A man has been charged with 22 shoplifting offences as part of an ongoing investigation in Debden.

Officers were called to the BP garage on The Broadway in Debden at the weekend to report multiple thefts which took place over the course of a month - where over £5,000 worth of produce was stolen.

A similar report came in the following day, and police pursued a suspect on foot before arresting him in connection with the thefts.

Richard King, 39, of no fixed abode, has since been charged with 22 counts of theft from a shop and common assault.

He has been remanded in custody and will appear at Basildon Magistrate's Court on December 20.

Chief Inspector Tina Cooper, District Commander for Brentwood and Epping, said: "Securing a charge for this investigation was fantastic collaborative work between our Local Policing Team, Community Policing Team and Town Centre Team.

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"Thefts from shops have a detrimental effect on the businesses, their employers and members of the public and it’s something we take seriously.

"We will continue to work closely with our local shops and businesses to prevent shoplifting offences and investigate them thoroughly when they are reported."

Advice for businesses to prevent shoplifting is available on Essex Police's website.