THURROCK'S Town Hall has been a Christmas-free zone over the festive period as the borough council administration decided not even to put a seasonal tree in its public spaces.

The cash-strapped authority has declined to give a reason why the civic offices on New Road in Grays have been bereft of any decorations – or anything marking Christmas.

As well as not putting up an civic offering to brighten up the spartan, minimilist style interior, Thurrock Nub News has been told that the operators of the café in the public area of the ground floor, which also includes the Register Office, were instructed not to put up any decorations. Even though it is understood that they offered to put them up at their own expense.

In previous years the council's offices have been decorated during Christmas.

Residents have questioned whether the decision was taken not to offend any non-Christian members of the borough public but the council has declined to respond to that suggestion.

Instead it issued the briefest of statements, saying: "There was no ban on Christmas decorations at Thurrock Council this year, there is also no policy that said buildings must be decorated."

There was one, suitably ironic, exception in that the Grinch, created by children's book writer Dr Seuss, made an appearance. The Grinch is misanthropic, ill-natured, and mean-tempered green, furry, pot-bellied, pear-shaped, snub-nosed humanoid creature that has become an anti-icon of Christmas.

The Grays-based community group Riverside Big Local did place a 'photo-booth' style box in the Town Hall waiting area, inviting local people to have their picture taken with the Grinch!