TWENTY-THREE people were held by police after more than 50 officers raided a scrapyard.

A convoy of three police vans and numerous cars descended on Benfleet Scrap, on the manor Trading Estate, in Thundersley, at 4.30pm yesterday.

Officers, looking for stolen cars and metal, swamped the site and detained all 23 members of staff, before gathering seizing cash and boxes of paperwork.

Representatives from the British Transport Police, British Telecom, EDF Energy and the Environment Agency began sifting through the mountains of metal, from cars through to cabling.

Seven people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to handle stolen goods and were still in custody at the time of going to press. The other 16 people were ordered to return to the police station for questioning at a later date, or face being arrested.

Anyone with any information which could help the police investigation can call detectives at Benfleet police station on 0300 3334444.

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