A group of Greek tourists were wrongly accused of being paedophiles after taking pictures of the seaside in Southend.

Essex Police were called to Marine Parade, Southend, on Friday after reports that members of the public had confronted and detained three Greek tourists.

The self-styled vigilante group had confronted the group of tourists because some children happened to be in the pictures they were taking of some fountains. Trouble flared and police were called to the scene.

The photographs were reviewed by officers who found no offences had been committed. Essex Police

News of the incident spread on social media with one user posting that a "paedophile ring" had been "smashed".