A DAMNING report from the BBC has highlighted the shameful state of Thurrock's high rise flats - previously exposed by a series of exclusive Thurrock Nub News reports.

Yet despite the latest evidence of mismanagement, a denial of responsibility and downright bloodymindedness by senior Thurrock Conservative councillors, the portfolio holder for housing, Cllr Luke Spillman remains aloof and disdainful that there is a real problem on his watch.

BBC News today produced a researched report with video evidence and film of the appalling conditions suffered by residents in tower blocks in Grays.

The report can be viewed via this link.

It contains footage of damp and mould inside the flats and features stories from residents who say their children have been put in harm's way.

Among the many stories previously run by Thurrock Nub News - which has now been barred from asking more questions by the council hierarchy - are the following:

Council rulers are indifferent.

More tower block concerns.

Asbestos link

Should council call time on borough's high rise flats as dangers to residents mount and children live in damp and distress.

In today's BBC reports residents, several of whom have previously spoken to Nub News but asked for anonymity for fear of council retribution, have spoken publicly - believing the might of the BBC will give them a measure of protection.

One of them is Rebecca Noakes who described her sixth floor flat as "a damp, cold hellhole."

"Everything is covered in mould," adds Ms Noakes' whose flat overlooks the controversial multi-million pound civic offices which Tories have pushed through despite widespread opposition.

"It is not very nice to be living with. It is coming through everything, it is everywhere. It has been like this since they took the cladding down.

"It makes me want to cry, it is just not fair".

Fellow residents Rob and Liz Gordon say the growing amounts of mould and damp in their tower block flat is making their children poorly.

Mr Gordon says the problems gradually emerged after the cladding was removed in the early summer of 2021.

The family has lived in the block for six years and say they had never experiences such issues previously.

"It changed when the weather turned and has been accelerating. Now that it is cold, the whole block is not insulated and everybody is getting cold at once.

"The mould is going through the whole block," he says. "It is not going to better while it is cold.

"My daughter has been hospitalised with bronchiolitis, my son is continuously unwell with colds and runny noses and I have developed something like asthma."

Mrs Gordon told the BBC how their three-month-old daughter had to be put on oxygen in hospital.

"It was horrendous," she says. "I was in pieces and because of Covid it was only me allowed in hospital.

"Everything we own has been damaged," says Mrs Gordon. "It is unmanageable."

28-year-old Jodie Buxton says: "Our windows have all got air coming through them, my front door is cracked, so the flat is cold. The wall is cold.

"I can't have any furniture near any of the walls because they get infested with mould."

She has already had to discard some pieces of furniture, including a new wardrobe and a chest of drawers because of the mould.

Her eight-week-old son has already been in hospital twice with bronchitis. Ms Buxton's daughter has also had a chest infection.

She has bought three extra electric heaters to try to reduce the cold in her flat. Her energy bill a year ago was £120 per month. It is now £400 per month.

She says the contractor which carried out the cladding removal has given residents £120 a month towards meeting the extra energy costs.

"For most of us, that lasted one or two weeks," says Ms Buxton. They have also been offered a £30 voucher. "What am I going to do with that?" she asks.

"I want the windows sorting and I want the cladding put back on," says Ms Buxton. "Because without the cladding on we are not warm. We are fighting to survive with our electricity bills. The council says if there is mould we should open the windows. But why would I spend this much heating the flat up only to let it all go out of the window?"

Despite the latest shocking stories and the previous stories and reports passed on by Thurrock Nub News during our campaign Cllr Spillman is playing down the problem - though he is now providing himself with 'wriggle room' by saying he will personally look into matter going forwards, even though for months he and colleagues have ignored complaints and Nub News reports!

He told the BBC: "We take every single report of damp and mould very seriously.

"However, such reports remain extremely sporadic within all six blocks, with the vast majority of cases resulting from causes not related to the removal of the cladding. Many reports pre-date the removal of the cladding.

"Every case will be treated on its merits with suitable repairs and resolutions applied in a timely fashion.

"I ask any resident unsatisfied with the council's efforts to resolve damp and mould in their property to contact me directly.

"I will personally take on their case and make representations directly to senior management in the housing department.

"In addition to investing £11 million in the refurbishment of these six blocks, the council will continue to monitor and mitigate any negative impact related to the temporary removal of the cladding."

Nub News editor Neil Speight says: "I am grateful to the BBC for today's report which in many ways vindicates our campaign and ongoing reports. The council and its Tory leadership and officer cohort have known all the information in today's BBC report and much, much more for a long time but they have brushed Nub News aside believing we are inconsequential and can be bullied into submission.

"But Nub News will not stand aside, even in the wake of last night's shameful full council meeting where the smug bunch of leading councillors, including the smirking Cllr Spillman who gave the thumbs up to me as his colleagues voted down questions about their campaign of secrecy and contempt, where the council appeared to believe it is beyond accountability.

"Perhaps this morning they are thinking again."