.png)
Murder probe in Harlow Town Centre led police to block access to abandoned shops for much of the day
- Dec 19, 2024
- 2 min read
A murder probe was the reason for police blocking access to vacan shops in Harlow Town Centre for much of today.
Officers were called to reports of a man found injured round the back of The Rows shortly before 9.15pm on Wednesday, 18 December.
Emergency services attended but, sadly, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
An initial assessment of the situation has us led Essex Police to believe the man’s death is suspicious and the force is carrying out an investigation to establish the circumstances.
A spokesman said: "As part of our investigation three men – aged 43, 44, and 61 – have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in custody."
Detective Inspector Stewart Eastbrook said: “My thoughts today are with the family and friends of the man who has died.
“Our investigation is in the early stages but our initial assessment is that his death is suspicious.
“Specialist officers and staff are carrying out a range of enquiries to build a picture of what led up to this man’s death and you are likely to see a police presence in the area today.
“I need anyone who was in the area or has CCTV or dash cam footage to contact us.”
If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us using a dedicated portal found at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/4201020124R33-PO1
Alternatively, you can let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service which is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week.
Visit www.essex.police.uk/digital101 to find out more about our online reporting services.
If you would like to make an anonymous report you can contact independent charity @Crimestoppers, by visiting their website or by calling 0800 555 111.
Please quote incident 1192 of 18 December.
Earlier today officers were seen been taking turns to block access to a rundown empty shop in Eastgate in the Essex town centre for much of the day.
A police car also blocked access to the rear car park behind the vacant retail units.
The shop in question has been accessible for months after the owner failed to board it up despite, it being raised by the council and in the media.
Police on the scene would not say what was happening.
A man working in a nearby business said that staff had been told not to go any further than the bins at the back of their store and that the site to the rear was taped off with what looked like an investigation underway.
Block off those abandoned shops to protect the crime scene — makes sense given the scale of the investigation. Would love to see a map of the closed-off area for anyone trying to avoid the disruption. https://banana-nano.co
The shop closures clearly caused major disruption for locals, but keeping the area secured was the only way to protect evidence during that critical investigation phase. https://aiphototemplate.com
Blockading abandoned shops for a murder probe sounds like a heavy-handed but necessary move for Harlow — curious how it balanced investigation needs with the community's daily life. I've been using https://zimage-ai.com
Essex's local investigation service is exactly the kind of journalism communities need — but I've been looking for a way to contribute tips or reports. https://z-image-turbo.me
The mention that nearby staff were told not to go any further than the bins behind their store made the whole situation feel especially unsettling, because that kind of small detail usually says a lot about how serious the scene was.
On a completely different note, I’ve recently been spending time on Everything is Crab Wiki, a fan-made reference site for the game that’s been really useful for comparing evolutions, checking creature notes, and planning builds.
Really sad case — hopefully more details come out soon.