THURROCK Council's top two politicians, who issued false statements to the public on a matter raising significant concern, appear reticent to accept blame because 'they meant well'. 

Council leader Lynn Worrall and her deputy and portfolio holder for 'good growth', both intervened in a public debate over the future of Tilbury Police Station. 

Tilbury ward councillor and planning committee member Steve Liddiard has also thrown his comments into the ring, saying he has been speaking to the new owners ahead of a planning submission.

Cllr Worrall spoke up in the wake of speculation about what will happen to the former police station on Civic Square, after suggestions that it is being occupied by people, possibly immigrants. 

That was denied in a formal statement from Thurrock Neighbourhood Policing chief Inspector Dan Selby in a release from Essex Police who wished to dispel rumours. 

It said: "We can confirm:

* No-one is living at the old Tilbury police station

* It is not being used as a hotel in any sense

* The location is still going through the planning permission process

* There is a consistent security presence, so locals can expect to see people coming and going.

"We'd urge people who have shared incorrect posts in Tilbury to please think of the real world consequences of their actions."

Others have speculated it may become a mosque.

Cllr Worrall stepped in to say: "I have been in touch with the relevant officers and can confirm that there is outline application for flats on the site."

However, that is not the truth.

Thurrock Council has confirmed the possibility of more than one use, ie flats, is being considered by its new owners but no planning application has been received.

Cllr Worrall later said: "This is private property and the owners have their application in. 

"In the meantime the building remains vacant as per the police update."

No application had been received for flats when she made her comment, nor - Nub News believes - since. 

Nub News has been following the situation around the building closely, and in the wake of Cllr Worrall's comments asked why no application was recorded on the council website on Friday, 15 August, two days after Cllr Worrall's comments.

We received this statement from the council: "There are no public documents relating to this site, which is why you can't find anything on the planning portal. 

"The Council has received pre-application enquiries regarding potential alternative uses at the former Tilbury Police Station site. 

"These pre-applications are commercially sensitive and not part of the public record unless the applicant chooses to disclose them."

Deputy leader Cllr Lee Watson also joined the social media debate - and appeared to suggest Thurrock Nub News was twisting the story, saying we had received an explanatory 'statement'.

And she supported Cllr Worrall's statement that a planning application had been submitted, saying: "All outline applications are not on the portal until it's a full (application)."

Nub News editor Neil Speight challenged her and asked if she was aware of the rules, and that the council portal is full of outline applications. 

Her suggestion that outline applications are not published is entirely incorrect and we suggested it was incongruous and her position as portfolio holder untenable if she wasn't cognisant with the most basic of planning rules. 

She has not responded.

We contacted Thurrock Council to ask if the intervention and statements from influential councillors were in breach of protocol and suggested they appear to have inside knowledge of a commercial development and a relationship with applicants that was inappropriate.

We asked for a statement on the propriety of their actions, saying: "It is surely inappropriate for Cllr Worrall to comment as she did. 

"Her social media posts suggest she is party to the pre-application submission. 

"Will her actions and statements be investigated as a breach of the code of conduct?"

And added: "It seems indisputable that Cllr Liddiard is breaching the standards expected of a planning committee member. 

"He should not be having discussions ahead of a development and is clearly in receipt of information - knowing who to talk to. 

"Does the council think his actions, including speaking in public, and those of Cllr Worrall are appropriate?"

The council declined to answer, simply saying: "Any person can make a complaint under the Code of Conduct to the council's monitoring officer by using the form on the Council's website: https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/governance-ethics-and-standards/standards-of-conduct-you-can-expect. The Council does not comment on individual complaints or allegations."

Yesterday (Tuesday, 19 August) we referred the matter directly to the councillors responsible.

Cllr Worrall's reply is below, in full, and it appears she acknowledges she wasn't telling the truth when saying an application had been submitted, but it didn't matter, because 'calming the situation' was more important than facts.

She says: "We all saw last year how quickly misinformation can escalate, leading to terrifying violence, racist abuse, and long prison sentences for many. 

"When rumours about the redevelopment of the former police station in Tilbury started to circulate in recent weeks, it was important that local councillors, as community leaders, and me as the Leader of the Council, understood the true position and took the lead in calming the situation down and setting the record straight. 

"The first thing I did as Leader of the Council was check the facts. I established the rumours were untrue and that the owner planned to build flats on the site. 

"With the owner's agreement, I communicated this directly with residents to counter the false rumours spreading and to avoid the violence and harm we have all seen elsewhere.

"This is nothing to do with making planning decisions and I have no involvement in planning matters – my role is as the Leader of the Council and my priority is telling the truth and keeping our residents safe. 

"The council will of course consider any complaints put to them but I am clear that my actions were the right thing to do."