A SERIOUS violent crime summit will be held to discuss a spate of horrific incidents in Colchester town centre.

MP Will Quince has written to Home Secretary Sajid Javid asking him to attend a meeting after Carl Hopkins, 49, was found dead in Ryegate Road, Colchester, on Monday morning.

Police are treating his death as murder.

Hours before - in an event police think is linked - another man was stabbed in George Street, Colchester, and suffered serious injuries.

And another man was burned after having boiling water thrown at him on Colchester High Street on Monday.

All three happened within 200 metres of each other.

Mr Quince held an urgent meeting with policing minister Nick Hurd and Vicky Atkins, the minister for crime, safeguarding and vulnerability, to raise the issues in the context of a perceived rise in violent crime and showed them Gazette coverage of the incidents.

In his letter to Mr Javid, the Conservative said: "Colchester is a safe town, but we have recently seen a number of targeted and isolated violent incidents which are of great concern to me and the constituents I serve.

"In the space of 12 hours, Colchester has seen two stabbings, one of which resulted in a death, followed by a third resident being doused in boiling water.

"This follows a spate of knife point robberies last week and a more general concern about drug dealing locally.

"Essex Police are working hard to reassure the public our town remains safe.

"I am writing to ask you to join me at a serious violent crime summit to look at ways in which we can together tackle this unacceptable spate of violence in Colchester.

"We all have a part to play in tackling violent crime and supporting our excellent local police."

Mr Quince hopes to convene Essex Police, local authorities and relevant charity and volunteer groups to discuss the issue.

He backed plans to increase policing numbers in Essex by 150 this year and 215 next year but has asked for assurance the Home Office's Serious Violence Strategy will help tackle criminality in Colchester.