and a councillor of the city, to be unacceptable.

Cordon - Officers on the scene (Image: Vince Goodwin)

“These are tit-for-tat attacks by gangs fighting over turf. If we could stop it we would and while disturbing, the levels in this city are not out of kilter. We are seeing an increase in violence across the country.

“Essex Police is the largest it has ever been, and they will put resources where they are needed. They will uplift numbers in Eastwood.

“There is no complacency, and we can see an end.”

The stabbing in Eastwood saw the victim, in his 20s, chased by four men who got out of two vehicles. He was taken to hospital but his injuries are not life-threatening or life-changing. 

Mr McMullan said: “My concern is the timing and the location it happened in – half-four on Saturday in a quiet residential part of Southend opposite the local park.

“What concerned me is families could have come out of the park and gotten mixed up in it, innocent people through no fault of their own.”