POLICE have issued an appeal for witnesses and information following yesterday's incident that saw a car crash into Stanford's rail crossing barriers.

A statement says: "Officers patrolling in the Thurrock district yesterday (Friday, 27 December) were alerted to a car which had been reported stolen in Tilbury.

"The driver of the vehicle made off from police in Orsett and a pursuit ensued by roads police officers.

"They followed the vehicle and during the incident the car damaged a level crossing in Church Hill, Stanford-le-Hope, affecting c2c trains in the early part of the evening.

"The stolen vehicle was subsequently recovered in Stanford-le-Hope. However police are seeking the occupants, who made off.

"We are appealing to anyone who witnessed any part of this incident or has dashcam footage to get in touch."

Thurrock District Commander Chief Inspector Tony Atkin said: "Vehicle thefts have a huge impact on our community and is one of the main issues raised to me at public meetings.

"Tackling this type of offending is not only a local priority but also a priority for Essex Police as a whole. We understand the impact car theft has on both individuals and business and we are actively targeting those who think they can steal people's vehicles. 

"We use data and proactively patrol identified hotspot areas to target those who make criminal use of our roads and try to evade arrest.

"We worked closely with partners following yesterday's investigation to ensure minimal disruption to the train network and local community.

"The damage caused at the level crossing in Church Hill had the potential to put lives at risk and it was important that this was repaired immediately to safeguard both road and train users. 

"We appreciate the public's patience while this work was carried out."

The police statement continued: "Our enquiries are ongoing, and we appeal to anyone with information or dash cam footage relating to this to contact us as soon as possible. Please cite incident 0645 of 27 December.

"You can let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service which is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week. 

"It can be found at the bottom right of our homepage at www.essex.police.uk. 

"Visit www.essex.police.uk/digital101 to find out more about our website reporting services.

 "Alternatively, you can call us on 101."