CONSERVATIVE group leader on Thurrock Council, Cllr Rob Gledhill, has confirmed the defection of Chafford South councillor Abbie Akinbohun from Labour to swell his party's ranks and increase their majority on the council.

Following the recent defection of three independent candidates they now claim 26 members on the authority, their largest number since 2007.

Cllr Rob Gledhill said: "I welcome Cllr Akinbohun to the ever expanding Conservative Group, yet another great councillor who will continue to serve the community who voted her to office with the dedication and zeal she has shown since May 2018.

"It is becoming ever clearer to elected member from across that chamber that we cannot go back to the days of Labour slash and burn budgets and cheap political stunts if we truly want much needed improvements and regeneration to come to Thurrock."

Cllr Akinbohun endorsed the Conservative by saying: "Clean it, Cut it, Fill It, extra Police, action on gang problems in Chafford have all be delivered by the Conservatives and there promises to spend the proposed Council Tax increase on the environment, children's social care and further tackling Anti-Social Behaviour will bring even more improvements to Chafford and the rest of Thurrock."

That appears in stark contrast to previous posts when she was highly critical of the Conservatives at local and group level including her pre general election comments when she advised her ward members to vote Labour for a 'fairer, more equitable, caring government', adding: "We have had ten years of ideological austerity, rampant privatisation of the NHS, a systematic attempt to remove the welfare state and huge educational privatisation."