A TOWN centre fight in Basildon last night (Tuesday, 5 April) prompted the implementation of m stop and search powers to police officers.

A statement from Essex Police says: "We were alerted to a fight at High Street, Basildon, just after 6pm today, Tuesday 5 April, where it was reported that weapons had been seen.

"To keep our communities safe, an extension of the stop and search powers officers already have has been authorised under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

"This means that officers will not need to have reasonable grounds to carry out a stop and search of persons in the area.

Inspector Danny Barnes, Basildon LPT, said: "The additional stop and search powers have been authorised as a precaution following reports of a fight involving a large number of people.

"When we attended, we recovered a number of discarded weapons, including bats and knives.

"The use of these powers is not a decision we take lightly and are in place to keep the community of Basildon and its residents safe.

"You will see officers patrolling the area to identify anyone intent on committing crime and we encourage anyone who has concerns to speak to us directly or contact us on 101."

The order was authorised at 7.22pm last night and will be in place until 7.22pm today (Wednesday, 6 April) covering the area highlighted in the map.