STAFF in the South West region of the East of England Ambulance Service, which includes Thurrock, have spoken up for their local management in the wake of a damning, service-wide report last week.

The service faces being put into special measures after a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection said it had far-reaching issues including poor leadership, "normalised" bullying and cases of sexual misconduct or predatory behaviour.

The service said it was addressing the issues as "urgent priorities" but many former employees across the East of England have spoken in the wake of the report to confirm its findings.

Three former long-serving staff members have come forward to the BBC to tell their experiences of working for the Trust.

Their comments can be found here.

However, locally a member of the service told Thurrock Nub News the majority of staff felt the service had improved and they were being treated much better than in other areas of the trust.

The service, which operates across six counties, is divided up geographically, with Thurrock in the South West area, which also includes Basildon, Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford.

Our source told us: "Locally in South West Essex I can say, hand on heart, our local operations management team are brilliant. They are absolutely clear and united that bullying will not be tolerated.

"There was an 'old guard' out of Basildon that were known for bullying but that has been dealt with. It's fair to say though that there are still problems higher up – and in other areas."