Hundreds of youths descend on UK beaches as planned 'linkups' continue to cause chaos across the country

By SOPHIA STANFORD, NEWS REPORTER and FREYA BARNES, NEWS REPORTER and ADAM POGRUND, REPORTER Published: 21:23, 26 May 2026 | Updated: 21:24, 26 May 2026 Hundreds of teenagers caused chaos as they descended on Southend Beach on Tuesday. Two people were arrested as teenage mobs stole from shops and skirmished with police along the beachfront in Essex in the latest 'linkup', with trouble also spreading to Bournemouth beach. The gathering, advertised on social media as a 'music event' with posters showing a young man holding a zombie knife, is part of a series of chaotic 'linkups' across the country to mark the 36C half term heatwave. Around 300 youths assembled along the sea in Southend by the evening and fights broke out while police, some armed with guns, tried to disperse the crowds. One shopkeeper was forced to barricade his newsagent after teenagers stole up to £400 worth of stock. Groups of teenage girls were seen skirmishing before police swooped in to break up the scraps while empty bottles of alcohol and cannabis paraphernalia were seen scattered along the sand.  Other troublemakers taunted police and shot water guns at emergency vehicles as Britain recorded its hottest ever day in May. Shouts of 'f*** the police' were heard as one young boy was handcuffed and dragged away from the crowds.  Hundreds of teenagers caused chaos as they descended on Southend and Bournemouth Beach (pictured) on Tuesday On Tuesday night police were forced to cordon off part of Bournemouth beach after a mass gathering of teenagers erupted into violence On Friday, a man in his 20s was stabbed in the early hours of the morning on Boundary Road in Hove, Brighton One boy attending called the gathering a 'social media show' but terrified parents sprinted onto the beach to rescue their young children from the chaos. A large police presence was visible in Southend from midday with around 20 officers waiting on the station platform for 'all the kids from London' to arrive. They were preparing for youths to descend on the seafront for the 'linkup', which was believed to be organised as a 'music' event. In a post on their Facebook page, Essex Police said were aware of the planned gathering and 'a range of policing powers' would be in place. There will be a 'significant and highly visible policing presence' and officers have been granted Section 60 powers, which allow them to stop and search people without suspicion in certain areas to prevent 'violence and the carrying of weapons'. The force said Section 60AA powers could also be used to force people to take off face coverings if they are wearing them to conceal their identity. Facial recognition technology was deployed to 'identify those wanted for offences or who pose a risk to public safety'. The statement added: 'We are working closely with British Transport Police, Southend City Council, community safety teams and CCTV operators to monitor activity, share intelligence and respond quickly to any emerging issues. 'We expect the vast majority of people to enjoy the seafront responsibly. However, those who do not should expect to be identified, stopped and, where appropriate, arrested.' On Tuesday night police were forced to cordon off part of Bournemouth beach after a mass gathering of teenagers erupted into violence. It is thought police officers were assaulted during the large-scale disturbance that involved a big group of youths on the beach next to the resort's Victorian pier. On Seaham beach, families with children watched on as a large crowd formed around an apparent fight that broke out in the scorching heat Around 300 youths assembled along the sea in Southend by the evening and fights broke out while police, some armed with guns, tried to disperse the crowds The gathering, advertised on social media as a 'music event' with posters showing a young man holding a zombie knife, is part of a series of chaotic 'linkups' across the country to mark the 36C half term heatwave Posts on social media have revealed plans for the mobs to return to Southend today Tensions are thought to have been running high after a young woman had to be resuscitated on the beach by paramedics and taken off in an ambulance earlier this evening. Youths clashed with police as they made arrests while trying to disperse the crowd. Some 35 officers were sent to the beach as back up and have formed a cordoned around Pier Approach to try and control the situation. The large group could be seen gathered on the beach openly inhaling nitrous oxide while dancing to music to music. A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: 'We are currently dealing with disorder involving a large number of people on Bournemouth beach in the area of Undercliff Drive. 'Officers are at the scene, with assistance from the NPAS helicopter, and we are making arrests and working to disperse those involved. 'It has been reported that officers have been assaulted and we would like to make it extremely clear that this behaviour will not be tolerated.' Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan, of Dorset Police, said: 'I would like to thank the law-abiding members of the public for their support, but I am sending a clear message to those who are intent on causing harm or using violence to leave the vicinity. 'There will be a large police presence in the area while we seek to keep the public and our officers safe. There was a big police presence in Southend at midday with officers waiting on the station platform for 'all the kids from London' to arrive Police found a teenage boy with stab wounds yesterday in Poplar Close, Hackney, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The force believes the disorder started at a nearby house party 'We have commenced an investigation into the disorder and we will continue to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. 'I would also like to thank our officers for their professional and courageous actions during this incident.    The gathering in Southend was advertised on social media on Monday with posters appearing to show multiple boys posing with zombie knives and machetes as they urged others to attend. 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 in recent years. An AI generated poster advertising an unofficial gathering in Southend today which urges youngsters to bring their speakers and drinks, with promises that cannabis and nitrous oxide balloons will be sold there Police officers pictured in Southend today as the brace for the youth mob that plans to descend on the seaside town Videos posted online showed a huge crowd gathered in Brighton after the incident with people heard crying and wailing while police tape can be seen cordoning off the area as officers walked around the scene Footage posted on social media shows a group of teenagers brawling along Brighton seafront yesterday 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 Speaking to the Daily Mail, one local said the gatherings and fights that break out are never between locals and 'always' from people out of town coming in. They said: 'Supposedly it's been put out but whether or not it's going to happen is another thing. 'A few fights might happen, they love a good scrap but I don't think it's going to be anything bad.It depends if they get out the station or not. 'They are probably going to try stop them getting off the trains.' One shop owner said they felt reassured by the police presence and added security, emphasising that most people were in Southend today to enjoy the good weather. 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. The Southend linkup comes a day after saw chaos unfolded in Hackney where a murder investigation has been launched after a teenage boy was stabbed to death at a house party. Police were called to Towpath Walk in Hackney Wick on Tuesday 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 and they found a teenage boy with stab wounds in Poplar Close who was pronounced dead at the scene. 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. On Tuesday, the UK experienced its hottest Bank Holiday of all time after a searing 34.8C was recorded in Kew Gardens, south-west London. 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. The images have sparked fears that today's planned meet up in Southend will descend into violence A social media user took to TikTok to warn his peers not to attend the gathering in Southend today 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. Now, posts on social media have revealed plans for the mobs to return to Southend today, with images appearing to show multiple boys posing with zombie knives and machetes as they urge others to attend Menacing images online seem to show people holding knives and confirming plans to return to Southend Some youngsters replied with claims the pictures had made them change their mind about attending today's meet up 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.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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