Off-duty police officer in serious condition after being stabbed three times on doorstep in Essex

AN off-duty police officer is in a serious condition after he was stabbed three times on a doorstep in Essex.

He was knifed in the stomach, chest and arm at an address in Rayleigh last night and was taken to hospital where he remains.

Neighbours witnessed police patrolling the area following the attack, with emergency services scrambling to the scene.

Essex Police confirmed the victim was an employee of the force.

'LAST THING YOU'D EXPECT'

One neighbour described how a person "knocked on the door" before "stabbing an off-duty police officer three times in the chest".

Amanda Dann, who has lived on the road for 25 years, said: "It’s quite unnerving really.

"I did see some flashing lights last night. But it’s such a quiet area I didn’t think much of it.

“I’m surprised I really am. What bothers me most is that it’s a targeted attack. It suggests it’s not a one off.

"It’s quiet an elderly area around here too. It’s the last thing you’d expect.”

'SERIOUS BUT STABLE'

An Essex Police spokesman said the victim had undergone treatment in hospital and remains in a "serious but stable" condition.

"A man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder and is currently in custody," he added.

"At this time detectives believe the incident was targeted and isolated and there is no wider risk to the local community.

"We are not seeking anyone else in connection with this incident."

LAWLESS BRITAIN

The force also confirmed the victim was an employee of Essex Police.

This latest attack comes as more than £1.5million of additional funding was pledged to help tackle serious violent crime in Essex.

Overall police numbers in England and Wales have fallen by over 20,000 between March 2010 and 2018 – the lowest recorded number since the early 1980s.

On Tuesday, police in London were scrambled to a series of knifings across the capital over just a seven hour period.

Figures from London's Metropolitan police showed that knife crime surged by 16 per cent in the capital year-on-year in 2018.

There were 1,299 stabbings in London up to the end of April, according to official statistics from the Met Police.

In 2017-18, there were 137 knife offences for every 100,000 people in the capital.

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