A CEREMONY took place at Thurrock Council's Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, today (Thursday 28 May), as the flag of The Arms of the Borough of Thurrock was raised at the council's Civic Offices for the first time.

The Arms of the Borough of Thurrock will be flown all year round, along with the Union Flag and the St George's flag.

Cllr Richard Bingley, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: "Local history matters. Thurrock is fortunate to have an important historic identity, shaped by its location on the Thames Estuary, which continues to give the borough a nationally significant role today.

"Thurrock is made up of a network of town and village communities that take great pride in that history and its ongoing role as a nationally important economic engine.

"Our incoming administration's job is not to 'manage decline'. It is to restore belief that Thurrock matters. We want to build a borough where people feel a genuine sense of belonging, not somewhere they simply pass through.

"By raising the Arms of the Borough of Thurrock we celebrate that past, the position the borough enjoys today and the exciting future that lies ahead for Thurrock. For me this is the first step on a journey towards our goal of becoming the proudest estuary borough in Britain.

"As well as flying The Arms of the Borough of Thurrock, the Union Flag and St George's Flag will also be flown at the Civic offices."

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Cllr Bingley declared his intent to change policy on flagflying soon after taking office

The flag raising ceremony was also attended by the new Mayor of Thurrock, Cllr Bill Cook.

Thurrock's Coat of Arms was officially granted in 1957, it includes the Latin words "Secundum Tamesim Quovis Gentium", which can be literally translated as: "Along the Thames to all the peoples of the World".

More information about the history of The Arms of the Borough of Thurrock can be found on the council's website via this link.