A man who was arrested for drug offences during a night of police action in Colchester has been charged.

Jonathan Ayres, 47, of Turbine Road, Colchester has been charged with possession of cannabis with intent to supply and is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, December 6.

Essex Police joined forces with Colchester Borough Council, Military Police, North Essex Parking Partnership and the UK Border Force from 3pm on Friday, October 27 to 3am the following day, with the aim of reducing alcohol and drug related crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder.

Officers attended an address following an argument in Turbine Road, Colchester at around 7.55pm on Friday and found a large amount of cannabis and paraphernalia including bags and scales.

Mark Dooley, 51, of no fixed address, has also been charged with being drunk and disorderly after he was arrested in Crouch Street at 8.40pm on Friday.

He is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, December 7.

A 26-year-old man from Harwich arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in High Street at around 12.30am on Saturday, October 28, was fined.

Police stopped 16 taxis to check for unlicenced cabs, pulled over 30 other vehicles for having faulty lights or defects and fined a take-away driver for using his mobile phone while driving.

They carried out intelligence based checks on 900 vehicles, moved an aggressive beggar away from the town centre, gave six verbal warnings and found a missing bicycle.