Essex drug deaths: Sixth person dies in three days as police warn over possible link

Tests ongoing to identify substance involved after three men and three women die within eight-mile radius

Six people have died over three days in a small area of Essex after taking Class A drugs, sparking a warning from police.

A man in his 20s was found dead in Leigh-on-Sea on Monday, and a woman in her 30s later died in the seaside resort of Westcliff.

On Tuesday, two people – a man and woman both in their 40s – died in Canvey Island and a man in his 20s was found dead in Benfleet.

Then on Wednesday, police said the death of a woman in her 30s, who was found in Southend on Sunday morning, was also linked.

Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Jennings, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Five deaths in the space of around 36 hours in one area of Essex is an obvious concern and my team are working hard to establish if they are linked.

“Part of that work is to identify exactly what the substance or substances involved are and more tests are needed to do that.

“At this stage I believe the deaths may be linked to the taking of Class A drugs and I would urge anyone considering taking them not to.”

Chief Superintendent Kevin Baldwin said: “We are concerned by these deaths and have dedicated officers working around the clock to investigate the circumstances.

“At this stage we believe these incidents are contained to the south of the county but part of our enquiries is to see whether other parts of Essex are affected.“

Det Ch Insp Jennings said police were investigating where the substances came from and how they were distributed to the users – who all died under eight miles from each other.

“I need anyone who has information about the sale of Class A drugs in south Essex – or elsewhere in the county – to come forward,” he added.

Police could not confirm what type of Class A drug was believed to have been taken and how, or whether contamination or high purity may have caused the deaths.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.