ESSEX Police are investigating an allegation of sexual assault.

A 16-year-old girl reported she was assaulted by a man in Second Avenue, Harlow, at 10.30pm on Saturday, March 31.

Enquiries are ongoing. She described the man as black, about 5ft 6ins tall and of skinny build. He wore a black puffa jacket and red coloured jogging bottoms with white stripes.

Superintendent Craig Saunders said: “We are working to understand the full facts surrounding this incident and detectives are working with the victim to establish the sequence of events.

“You may see some additional officers in the area, who are there to provide reassurance to the local community, and I would encourage anyone in the area with information that could assist the investigation to speak to them.”

Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to contact Harlow CID on 101.

DETECTIVES investigating a robbery in which a man was threatened with a knuckle duster have made an arrest.

A 33-year-old man was threatened and forced to hand over £10 outside a convenience store in Coppice Hatch, Harlow on February 14, 2018.

A 22-year-old man from London was arrested in Harlow just before 1.45pm today on suspicion of robbery, possession of an offensive weapon and being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug.

The man remains in custody and enquiries continue.

Robbery – Harlow Train Station

OFFICERS are appealing for information following a robbery at Harlow train station.

The incident happened on 10 March at 9:10pm.

The victim, a 17-year-old boy, was approached by a man and asked to hand over his phone. Under the threat of force, the man made the victim unlock the phone before handing it over.

Officers are now releasing CCTV images of a man they wish to speak to following the incident as they believe he may have information that could help with the investigation.

Anyone with information should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016 quoting reference 235 of 05/04/2018

ESSEX Police is appealing for information following an incident where a man was robbed in Harlow.

The victim, a man in his 40s, reported he had his phone, watch, and coat stolen in Abercrombie Way at around 6.05pm on Thursday, April 5.

Two people were arrested a short time later.

Roy Tilley, 57, of Pittmans Field, Harlow and Lucy Blye, 34, of Halling Hill, Harlow have both been charged with robbery and theft.

They are due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today (Saturday, April 7)

We are looking for anyone who witnessed this incident to come forward.

In particular we want to speak to a man who helped the victim and a woman who pulled up in a vehicle.

If you are either of these two people or have any information about the incident please contact Harlow CID on 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/46237/18 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A HARLOW woman has been jailed for stealing baby clothing from Next in The Water Gardens.

Sarah Patterson, aged 37, of Amherst Lodge, Harlow pled guilty to the following.

On 31/03/2018 at Harlow, stole BABY CLOTHING, to the value of £19.00, belonging to NEXT STORE, HARLOW.

Patterson was jailed for two weeks as she was already on a post sentence supervision course.

She was also fined £115.00

A HARLOW woman is set to stand trial over a number of thefts across the region.

Lilly Reilly, aged 35, of Hare Street Springs, has been charged with the following.

On 11/04/2017 at Beccles in the county of Suffolk, stole two mobile phones, to a value unknown, belonging to Tesco Ltd.

On 11/03/2017 at Chelmsford in the county of Essex, acting together with another. stole Blu Ray Discs, to the value of £238.99, belonging to Tesco.

Reilly has been remanded on bail.

A trial date has been set for July 10th.

A TOTAL of 329 athletes laced up their trainers for St Clare Hospice’s 10k race on Sunday (8th April). The annual charity 10k race, which has been taking place for over 20 years, is a permanent fixture in Essex running club calendars and attracts competitors from across the county. This year’s event is expected to raise more than £8,000 in vital funding for the Hospice.

The participants, including 4 wheelchair athletes, set off from the Hastingwood-based hospice at 10.30am, tackling a route along roads through the beautiful Essex countryside.

Harlow Wheelchair Racing Squad member, Andrew Bracey, was the first wheelchair competitor across the finish line in a time of 35 mins 55 secs.

Andrew Bracey completed the St Clare 10k with 3 other wheelchair athletes: Adam Goldspink-Burgess (38:32), Martin Pistorius (39:09) and Claire Connon (45:39).

The first man back was Robert Windard from Lincoln and District Runners, in a time of 34 mins 10 secs. He was closely followed by Andrew Mynott (35:00) of Saffron Striders, and Matthew Woodman (35:22) of Orion Harriers.

Alison Beeton of Harlow Running Club took first place in the female category in a time of 43 mins 27 secs. Second place went to Katherine Kimber (44:04), with Rebecca Wilby (44:12) from Dartford Harriers in third.

Emma Broadbent, St Clare’s Challenges and Events Fundraiser, said, “It was a brilliant day and it was so amazing to witness the support shown by the hundreds of people who took part and volunteered. A huge congratulations is in order for our runners and a massive thank you to them for contributing to an incredible amount raised for the Hospice. It is events like this that help to make St Clare the wonderful place that it is – and mean we can continue to care for local people and their families.”

Special thanks go to all the volunteers who marshaled the route and helped on site.

The full St Clare 10k results are available online at: www.racesonline.uk/results/2018-results/st-clares-10k-2018 or on the St Clare website: www.stclarehospice.org.uk/news

A HARLOW teenager has pled guilty to breaching his bail.

Dylan Davis, aged 19, of Blackbush Spring, pled guilty to the following.

On 29/03/2018 at Harlow having been arrested by a constable for breaking a bail condition, namely a curfew between 19.00 and 07.00 daily.

Curfew condition to be electronically monitored, being a person released on 24.11.17 by Chelmsford Crown Court being under a duty to surrender into the custody of a court.

Davis has been re-admitted to conditional bail until the Crown Court hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on 13/04/2018.

Conditions: Curfew: curfew between 19:00 and 07:00 daily.

A HARLOW man has been charged with reversing his car at a police officer.

Daniel Rundle, aged 31, of Markwell Wood, Harlow was charged with the following.

On 21/07/2017 at Epping, drove a mechanically propelled vehicle, on a road, namely B181 Epping Upland without due care and attention in that you obstructed a member of Essex police staff in carrying out her duties before reversing at and towards her, stopping within inches, all after querying why she was there and intimidating her about her job.

The case has been adjourned and will next sit on April 20th at Colchester magistrates court.

Rundle pleads not guilty.

Update: Carly Best has now been found.

ESSEX Police is appealing for help to find 42-year-old Carly Ann Best, who is missing from her home in #Harlow.

Carly is described as being around 5ft tall, of a slim build with shoulder length blonde hair.

She was last seen this afternoon, Thursday, April 12, between 2.00-3.00pm and was wearing a cream jacket over a black top with grey jeans and black Converse trainers.

Carly’s family and police are worried about her and want to find her to make sure she is ok.

Anyone who has seen Carly or has any information about where she might be, is asked to contact Harlow police station on 101.

POLICE Officers would like to speak with him in connection to two bike thefts at Harlow Town station.

The thefts happened on separate dates, on both occasions a man has entered the cycle storage areas and cut the locks off the bicycles.

The first incident was reported to BTP on 30 January this year, the second incident happened at approximately 7pm on 23 February.

Officers believe the man shown in this CCTV image may have information which could help the investigation into both incidents.

Information can be passed to BTP by sending a text to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 300. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Unfortunately, bicycles remain a popular target for opportunistic thieves and officers would like to remain cyclists on bicycle security. Remember to use strong, durable locks and ensure that your bike is registered at www.bikeregister.com.

ESSEX Police want to speak to Ashley Wood in connection with an investigation into making threats to kill and breaching bail conditions.

The 25-year-old has links to Harlow and Enfield.

Do you know where he is?

Contact Dc Brian Sitch on 101.

Alternatively, contact the Crimestoppers charity 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use the anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org

By Local Democracy Reporter

Piers Meyler

HARLOW residents are likely to be landed with a £12 increase on their council tax bill next year to fund policing costs – in addition to the £12 added this year for the same reason.

Roger Hirst, the Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner for Essex has warned that the £12 increase levied on Essex council tax bills this year is not enough to pay for all the extra officers he aims to recruit in the next two years.

Mr Hirst wants to see as many as many as 290 extra officers recruited between now and 2020, taking the total number to around 3140 through an extra investment of around £15 million.

Most of the 150 officers paid for from this year’s council tax increases will not be in place until January 2019.

Cllr Chris Hossack, who sits on the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Panel, said: “If you to come back to ask for £12 a year then what matters to the public is what the results are.

“The issue is that a year from the decision taken to deploy these extra 150 officers, a lot will not have have been in post for a year so we won’t be able to measure the impact.

“Therefore the public might ask ‘what did I get for my £12 last time?’ And the truth is it will be very hard to answer that.”

He added: “I think it be a challenge to do that next year if we can’t fully justify the decision from the previous year.”

53 of the additional officers are due to join the Local Policing Team (LPT), with 50 to the community policing team, 21 to the local domestic abuse investigation team, and one to the cyber crime investigation team.

Mr Hirst said: “The ones we start to recruit now on the back of this precept increase will not land until January 2010.

“Twenty of them will land in October but most will not start to land until January and we will not have them all in place until March 2019.

“The public will be not be seeing the news ones yet but will see the investment in technology and the investment made in more mobile working.”

ESSEX Police have arrested two people on suspicion of assault following a disturbance in Bramble Rise, Harlow, at around 4.40pm yesterday, Monday, April 16.

Officers received reports that a man had been assaulted after he was in an argument with a woman.

The victim was taken to hospital where he is in a stable condition.

Officers arrested a 35-year-old man from Harlow and a 26-year-old woman from Harlow at around 6.15pm yesterday and they have since been released under investigation

A GIRL died after a bouncy castle that two workers had failed to “adequately anchor” was blown 300m across a park with her inside it, a court has heard.

Summer Grant, seven, from Norwich, died in hospital after visiting a fun fair in Harlow, on 26 March 2016 reports the BBC.

Her father told Chelmsford Crown Court he saw the castle go “50ft in the air”.

Fairground workers William Thurston, 29, and his wife Shelby Thurston, 26, both deny a health and safety offence and manslaughter by gross negligence.

Tracy Ayling QC, prosecuting, said Summer was with her father, Lee Grant, and other family members at Thurston’s Fun Fair on Easter Saturday, and that Storm Katie was expected to arrive by Easter Monday.

“While Summer was in the bouncy castle, it blew away from its moorings and bounced 300 metres down a hill. Having hit a tree, it came to rest,” she said.

The two defendants, of Whitecross Road, Wilburton, Cambridgeshire, sat side-by-side in the dock as Ms Ayling opened the prosecution’s case.

“It’s the Crown’s case that they breached the duty of care they owed to Summer Grant by failing to ensure that the bouncy castle, called a circus super dome inflatable, was adequately anchored to the ground and failed to monitor weather conditions to ensure it was safe to use,” Ms Ayling said.

It is believed a strong gust of wind swept the inflatable across the park

Mr Grant, told the court he had taken his two daughters to the fair in Harlow Town Park that day.

When asked by the prosecution about the weather he said it was a bit windy but “nothing to think a bouncy castle would blow away”.

Mr Grant explained that Summer was on the bouncy castle when he heard his mother scream ‘No’. When he turned he saw the bouncy castle in the air. He said “My daughter’s in that” and he ran after it.

He told the court: “It went about 30-50 feet in the air, it was rolling down the field, rolling, rolling, rolling, I think it hit a tree.”

Kevin Smith, an eye witness who had been at the fair with his family told the court there was a gust of wind and the dome started to move. He said: “It started tumbling and cart-wheeling in any direction it could.”

He said he shouted to his partner that there was a little girl in there and ran after it. He said he saw it go down the hill and hit a fence.

The trial continues.

A CHURCH LANGLEY man has admitting to failing to register his home address after being released from custody.

Jake Wright, aged 23, of Whieldon Grange, pleaded guilty to the following.

On 01/04/2018 at Harlow, being a relevant offender within the terms of section 80 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, failed without reasonable excuse to comply with the notification requirements as provided by Part 2 of that Act in that You failed to register your home address within three days of being released from custody.

He was fined £235.00

Wright was re-admitted to conditional bail until May 4th.

Wright is on bail for two alleged offences in relation to possession of cannabis and sending a threatening message on Instagram.

Wright is set to return to court on May 4th at St Alban’s magistrates.

A BOUNCY castle that blew across the Town Park in Harlow with a little girl inside was packed into a trailer before police arrived, a court heard.

Seven-year-old Summer Grant was taken out of the inflatable after it hit a tree and came to rest against a fence, but later died of her injuries in hospital, a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court was told.

A number of witnesses gave evidence today including: staff at Pets Corner, members of the public who had used the fairground that day and police officers who attended at the scene.

Pets Corner employee Kyle Ramm said in a witness statement that he saw the bouncy castle “flipping and spinning” down the hill towards him as he spoke to his colleague Karen Hughes from their position outside the petting zoo.

“Suddenly Karen said ‘oh my God’ and pointed in the direction of the fair,” said Mr Ramm.

“When I looked I saw a yellow dome-style bouncy castle blowing down the hill.

“It was flipping and spinning as it bounced, at least the height of an adult down the hill towards our sheep paddock.”

He said it hit a fence and a tree “with some force as it had snapped a branch”.

“I could see there were people from the fair chasing after it,” he said. “One of them unzipped the castle before going in and coming out with a young girl.

They then placed her in the recovery position and shouted ‘call an ambulance’.”

He said the bouncy castle was soon “totally flat”, adding: “I saw people from the fair had started to load the castle up onto a trailer.”

“Shortly after the castle was removed police arrived and appeared to be cross that the castle had been moved,” he said.

Tommy King, who also works at Pets’ Corner, told the trial that a “truck-type car” came over and “probably about half a dozen” people packed the inflatable away.

Fairground worker William Thurston, 29, and his wife Shelby Thurston, 26, both deny manslaughter by gross negligence and a health and safety offence following the incident at Harlow Town Park in Essex.

Prosecutors say that the Thurtons, of Whitecross Road, Wilburton, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, failed to ensure that the bouncy castle was “adequately anchored” to the ground and failed to monitor weather conditions to ensure it was safe to use on Easter Saturday in 2016.

Summer, from Norwich, had been at the fair with her father Lee Grant and other family members.

The trial continues.

MUCH of the questioning on day three of the trial centred on the weather condtions in Harlow.

Pets’ Corner worker Karen Hughes told the court that she was in the Water Gardens where some of the pets were on display under a gazebo.

Mrs Hughes detailed that they packed up around 2.30pm due to the gusty conditions.

Mrs Hughes said: “We had to put extra weights on the gazebo in order to prevent it from flying away.

“It was a windy day, you could seee people’s hats blowing off their heads.”

Mrs Hughes returned to the Town Park where he later saw the bouncy castle blow away down the hill, flying “at tree top level” before coming to rest by the sheep fence.

All witnesses were asked about th ewindy conditins and asked to grade it on a scale of 1-10. One witness was aksed why they had graded it 5/10 in Febraury and then 7/10 in a statemen they made in July?

Katherine Jackson gave evidence. Mrs Jackson was visiting the fair with members of her family. When asked to describe the conditiins she said: “It was grey and overcast” When asked about the wind, she said: “It was not something I particularly noticed”

She testified that her son was on one ride but was asked by staff to come off due to the wind.

She told the jury that her immediate concern was whether her son would get back on as they had paid for the ride but was told it was unlimited rides.

A metereological expert is set to be called to the witness stand.

Fairground worker William Thurston, 29, and his wife Shelby Thurston, 26, both deny manslaughter by gross negligence and a health and safety offence following the incident at Harlow Town Park.

The case continues.

A TEENAGE boy from Harlow has been fined £60 for throwing objects onto the M11 motorway.

The thirteen-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons pled guilty at Chelmsford Youth Court to the following.

On May 6th, 2017, at Harlow, intentionally and without authority or reasonable cause, caused stones and a plastic tree sleeve to be on a road, namely M11, in such circumstances that it would have been obvious to a reasonable person that to do so would be dangerous

He was fined £60 with the stipualtion that his parents must pay.

He was also given a six months referral to the youth offender panel.

A HARLOW woman is set to attend court on a careless driving charge.

Nagina Ali, aged 37, of Waterhouse Moor has been charged with the following.

On 13/12/2017 at Loughton drove a BMW car on a road, namely M11 Southbound at Loughton, without due care and attention.

The charge alleges that Ali was undertaking vehicles at excess speed, failing to indicate and switching from lane 1 to 3.

A second charge alleges that Ali drove a BMW on the M11 at a speed exceeding 70 miles per hour. The speed recorded varied between 80 and 90 mph for a distance of 0.5 (half) mile

The case has been adjourned to April 24th at Southend Magistrates Court.