ESSEX Police have released footage of a dramatic chase and arrest as covert firearms officers executed a safe and controlled vehicle stop to detain several suspects following a knifepoint robbery.

The vehicle was linked to the incident, reportedly involving a machete, in the Greenwich area of London last month.

Working closely with Met Police colleagues, the vehicle was traced entering of Essex before travelling along the A127 towards Basildon.

It was closely followed by several teams, including covert officers and the National Police Air Service helicopter.

Four suspects were detained without the need for a pursuit.

A statement from police says: "These response specialists patrol our county every day and are called out to some of the most serious offences.

"They practice calm, professional and controlled armed policing, ensuring threats are swiftly eliminated without pulling a trigger.

"Despite the fact our armed officers have made dozens of arrests during firearms deployments this year, they've not had to fire a shot in the line of duty since 2015.

"Of those 270 deployments, around 120 have involved responding to reports of suspects with weapons.

Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Bliss, head of our Force Support Unit, said: "The suspects in this case never stood a chance of escaping.

"The work of our covert firearms officers means criminals regularly don't know we're about to strike until it's too late.

"My teams operate with minimum fanfare, but they support local policing and patrol our roads every day – working effectively as response officers and pursuit specialists where needed.

"We have many tools in our arsenal to keep the public of Essex safe."