News in Thurrock

MORE than a year after a Thurrock Nub News filmed report highlighted the poor state of paths and verges in a borough park, another elderly person has joined the ranks of those injured after taking a tumble.

Local residents and an area councillor have been critical of the lack of maintenance at Corringham Town Park and have called for urgent action to make it safer.

Permission is finally given by delegated decision for controversial homes on site in East Tilbury.

AN early goal from Lewis Clark was enough to earn Grays Athletic a precious win in their battle for promotion from the Isthmian North.

The single goal victory at Barking this evening (Tuesday, 15 February) lifts Grays to fourth place,

RESIDENTS in South Grays' tower blocks will get the chance to quiz council officers at two Q&A sessions this week - assuming the council sticks to it promise to turn up.

Last week residents from Lionel Oxley House were invited to a residents' meeting, but the council failed to show until late in the day.

COUNCIL house rents in Thurrock are to rise by more than four per cent, the authority's ruling Conservative administration has decreed.

That equates to an increase of between four and five pounds a week for an average social housing rent property, while those residents living in properties which are deemed to be based on 'affordable rents' will rise by an average of more than £6 a week.

ESSEX Fire and Rescue Service has given details of a house blaze inTilbury earlier today (Tuesday, 15 February).

The service says: "Firefighters were called to a property in Tilbury in the early hours of the morning, when a smoke alarm alerted an occupant to a fire outside her front door.

EAST Thurrock United's scheduled Isthmian Premier clash with Margate at Rookery Hill this evening (Tuesday, 15 February) has been called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

A statement from the Rocks just after 5pm says: "Due to the very recent downpour, we have just had a ref's inspection of the pitch. The ref has decided to call the game off.

OFFICERS from Thurrock's Community Policing Team (CPT) were out and about yesterday to tackle nuisance vehicle incidents across the district.

A statement from Essex police says: "Officers paid attention to known hotspot locations and dealt with incidents reported, including at Princess Margaret Avenue, East Tilbury where a vehicle was seized after being seen ridden on and off road.

A LARGE number of firefighters, together with police and ambulance personne tackled a large fire in barns adjacent to the A128 to the north of Orsett.

A man suffered burn injuries when the incident started.

ESSEX Police has released figures that show crime in Thurrock has dropped by 12 per cent over the past two years.

In a release just a couple of days after two men were jailed for a violent machette attack and 24 hours after a national newspaper delivered a damning indictment of violent crime in the borough, the force has produced an upbeat overview on criminal activity in Thurrock, but says it is not complacement.