Fears over half term ‘linkup’ in Southend after bank holiday chaos erupted in Brighton

Teen mobs have planned another wave of violent ‘linkups’ across the country amid the 36C half term heatwave.

The hottest Bank Holiday on record yesterday saw chaos unfold in Hackney where a murder investigation has been launched after a teenage boy was shot dead at a house party.

Police were called to Towpath Walk in Hackney Wick yesterday at 7.17pm after reports of a large gathering, disorder and ‘individuals in possession of machetes’.

The force said the disorder is believed to have begun during a house party taking place on the same road.

‘While officers were on their way to Towpath Walk, further reports were received about a stabbing and possible firearms discharges,’ it added.

The found a teenage boy with stab wounds in Poplar Close. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Officers are in the process of formally identifying the victim and informing his next-of-kin. A crime scene remains in place spanning Towpath Walk, Poplar Close and surrounding areas while officers carry out enquiries.

Elsewhere, youngsters flocked to Clapham again on Sunday where a 17-year-old boy was stabbed during another ‘linkup’ and panic unfolded in Brighton after another alleged stabbing.

Footage posted online show police in attendance and one officer chasing someone.

Fights also broke out on Seaham beach in Durham and in Southend, Essex, yesterday where police were filmed arresting a teenager.

Yesterday, the UK experienced its hottest Bank Holiday of all time after a searing 34.8C was recorded in Kew Gardens, south-west London.

The mercury is set to rise even further today to an unprecedented 36C, which will undoubtedly see people flock to beaches and commons to enjoy the heatwave.

There was a big police presence in Southend at midday with around 20 officers waiting on the station platform for ‘all the kids from London’ to arrive. 

It comes after posts on social media revealing plans for the mobs to return to Southend.

Images appear to show multiple boys posing with zombie knives and machetes as they urge others to attend.

One picture appearing to show a young man holding a knife and asking who is going to Southend on Tuesday seems to show a poster advertising the unofficial event

A social media user took to TikTok to warn his peers not to attend, telling them: ‘As some of you may be aware, there was a shooting today at Hackney motives.

‘I wanna say, be safe, do the right thing, but tomorrow, if you wake up and purposely decide to go to Southend, you deserve whatever is going to come to you, bruvva.

‘Southend tomorrow, just think to yourself, is that a good idea?

‘It seems to me like, as the weather gets warmer, people don’t know how to act, people lose their heads, people don’t want to have fun – people just want to kill people.

‘So whatever you’re doing tomorrow, be safe and go to Southend at your own risk.’

Southend has become a hotspot for teen troublemakers in the summer.

Last year, ten teenagers admitted a range of offences including violent disorder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm after yobs descended on the seaside town with machetes and chased each other through the streets.

In 2024, families watched on as the violent disorder erupted by the beach and High Street in Southend-on-Sea in July.

It followed an invite to bring alcohol, drugs and nitrous oxide to a ‘beach rave’ on what had been the hottest day of the year.

The footage from yesterday showing people gathered around as a young boy was arrested included a caption saying: ‘Guys really wanna talk about going to Southend on Tuesday as if today wasn’t bad enough.’

People then posted images in the comment section which seem to show young men brandishing large knives and wearing balaclavas with menacing captions, such as: ‘Who’s stepping Southend tomorrow?’

Some youngsters replied with claims the pictures had made them change their mind about attending today’s meet up.

Clapham has also become a popular ‘linkup’ location in London this year after children from rival high schools planned to meet there over Snapchat.

The disorder in March saw 100 officers called to Clapham High Street where groups of teenagers were rushing into shops and allegedly stealing.

Six arrests were made over the course of two days of madness in the area after five people were assaulted – four of which were officers.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a teenager was stabbed outside Shelter Hall in Brighton.

It followed reports of a large group of people fighting in the area around 9.25pm on Monday, May 25.

The victim, a boy from Surrey, was taken to hospital for treatment, where his injuries were confirmed to be superficial.

Detective Inspector Jen Pietersen, of Brighton CID, said: ‘We know the beach was extremely crowded at the time of this incident and we’re urging anyone who can assist in our investigation to please come forward.

‘Specifically, we’d like to speak to anyone who saw what happened or captured any relevant footage.

‘You can report it online or via 101, quoting serial 1791 of 25/05.’

Videos posted online showed a huge crowd gathered after the incident with people heard crying and wailing.

Police tape can be seen cordoning off the area as officers walked around the scene. 

On Seaham beach, families with children watched on as a large crowd formed around an apparent fight that broke out in the scorching heat.

Comments from people who claimed to have been there and saw the violence said police were in attendance. 

Teenagers have increasingly been using AI to generate posters for their unofficial gatherings at parks and beaches across the UK.

As the weather heats up, they advertise day parties and water fights with the temperature forecast included to entice people.

They promote the unofficial parties held in public places as having ‘free entry’ and encourage youngsters to bring their speakers and drinks, with some even promising that weed and nitrous oxide balloons will be available to buy. 

However, some teens have complained there are too many AI posters being created, leaving them unsure of which events are real.

Three separate posters shared on social media which are almost identical all show details of different ‘parties’ on May 25, 26 and 27 in Hackney, Southend and Ealing.

Daily Mail has approached the Met Police, Essex Police, Sussex Police and Durham Constabulary for comment.