Old Heath Recreation Ground attempted robbery probed by cops

Officers were called to the site near Old Heath Recreation Ground in Colchester by the victim shortly after 7.10pm on Wednesday.

They were told the suspects were armed with knives and had attempted to rob the victim in an alleyway at the park off Recreation Road.

During the terrifying encounter, the crooks demanded several items of their target’s property while flashing the blades at him before he managed to flee on foot.

Terrifying encounter - the attempted robbery took place near Old Heath Recreation Ground (Image: Newsquest)

Sgt Dean Young and Acting Sgt Dan Dukelow attended the scene within minutes and managed to detain two 18-year-olds found with knives.

They were arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery and possession of a bladed article in public and remained in police custody today for questioning.

Officers provided immediate support to the victim who suffered no injuries or personal loss.

A large “Rambo” style blade and a smaller flick-knife, both seen by the Gazette, were later seized and are due to be forensically examined.

Praise - the swift work of the attending officers has been praised by Colchester district commander Colin Cox (Image: Newsquest)

The large-scale operation involved officers from Colchester’s community and local policing teams and the force’s dog unit.

The swift action from the attending police officers has been praised by Colchester’s district commander Colin Cox.

He said: “This fantastic response by my team shows the dedication our officers in Colchester have to keeping people safe and tackling crime in all its forms.

“Knife crime is taken incredibly seriously and we act swiftly and robustly to tackle this issue.”

An Essex Police spokesman appealed for anyone with information about the incident to call officers on 101.