AN angry Thurrock councillor has called on the borough council to resume locking the gates of her local cemetery after vandals left a trail of damage and heartache for residents by destroying memorials on Saturday evening.

The community of Chadwell St Mary was shocked by the destruction wreaked by a gang of people who appear to have partied in the cemetery and taken pleasure in smashing items on graves.

Now local councillor Sara Muldowney has revealed she had approached the authority weeks ago fearing such an incident might happen after the council stopped locking up cemeteries int he evenings as a cost-saving measure.

She told Thurrock Nub News: "Thurrock Council stopped locking the gates at Chadwell cemetery quite a while back, confirmed by an enquiry I submitted in March this year.

"They said they did this after a trial period when no increase in anti social behaviour was noted, (was this because ASB was suppressed during lockdown?) so they could cut down on overtime pay.

"I reported a gang of nuisance motorbikes and quad bikes in there last weekend and have asked for the gates to be locked again at night and weekends after this latest incident."