A man has been charged with attempted murder in connection to the stabbing of a police officer in Rayleigh

John McCartney, 39, of Eastwood Road, Rayleigh will appear at Southend Magistrates’ Court this morning to face a charge of attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

The charges relate to an incident alleged to have happened in Rayleigh on Wednesday, in which a police officer suffered several serious injuries.

The victim, who is employed by Essex Police, remains in a stable condition in hospital.

Following the incident, Chief Constable Harrington said:

“We have been supporting one of our colleagues who was the victim of a stabbing in Rayleigh last night, Wednesday. 

“Our focus has been his welfare and the welfare of his family, as well as the ongoing live investigation, and that will continue.

“I can however confirm we have a man in custody who has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

“We believe this attack was targeted and that the officer and the suspect are known to each other. There is no wider risk to the local community or other police officers as a result of this incident.

"Our officer is in a stable condition in hospital and we are hopeful will make a full recovery.

"I would like to commend the work of the Essex Police officers, the medical professionals and the community for their response and would like to thank everyone for their continued support."