News in Thurrock

THURROCK'S lead councillor for education has sung the praises of school staff who have kept working at 40 of the borough's schools during the coronavirus lockdown.

Cllr Andrew Jefferies, portfolio holder for education, says around 350 pupils are still attending school across the borough.

THURROCK Council has been blasted for reneging on an agreement to secure the future of a local community football venue.

The Thurrock Sunday League has made its HQ at the Lakeside Sports Ground adjacent to the Arterial Road (A1306), North Stifford. When the league moved to the site Thurrock Council promised the league it would get a 25-year lease.

JUST one additional case of coronavirus has been added today, taking the updated borough tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 245.

However, across the UK there was a significant jump in the number of cases, with 5386 cases reported by Public Health England in the last 24 hours – a rise of around a thousand on the day before and the UK total number of cases is now 143,464.

THE management of Mid and South Essex Hospital Foundation Trust, which runs Basildon and Thurrock Hospital, has again insisted it is fully supplied with all items of Personal Protective Equipment - despite many reports across a number of media outlets (including Thurrock Nub News) that staff are saying there is a shortfall.

And representatives of firms, organisations and individuals have been pictured directly delivering donations of equipment to staff at the hospital, who have posted their thanks on social media.

THURROCK businesses, shops and restaurants are planning how they will re-open once lockdown measures are relaxed, but it won't be straightforward for some businesses.

Social distancing is expected to remain in place until at least the end of the year, which will be challenging for those that can't avoid close human contact.

AN RSPCA inspector had to deal with a slippery customer after a Thurrock family found an unwelcome visitor in their bathroom.

RSPCA animal collection officer and exotics officer Joe White was recently called to a home in Grays after the daughter of the family living there was shocked to find a corn snake had taken up residence.

SPRING has definitely sprung and as more and more people are enjoying exercise in the warm sunshine we have invited local photographer Nick Lay to select some images he has taken recently that sum it up.

Nick is an environmental campaigner, wildlife worker and keen nature photographer - as well as a truck driver by profession.

A LOCAL driver could find himself in trouble with the law after a video was posted online of him driving erratically and mocking another driver and his passenger who has indicated they were unhappy he was using a mobile while driving.

Karl West, from Stanford-le-Hope, was so angry about the other driver's behaviour and dangerous driving he took to social media to post the film, which was taken by his passenger, and called on the other driver to be named and shamed.

A WARNING and plea has gone out to Thurrock residents after two much-loved horses died as a result of grass cuttings being dumped in their field.

Thurrock Council has stopped regular collection of the brown bins used to dispose of domestic garden waste and horse owners fear that is why some people may be dumping their cuttings in fields.

FOR several nights this week many Thurrock residents have taken to their gardens to gaze up at the clear skies and catch a glimpse of an array of satellites passing overhead.

The satellites are the first part of a global network being put in place by American entrepreneur Elon Musk and as they pass overhead while in a low orbit, they have been clearly visible as a chain of lights moving across the sky.