A POLICE operation in Thurrock targeting violent offenders resulted in a number of arrests, including one that involved a chase through gardens.

Another incident involving officers resulted in them seizing an e-scooter and making a referral to a child services after a teenager was stopped riding a private vehicle while carrying an 18-month old baby under one arm.

Across the county 14 people considered violent offenders were arrested.

Among them, officers in Waltham Abbey arrested a man wanted on recall to prison, and discovered what appeared to be an illegal Taser and 70 wraps of suspected Class A drugs in his address. A woman at the property was also arrested.

In Grays, officers arrested a man wanted in connection with a domestic violence incident as well as being on recall to prison.

The man attempted to evade officers through nearby gardens before officers detained him in his address.

Officers also located and arrested a second man wanted for breaching his bail conditions.

 In Chelmsford a man wanted on recall to prison was arrested, and another man wanted on suspicion of assaulting a woman in the High Street was also arrested. Officers in the city also carried out a warrant at an address of a suspect wanted on suspicion of rape, who attended a police station for arrest later that day.

In Thurrock, officers also located a suspect who had failed to attend court, and a second person on suspicion of immigration offences.

As well as arresting dangerous offenders, officers have been out on patrol in town and city centres providing reassurance and making sure everyone is behaving safely.

In Thurrock, officers seized an e-scooter and made a referral to a child services after a teenager was stopped riding a private vehicle while carrying an 18-month old baby under one arm.

In Southend, another six illegal e-scooters and one electric bike were seized while officers were in the city centre.

And in Harwich, officers were out on patrol with local councillors and speaking to the public to find out more about what matters to them in their community.

 Alongside all this work, officers from the force's Roads Policing Unit stopped 130 vehicles and seized 14 of them for driving with no insurance, carried out three speed check operations and reported more than 50 traffic offences.

More officers also carried out five weapon sweeps across open spaces in the county, and eight people were stopped and searched.

Superintendent Phil Stinger said: "This is just a snapshot of all the work the force carries out every day.

"It takes hundreds of officer and staff hours to achieve this each time, and we'll be out again tomorrow doing more of the same.

"We make sure we're as visible and accessible as possible to send a clear message – we will not tolerate anti-social behaviour or violence in Essex, and we are here to listen if you need to report a crime.

"ASB and violent crime are both down in Essex year-on-year, and we will bring it down even further."