Fantastic work from the entire community. 👏

The only statue we won't be protecting on the 20th.

GREAT NEWS LATEST: A man has now been arrested following outrage over a video appearing to show someone spitting on the statue of murdered Southend MP Sir David Amess. Essex Police confirmed this morning (Friday 23 October) that a man in his 30s was arrested in Westcliff on suspicion of criminal damage and a public order offence. The arrest follows widespread anger after footage circulated on social media earlier this week, appearing to show a man deliberately spitting in the face of Sir David's statue on Chalkwell seafront. The incident came just days after the fifth anniversary of Sir David's murder, prompting condemnation from his family, councillors, MPs and members of the public. Sir David was murdered while holding a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea on 15 October 2021. His statue was unveiled in April 2024 as a tribute to his decades of public service and campaigning for Southend to become a city. A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "A man has been arrested as part of an investigation which relates to a video posted on social media in Southend. "A report was made to us on Wednesday 21 October and our investigation was launched. "This morning, Friday 23 October, a man aged in his 30s was arrested in Westcliff. "He’s being questioned on suspicion of a public order offence and criminal damage. He remains in custody."