A MAN living in Tilbury has been charged with an immigration offence and will appear at Basildon Magistrates' Court today (Wednesday, 4 March).

Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 27, of Hobart Road, was arrested earlier this week in connection with the ongoing investigation into the death of 39 Vietnamese citizens on 23 October 2019.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1 May 2018 and 24 October 2019.

As detectives continue their investigations, police has said that they continue to urge any Vietnamese nationals who may have entered the country illegally via Purfleet in October 2019 to assist with their enquiries.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith said: "We believe that a number of other people travelled into the UK in a similar way to the 39 deceased throughout the month of October and we hope that these people would be able to help us.

"We understand that there may be concerns about coming forward and sharing their experiences, but we can assure you that your information and details will be treated in confidence."

Call Rayleigh's Major Crime Team on 101 if you can help, or you can submit information, including videos and photos, through the public portal U[pload