Holidaymakers' horror after teenage girl was raped under a bridge within yards of a busy clubhouse

Holidaymakers at a seaside caravan park where a teenage girl was raped under a bridge within yards of a busy clubhouse reacted with horror yesterday.

The victim was led from an arcade by two teenage boys, across a car park and under this steel bridge in the Martello Beach Holiday Park in Jaywick, Essex.

The shocking crime occurred in daylight at 7.30pm on Friday evening with police now appealing for witnesses.

A father of two, who only gave his name as Kai, told how the bridge had been cordoned off at the weekend.

He said: 'I got here on Friday afternoon and the following day there was police everywhere. They had sealed off the car park by the clubhouse and had sealed off the bridge. They were looking underneath it.

'I knew something serious had happened because I overheard one of the officers talking about retrieving CCTV but we didn't know until today that a young girl had been raped under there. It's horrifying.

'My daughters are arriving tomorrow to spend the week with me and they are aged nine and 11 so not much younger than this poor girl.

'I'm not going to let them out of my sight.

'I remember seeing a group of boys near the club house early evening on Friday. Where they were staying was completely surrounded by litter. It was close to where the girl was supposedly walked down on the way to the bridge.'

Kai, who comes from London, added: 'It really hits home as a father to two young daughters.'

Another couple, who asked not to be named, added: 'How could something awful like that happen in a holiday park with so many people around?

'It wasn't even dark at 7.30pm, the boys who did this must have been brazen.

'I hope the police find them, it makes me feel sick what's happened.'

The boys police wish to trace are described as being in the early teens and are white.

One has black hair and wearing a white vest and grey shorts with a lime green stripe vertically down the side, white shocks, and white trainers.

The other is described has having dark blonde hair and wearing a blue t-shirt with white writing on the bottom at the back and small white horizontal lines on the arms, blue shorts, and black flip flops.

Detective Inspector James Hardingham of Essex Police said: 'I know this incident will cause concern for those living and staying at the park and my team is working around the clock to identify these two boys. 

'The victim and her family are being supported by specialist officers and staff.

'Over the weekend officers have been carrying out high visibility patrols while plain clothed officers have also been carrying out enquiries like house-to-house and speaking with residents.

'The boys were seen in the arcade area at around 6.50pm before walking with the victim down Kestral View before going between two caravans, across the car park and to the bridge where we believe the assault to have taken place.

'I believe there will have been a number of people in the area who will have seen the boys and need anyone with information to contact us.'