Essex Police reveals why armed officers swamped Maldon Promenade after the Mud Race 2026

ARMED police swamped the Promenade in Maldon after the annual Mud Race after reports someone was "carrying a boxed BB gun."

Several armed police officers were seen searching the area from about 3:45pm on Sunday, April 26 2026, while a force helicopter also flew overhead.

Essex Police has now confirmed it was a false alarm.

A spokesman said: "It was busy and lots of stalls down there were selling toy guns etc, so it was a false alarm effectively.

"We responded as a precaution after a member of the public reported seeing a weapon - possibly a BB gun - being carried in a box in the Maldon area.

"Officers carried out patrols of the area and engaged with the public. No weapons were located and no further issues of a similar nature were reported throughout the day."

A spokesperson for the National Police Air Service added: "At 1543hrs on 26 April 2026, a police helicopter crew from North Weald were deployed to support Essex Police in an area search for two suspects around Maldon. Total time on task was around 20 minutes."