THE high profile given to Thurrock because of its unfortunate table-topping performance in national Covid-19 infection tables has attracted the attention of researchers who are trying to create better ways to deal with any future similar pandemics.

Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire have asked if any local residents would be able to help them out in their work.

Thurrock Nub News was contacted by the university and asked if we could pass on the message, which reads: "We are researchers from the University of Hertfordshire and we are interested in how Covid-19 is affecting everyday activities related to food, such as shopping, cooking and eating. We would like to talk to any households about this topic if you live in the Thurrock area.

"We are particularly interested if you have children eligible for free school meals during school closures. We would also like to talk to professionals/volunteers involved in distributing food across the East of England, for example food bank volunteers, schools or local authority staff.

"We hope that findings from our study will help local authorities plan for future challenges to ensure that all households get the food they need.

"All interviews will be anonymous, remote (e.g. Phone or Zoom) and last approximately 30 minutes.

"You can find more about the study at this link.

If you would like to take part, email the research team at: [email protected]