A school near Great Notley is closed after reports of a robbery and assault in a neighbouring area overnight.

Notley High School and Braintree Sixth Form is closed today (November 15) following reports of an assault in the area early this morning.

Essex Police said the assault is not linked to the school.

Officers are investigating a robbery in connection with the incident on Longleaf Drive, opposite the school.

Rob James, executive headteacher at the school, decided to close the building "in the interest of safety".

A police spokesperson said: "We were called to Longleaf Drive at around 2.50am this morning, Monday, November 15, with reports a woman had been assaulted.

"Her injuries are not believed to be serious.

"Enquiries have been ongoing throughout the night and we established a scene guard close to a nearby school.

"The incident is, however, not connected to the school."

Road closures were in place, but these were scaled back at around 9am.

Mr James said this morning: "Police are onsite at school following an incident last night.

"At the moment we have no access to the site for parking.

"The only parking is on the road which will cause significant issues.

"The police are waiting for the Serious Crime Squad to arrive to start their investigation but we are unsure when they will arrive and how long they will restrict access.

"Therefore, in the interest of safety I have made the unfortunate decision to close the school.

"Members of Senior Leadership Team will be onsite to supervise students that may need to be at school.

"Students should complete any homework or revise for tests or mock examinations."

Officers investigating the case are appealing for witnesses.

Anybody who may know about the incident can call 101, citing incident number 75 of November 15.