News in Thurrock

THURROCK Council is seeking to appoint three new 'lollipop' patrollers to help improve safety outside borough schools.

It hopes to create School Crossing Patrols in Chafford Hundred, Chadwell St Mary and Stanford-le-Hope though it has not specified the schools.

A YEAR after planning officers rejected a similar proposal, the owners of a Grays shop are going back to Thurrock Council hoping to be second time lucky with an application to extend the floorspace of the retail area and create an extended flat above it.

The application has been submitted to extend the Sunnys Store at 433 London Road, South Stifford, and includes a plan to increase the size of the two bedroomed flat above it with the addition of another bedroom.

THE A13 was closed eastbound for several hours at the Five Bells roundabout while emergency services deal with a multi-vehicle accident which happened around 8.45am.

Traffic was diverted up and over the roundabout.

WITH theatres now opening their doors and shows returning to the stage after the long Covid-19 lockdown, live theatre and concert fans in South Essex are looking forward to returned to the region's venues.

And there is a real treat in store at Basildon' Towngate Theatre on Thursday, 16 September when the acclaimed Whitney: Queen of the Night tribute show comes to town.

CORRINGHAM'S Gable Hall School and Primary School and Stanford-le-Hope's Hassenbrook Academy have been playing host to summer camp activities for students.

The schools are part of the Ortu Federation education trust which is running a range of summer camps, free to all young people in he area eligible for free school meals, and they have been judged a huge success with more than 200 pupils attending so far.

REGULAR week long cricket tours take some organising but over the years, Belhus CC Youth Tour organisers have built up a large rolodex of contacts in Norfolk.

Sports tours are fun and during the Tour, Belhus CC coaches could experiment with the team line ups and order of play which in the medium and long term is very helpful.

THE care offered by Thurrock Council to vulnerable children who are at risk of exploitation and harm outside their family system has shown an improvement.

That is the verdict of Ofsted inspector Margaret Burke who oversaw a two day 'focused visit' to the council's children's services in June and July. It came in the wake of concerns over vulnerable children who had gone missing.

RESIDENTS in Tilbury rushed from their homes in the early hours of this morning (Monday, 9 August) to move their vehicles to safety after a small ruck caught fire.

The alarm was raised about the fire to the rear of Monarch Close at 4.40am after a resident was awoken by the smell of burning.

SATURDAY'S town centre carnival of stalls and activities in Corringham organised by Morrisosn store community champion Samantha Ralph and her colleagues raised £570 for the Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent).

The event featured many stall run by local people and organisations and here were performances by the Sutherland Pipes & Drums, music and entertainment provided by DJ Steve Henderson, Perry Entertainment and Kaleo Music Studios.

THE Red Arrows flew over Thurrock this evening (Sunday, 8 August), delighting many residents who went outdoors to see them.

The Royal Air Force aerobatic team were returning to their Lincolnshire base after performing at the Folkestone Air Display In Kent.