Two men from Upminster are among people arrested after a fake gun, a knife and some cash were seized by police in Essex.

Officers from Essex Police came across a minor crash between a van and a car at the Arterial Road roundabout, near the Lakeside shopping centre in Thurrock, shortly after 7.30pm on Monday (May 13).

While conducting enquiries, they reportedly saw a man holding a large amount of cash who tried to distract officers from going near to the van when asked for identification.

When officers did get close to the van, they allegedly saw a baseball bat and two other men in it. They detained the three people, and a search of the vehicle was conducted.

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Officers found a lock knife hidden under the driver’s seat, a fake gun and between £3,000 to £4,000 in cash.

A further search revealed three vehicle registration plates and different sets of keys which did not relate to the van.

The three men, two of them from Upminster and one from Woking, were arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm, theft of motor vehicle and possession of an offensive weapon.

They have since been bailed with conditions until July while the investigation continues.

Chief Inspector Tony Atkin, Thurrock district commander, said the officers who went to the crash scene knew “something wasn’t right” and persevered even when the driver allegedly tried to hinder them.

“And thankfully they did. The severity of these items which have been seized speak for themselves – but it is very important to note that they are now off the streets of Essex and cannot cause harm to our Thurrock community”, he added.