Six people were arrested and weapons seized following violence on Southend seafront.
A section 60 dispersal order, which gives police officers the authority to exercise stop and search powers, is in place following reports of violence at around 7pm on Tuesday night.
Images on social media appeared to show at least four people dressed in black waving machetes near the Adventure Island theme park.
Southend councilor Daniel Cowan tweeted: “I urge calm and encourage people to avoid Jubilee Beach this evening whilst @EssexPoliceUK deals with a large influx of young people.
“It is a developing situation which CCTV is monitoring and further police resources are on the way to support the dispersal order in place.”
Exxex Police said the order will remain in effect until 8pm on Wednesday.
Read more on Sky News:
Tributes paid to three girls killed in stabbings in Southport
Israel says it killed ‘right-hand man of Hezbollah leader’
Huw Edwards must appear in court
‘Zero tolerance approach’
Chief Superintendent Morgan Cronin said: “We have a zero-tolerance approach to violence, disorder and carrying weapons in Essex.
“We have a large number of officers in the city center, who have already seized several weapons and made quick arrests following these incidents.
“Our employees are working closely with our partners and local businesses to ensure they are safe and supported. We want to make sure our communities are safe and we will use all the appropriate powers at our disposal to do so.
“Our officers responded to these incidents reported by the public this evening, and the information they provided is invaluable.”
He added: “I would also like to thank the vast majority of the law-abiding public for their cooperation today.
“But we know there are other witnesses to these incidents who may have important details to share.
“We will have a visible presence in Southend tonight and tomorrow – if you know anything please speak to one of our officers or contact us to help.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25570968/Pixel_Google_Aug13_Live_Blog_The_Verge_084.JPG?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "Live coverage of the Google Pixel 9 launch event: all the news and products"){kind=tracking}
