THURROCK Council has given an assurance to residents who have commented on a gathering on the King George's Field, Blackshots, recently.

Thurrock Nub News was contacted by residents, with one in particular concerned that there appeared to be no public notification about what the event was and said that she had been told by staff at Impulse Leisure, which manages the adjacent leisure facilities on the site, that they did not know what was happening or if the large gathering was sanctioned.

However, the council has given an assurance that the event was legal and in line with health and safety and Covid guidelines.

A statement says: "This was an Eid al Adha celebration held by local group NASFAT. They had applied for a permit in the usual way and permission was given after it was assessed by parks and public health teams.

"To sum it up the event your readers saw was held by a local Muslim group which had obtained proper permission to allow them to use a park to celebrate a significant event in the Muslim calendar, it took place between 9am and 12pm on a school day when the park was less likely to be busy.

"Parks and open spaces are available to be used by groups as long as they seek permission by making an application to Thurrock Council beforehand."