Police arrest man for attempting to burgle house with foam sword

A man has been arrested in Colchester after allegedly attempting to gain entry to a residential property while armed… with a foam sword.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning (28 May) on Mile End Road, prompting a response from police following an emergency call made shortly after 1.50am.

The homeowner, who asked not to be named, said he had been woken by a motion-activated security light and “a strange shuffling noise” coming from the garden.

Upon looking outside, he saw a man dressed in what appeared to be a bathrobe, holding a blue foam sword and moving toward the backdoor.

“At first I thought it was some kind of performance art,” the homeowner said. “But then he started jabbing at the handle like he was trying to pick the lock — very slowly, and with absolutely no chance of success.”

Believing the man to be under the influence, the resident contacted police and remained inside. Officers arrived within seconds and arrested the suspect without incident.

The weapon, described as “a children’s toy sword made of dense foam and bearing a cartoon dragon motif”, was recovered at the scene and taken into evidence.

Police confirmed a 34-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary and was later released on bail.

A spokesperson said: “Officers attended a property in the Mile End area shortly before 2am on Wednesday 28 May following a report of a male acting suspiciously in a rear garden.

A man was arrested at the scene. The item in his possession was a non-lethal foam sword. No entry was gained and there was no damage to the property. Enquiries are ongoing.”

The arrested man is known to local authorities, with police saying there is currently no evidence of a wider threat to the community, and that the incident is being treated as isolated.

The sword, which is approximately 60cm in length and made by a well-known toy retailer, has been sent for forensic examination “as standard procedure”.

A local councillor described the incident as “a worrying sign of deteriorating standards in burglary attempts”.

“We’ve gone from crowbars to foam swords now. It’s either a worrying development or a deeply encouraging one. I’m still deciding.”

Police have asked anyone with further information or doorbell footage from the area to contact them immediately on 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3.