A man was stabbed in an alleyway attack.

The victim, a man in his 30s was approached by four men as he walked through an alleyway in Lodge Close shortly before 8pm last night.

One of the men demanded the victim hand over an item before producing a knife.

The victim was assaulted and had his bike stolen.

A Section 60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Authority has issued by Essex Police following the incident and allows Constables in uniform to use this power to stop and search anyone, specifically to prevent and detect the carrying of dangerous instruments or offensive weapons. Reasonable grounds for suspicion are not required to exercise a Section 60 search.

It was authorised at 11pm on Saturday and is due to last until 11pm on Sunday following the incident in Lodge Close and a number of other incidents where it was reported knives or weapons had been seen in in Clacton in the last week.

The order clovers Vista Road at the junction with Marine Parade East to Marine Parade West at the junction with Tower Road, up to Beatrice Road, across Vicerage Gardens onto Park Road, onto Anchor Road, Alton Park Road, Ford Road, St Osyth Road, Cloes Lane, Douglas Road, Pathfields Road, St Johns Road.

It also covers Old Road, Thornbury Road, Oxford Road, Vista and Road.

Chief Inspector Lily Benbow, District Commander for Tendring, said: “A Section 60 Authority is an effective tool to help officers disrupt crime, keep you safe, and take weapons off the street.

“It not only allows officers to search for items or weapons which can be dangerous, but also acts as a deterrent to anyone thinking of carrying them.”

If you saw anything, have any CCTV or dash cam footage or have any other information about the Lodge Close incident please call us on 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/197388/19 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111