News in Thurrock

BACK yard raiders struck across a number of homes in a residential area of Grays in the early hours of this morning (Thursday, 3 February), probing and searching several properties before eventually forcing entry into a summer house which they ransacked before stealing items.

Three men have been captured on CCTV during their spree across homes in Nutberry Avenue, Grays, ending in the back garden of a house of Lodge Lane - where they wreaked considerable damage.

THE dad of the young woman injured in an an incident involving a bus in Grays yesterday (Wednesday, 2 February) has thanked the many wellwishers who have passed on messages of support.

Former firefighter Mike Jones, who is well known in the Grays community - not least for his many roles within drama group Thurrock Courts Players and his work on community radio - spoke as his daughter Amy recovers in a London Hospital after being in collision with a bus on Clarence Road.

A BOROUGH resident known for her commitment to the environment and looking after animals properly has described Thurrock Council as 'lazy skinflints' after it ignored complaints about failing to empty dog waste bags and then closing down her issue without resolution.

Alison Treadwell is well known in the east of the borough for her efforts to help animals, particularly horses and dogs, and believes the council could - and should - be doing more to keep the local environment in a better state.

THE head of a Stanford-le-Hope school which faces the threat of seeing many of its pupils left without a bus service to get them from rural areas has spoken of its opposition to Thurrock Council cash-saving plans.

Despite widespread opposition from residents to the proposal to axe free bus transport for children in East Tilbury, Linford and West Tilbury, Thurrock Council's strategic lead for the council's education support service wants councillors to support removing the service that gets them safely to St Clere's School.

AFTER a break imposed because of the threat of Covid-19, Thurrock's Over Fifties Forum (TOFFs) is to restart meetings next month.

The forum is a focal point for a range of issues affecting older people in the borough and meets once a month.

FARMERS across south Essex within the area known as the Land of the Fanns are being offered a cash incentive to help protect and improve habitats for wildlife.

The Land of the Fanns covers an area of 185 square kilometres, with much of the landscape still in agricultural use. It aligns with the footprint of Thames Chase Community Forest which covers 104 square kilometres across east London and south west Essex.

THURROCK Council's Highways Team have been piloting the use of eco-friendly asphalt for road resurfacing on Church Road, West Tilbury.

Unlike the commonly used Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA), Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) requires lower mixing and laying temperatures, reducing energy consumption and therefore resulting in less carbon dioxide, aerosols and vapour produced – overall having much less environmental impact.

EMERGENCY services, including the air ambulance, responded to an incident in Grays at lunchtime.

The alert was raised after an accident involving a bus in Clarence Road just before 1pm.

A CHARITY football match will take place this evening (Wednesday, 2 February) between teams representing two of the emergency services.

East Thurrock United's Rookery Hill ground will host the match between the fire and ambulance service.

CASH-strapped Thurrock Council is poised to cut back on the number of grants it pays to young people with special educational needs or disability (SEND) to get them to special schools.

As part of its review of costs as it bids to claw back a budget shortfall of several million pounds in the coming year, the council is reviewing the payments it makes for school transport.