Colchester - a normally genteel borough famed for its history and proud of its low crime rate - has become the scene of an alleged Triad-gang killing.

It is believed the London-based gangs had travelled to the town to visit an illegal gambling den.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Incidents like this are not normal in Colchester. The town is in general very law-abiding and in fact Essex is one of the safest counties in the country."

However, gambling for big money at unlicensed card schools in Colchester is not hard to find, for those in the know.

Locations are normally passed on by word of mouth and punters can pay thousands of pounds to "buy-in" for a seat around the gambling table.

They don't let just anybody in - the fear of undercover police officers infiltrating is great - but hosts usually take a big cut from the money on the table.

A spokesman for Gamblers Anonymous said: "To a gambler it is far better if he can gamble against anonymous people and big money does change hands."

In the past, a handful of restaurants, bars and pubs in the town have been known to host illicit card schools.

London-based Triad gangs are believed to control illegal gambling, drugs and prostitution and run loan-shark rackets.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.