POLICE dished out fines totaling more than £18,000 across south Essex overnight as they broke up a number of illegal New Year's Eve parties.

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Prophet said: "I'd like to firstly thank everyone across Essex who stayed at home and did the right thing last night.

"You're protecting our NHS and you've allowed us to attend a large number of callouts across the county, including arresting three people on suspicion of murder in Rayleigh following the death of a man in Worcester Road.

"Unfortunately, there were others who decided to blatantly flout the coronavirus rules and regulations and, ultimately, they decided that partying was more important than protecting other people.

"We've seized their equipment, arrested five people, and issued a large number of fines to those who think this behaviour is acceptable.

"We need you to keep yourselves, other people, and the NHS, safe. Thank you again to everyone who spent their New Year's Eve in a responsible, legal, way. Stay safe, Essex."

Officers from the Essex force Operational Support Group attended three main locations throughout the course of last night and the early hours of this morning.

The first was a conservation-run church in Thorndon Park close to the Thurrock border where hundreds of people had gained entry. In attempting to engage with party-goers, officers had objects thrown at them and were threatened.

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Police gained entry, seized the equipment and dispersed the crowd before midnight. Three arrests were made. Officers later seized a generator at an unlicensed event at an abandoned warehouse in Brentwood and dispersed around 100 people. Two people were arrested: one for failing to provide details, and the other on suspicion of drink driving.

Further afield a woman was issued a £10,000 fine for organising a house party with around 100 attendees on Bury Road, Sewardstonebury, near Epping Forest.