THURROCK Council has been criticised for organising a meeting for residents of a fire-hit tower block in a bid to engage with them and resolve problems.

However, the councillor officer who organised the meeting - nor any of his colleagues - failed to turn up for the first three hours of the proposed engagement session.

The meeting was planned by the authority's strategic lead for housing services, Peter Doherty, who wrote to residents of Lionel Oxley House in Grays inviting them to a meeting today.

It was scheduled from 1 to 5pm at the Seabrooke Rise Community House today (Wednesday, 9 February).

Ward councillors and members of the Seabrooke Estate Residents Association say they were not notified of, or invited, to the meeting.

However, a number of residents did turn up - only to find the council officers appeared to have forgotten it was happening.

An officer did finally turn up at 3pm.

Ward councillor Martin Kerin commented afterwards: "I am angry to hear reports of residents from Lionel Oxley House who turned up to the Seabrooke Community House expecting to meet officers and finding no one there.

"Haven't my residents been through enough already, without being messed around like this?

"If a letter goes through the doors telling residents that they can turn up between 1pm and 5pm, then that is exactly the times which should be kept. If simple things like this are being missed, it makes you wonder what else is being missed!

"Neither myself, the other Grays Riverside councillors or representatives of the Seabrooke Estate Residents Association were invited to this meeting.

"Going forward, Thurrock Council needs a more open, inclusive and transparent approach to resident engagement. This is the least my community deserves."

Thurrock Council and housing portfolio holder Cllr Luke Spillman have been invited to comment.