Suspected car thieves across Southend got an early wake up call today as police swooped in a series of dawn raids.

Operation Sturgate's aim was to catch persistent car thieves and those with outstanding warrants for car crime and burglaries.

The operation was spearheaded by a dedicated intelligence unit which identified targets and collected evidence.

Around 40 plain-clothed officers began the operation at 6.15am, using the element of surprise to catch the suspects asleep at home.

Chief Insp Will Kennedy said: "We are sending out a clear message to car thieves - if they continue to commit car crime they will continue to be arrested in this manner."

The 16 addresses visited by officers were across the Southend police division and a few further afield where suspects were thought to have been involved in criminal activity in the town.

The teams went out at the same time to prevent targets tipping off others. The operation was in response to an increase in car crime and shorter days which can also cause a rise.

Police were forced to batter down the door at one address as the target refused to open the door. Once inside officers handcuffed him and he then co-operated with officers who searched his home.

At one house drugs were found and stolen property was recovered from several others.

Mr Kennedy said: "This is only part of Operation Sturgate but so far it has been successful. We will see some of the suspects coming before the courts in the next few days, with others it could be a few weeks as evidence is collected.

"A good thing is that we have recovered postcoded property from an address and so we will be able to return it to its owner."

Ready to go in - police carry out one of many dawn raids this morning

Picture: STEPHEN LLOYD

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