SOUTHEND is a much-loved British seaside resort where families flock for fish and chips, funfair rides and the world’s longest pleasure pier.
But the Essex city has spent years battling a darker problem of yobs turning its streets into a playground for violence, intimidation and anti-social behaviour.
Southend City Council employed street rangers and a youth engagement officer patrol the High Street Credit: Paul Edwards
Floods of yobs wreaking havoc having flocked to Southend’s seafront Credit: Supplied
Residents have endured hundreds of youngsters descending on the area and causing anarchy – with much of the wild scenes ending up on TikTok.
Businesses have been forced to shut early as cops swoop to break up huge gathering crowds flocking along the seafront.
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There have even been machete brawls as rival gangs use the town as a battleground – with fed-up locals telling The Jattvibe the thugs “don’t give a f***”.
Others say the youngsters descend on the town simply “looking for trouble”, with the disorder now spreading beyond the seafront and into the city centre.
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Cops line the seafront to disperse the yobs Credit: Supplied
Southend seafront and amusement park is popular among vistors Credit: Paul Edwards
But Southend has now gone to war on the yobbos, with cops and the council deploying a string of new tactics to take back its streets.
Officers have been using stop and search powers, dispersal orders, high-visibility patrols and live facial recognition to target troublemakers.
The city also has private security Street Rangers and Community Safety Officers patrolling the centre.
And there are signs the crackdown is beginning to turn a corner.
Essex Police says crime across Southend has fallen – including a 20 per cent drop in violent and knife crime – while the force says it is solving three times as many shoplifting offences as it did three years ago.
Police also say there has been a 13 per cent reduction in anti-social behaviour and an 11 per cent fall in serious violence.
Home Office data showed Southend has the highest shoplifting figures in Essex over the last financial year, with 12 incidents per 1,000 people.
The latest weapon in the fight is live facial recognition, with Essex cops now celebrating its 200th arrest using the technology.
There were 26 LFR arrests in August alone, including suspects wanted over violent and theft offences, taking the total to 200.
Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings said the technology allows cops to locate wanted people more efficiently, freeing officers to carry out visible patrols and engage with communities.
The system creates a watchlist of people police are seeking to locate, including those wanted for offences, subject to court orders or considered at risk of harm.
The crackdown has come after years of residents and traders dealing with the consequences of disorder.
Shop keeper Hamza Zulifqar, 24, has been patched up after he was allegedly attacked by youths Credit: Paul Edwards
The inside of Big News after Hamzar was reportedly attacked Credit: Supplied
Footage obtained by The Jattvibe of one incident shows officers flooding the area to disperse vast crowds of youths.
And last month, Big News shopkeeper Hamza Zulfiqar, 24, was left with his wounds plastered up after a confrontation with a group of youths.
Hamza, who has worked at the shop just off the High Street for 11 months, said the gang had repeatedly stolen from his business.
He said: “For sometime now the same group kept coming in here and stealing things, we couldn’t do anything to prevent it.
“They would laugh at us when we said we would call the police. And then days later they would come back and do it again.
“I ended up saying I would publish a photo from CCTV of their faces on Facebook, they then came back and asked why we hadn’t and began making threats to kill me.
“Next thing you know several of them push through and one climbs on the counter and hits me. I punch him back in self defence.
“The shelf with sweets and chocolate went flying and me and one of the kids fell to the ground.
“They then all ran out of the shop. It was terrifying.”
Seafront business owner Valentina, 52, says the crackdown has made a difference, but traders can still pay the price when large crowds descend.
Cops say they have increased their presence in the seafront and city centre Credit: Paul Edwards
Valentina has ran her business on the Southend seafront for nine years Credit: Paul Edwards
She has run The Boat House for nine years and believes police now have more control over the trouble.
But she says dispersal orders can still force businesses to close and leave traders struggling to survive.
Valentina told The Jattvibe: “The issue of yobs has been worse in previous years to be honest, I would say the police have got more of a grip on them running wild, but it still happens.
“But when they do come here, the dispersal order officers put in place forces us to close and shut early.
“The council offers no relief when this comes into effect, and there is zero sympathy.
“They don’t understand how hard it is to run a business in today’s climate and the challenges we are all facing here. Yesterday I took around £280 and had two waitresses to pay.
“For some of us down here on the front we are just trying to make ends meet. Before the pandemic on a busy day we would take around £2,500/£3000, now it is about survival.”
The city has been hit by a social media-fuelled gathering craze, with officers previously forced to disperse crowds after calls to “get lit and cause trouble”.
Cops became aware of plans to cause trouble in Southend just a day after hundreds of teenagers gathered on Oxford Street amid a TikTok looting craze.
A similar social media meet-up was planned for Southend, according to 20-year-old Mia Cundy, who grew up locally.
Student Mia says she no longer wants to live in Southend Credit: Paul Edwards
Brandy Baler and John Raftery told The Jattvibe they were attacked by youths last month Credit: Paul Edwards
Mia left for Colchester to study law and says she no longer wants to live in Southend because of the behaviour she sees there.
She said: “There are young kids running wild doing balloons, smoking weed, always getting into confrontations with security.
“The thing is there’s nothing for the kids to do, the amusements down here are a bit babyish for them.
“There needs to be somewhere for them to go, they see these homeless drunks and they want a bit of it.
“I don’t want to live here anymore. I am studying law at Colchester and even though it’s close it’s so much nicer there.”
Friends Brandy Baker and John Raftery also claim they were attacked by youths on the High Street.
John said the youngsters tried to snatch his bike before fleeing, with a Stanley knife allegedly falling from one lad’s pocket.
He said: “It is bloody terrifying, they smashed my bike in the ordeal, don’t know why they started on us but the kids are out looking for trouble.”
Brandy added: “There’s an influx of people from all over and they are struggling to integrate.
“The young kids here are animals, out of control. Every day there is something else crazy happening, and innocent people get caught up in it.”
Police say the difference is now being made by combining old-fashioned visible policing with new technology and tougher powers.
A notice warning against anti-social behaviour on the seafront Credit: Paul Edwards
A greedy baby Herring Gull scoffs a Greggs sausage roll whole Credit: Paul Edwards
Dispersal orders give officers the power to direct people to leave an area where there are reasonable grounds to believe their behaviour could contribute to crime or disorder.
Southend also has a Public Spaces Protection Order covering the town centre, seafront and adjoining areas, with restrictions targeting behaviours including anti-social drinking, drug use and other nuisance activity.
Chief Inspector Jane Childs said: “Southend is safe and I am pleased that tens of thousands of people have travelled here each month this summer to enjoy the record-breaking hot weather.
“We’ve worked hard with our partners, including Southend-on-Sea City Council, British Transport Police, and the local traders, to ensure visitors can enjoy our fantastic city safely.
“Crime across Southend is down in the last years, including violent crime and knife crime, which has fallen by 20 percent. At the same time, we’ve secured 15 percent more knife crime related charges.
“So far this summer we have not experienced any significant violence or disorder.
“In fact, when we there was information about a group planning to come and cause trouble here, officers met them at the train station, turned them around, and sent them on their way.
“We know the impact shoplifting has on our hardworking local businesses and through the relentless focus of our officers, we’re solving three times the number of offences we did three years ago.
“We will always utilise the tools available to us to ensure residents, businesses and visitors are safe, and that includes dispersal orders.
“By using these powers, we’re able to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and ensure businesses are able to stay open and people are able to enjoy everything Southend has to offer.
“Fortunately though, this summer we’ve not had to put these orders in place very often.
“We have a really good working relationship with the seafront traders and they have told me and my officers how positive they’ve been about this summer.
“Finally, I want to thank the vast majority of people in Southend who support the city and us.
“You will continue to see us visible in our communities so when you see us, please come and say hi.”
Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council Daniel Cowan said: “We work closely with Essex Police, local businesses and our community safety teams to keep Southend safe and welcoming, and anyone coming here intent on causing trouble should expect a robust no-tolerance response.
“But we won’t allow a tiny minority to define our city or dictate our summer: millions of people visit Southend every year.”
