Mystery surrounds the sight of 12 armed police standing guard at Basildon Magistrates' Court.
Police are remaining tight-lipped about the heavy security although they confirmed it was in place to protect a defendant who was in custody.
The defendant is not thought to be from Essex.
An Essex Police spokesman said it was part of an ongoing investigation but would not give details.
He said: "The police cordon was to do with someone who was appearing in court and needed protecting. We cannot go into detail. We take special precaution on issues where we believe it is necessary.
"I can confirm this was not related to terrorism."
Published Monday August 9, 2004
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