Colchester stabbings: Police flood town centre after three Londoners stabbed in just 10 minutes

Stabbings: One of the men is thought to have been knifed on the high street
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Mark Chandler7 March 2016
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Police invoked special powers to search people for weapons and restore order in an Essex town after three London men were stabbed in the space of just 10 minutes.

Last night’s violence in Colchester began when a London 18-year-old was found with suspected stab wounds to his shoulder.

Just five minutes later, at 6.27pm, a 21-year-old man from Barking was found on nearby North Hill with a stab wound to his leg.

Finally, a London 17-year-old was found near a car park at 6.31pm, believed to have four stab wounds to his arm.

All three men were taken to hospital and later arrested for a range of offences.

Just minutes before the stabbings began, a man was also assaulted in car park by a gang of four people, police said.

In a rare move last night, Essex Police used powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, allowing them to stop and search people for dangerous objects without needing to have reasonable suspicion.

Chief Inspector Simon Andrew said the decision was taken to “ensure the safety of everyone in the town”.

He said: “This was very much a temporary measure while we carried out initial investigations into the stabbings to establish if they were all linked and the reasons behind them.

“We have already arrested three people for offences including possession of cannabis, violent disorder and breach of bail conditions.

“They all live outside of Essex and they will be questioned shortly once they have been treated for their injuries, which all include puncture wounds which are not life-threatening or likely life-changing.”

He added: “We only deployed this robust policing tactic for as long as it was necessary to ensure that order had been fully restored, suspects had been arrested and anyone intent on causing trouble had dispersed.

“There was a significant police presence in the town to manage the section 60 power and maintain order and we would advise members of the public intending to visit Colchester to carry on as normal.”

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