Witham assault: Everything we know

Here is everything we know so far.

What happened?

Essex Police were called to Braintree Road, the B1018, shortly after 5.15pm on Monday (June 7) following reports of a group of men exiting several vehicles and attacking each other with weapons.

One woman is also believed to have been involved in the altercation. 

CSI's worked throughout the night

The victim, a man in his 30s, remains in hospital with life-threatening head injuries.

Who has been arrested?

Six local people are in custody following the assault. 

Police worked swiftly throughout the night to make the arrests.

A a 41-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman, two 34-year-old men, a 28-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy – have been arrested on suspicion of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm.

Four of them – the 17-year-old boy, 28-year-old man, 38-year-old woman and the 41-year-old man have also been arrested on suspicion of affray. The 41-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs.

What have police said?

Police remained around the town centre yesterday to reassure the public and and answer any concerns. 

Officers engage with the public

Inspector Jenna Mirrington-French, of Braintree and Uttlesford's Community Policing Team, said: "This is an appalling incident and has left a man in hospital fighting for his life.

“Thankfully, incidents with this level of violence are rare in this town, but I understand this will cause great concern to the local community.

“As you can see from these photos, a lot goes into an investigation, especially in its early hours. Whether that’s public reassurance, protecting the scene, or gathering evidence, we need all these pieces to come together quickly.

“I know this can cause some disruption, particularly when the location is central, so I’d once again like to thank the people of Witham for being so understanding."