News in Thurrock

On the day the Tokyo Olympics opened with a subdued but nevertheless impressive ceremony, one of England's most popular sporting heroes - iconic cricketer Monty Panesar, who has put down the ball and picked up the pen to follow his journalistic ambitions - writes exclusively for Nub News about why he believes it is right that the Olympics is going ahead.

Monty is currently studying an MA in International Sports Journalism at St Mary's University in Twickenham, where he has also been working with the team at Twickenham Nub News and other South and west London titles.

THERE were several hours of disruption and frustration for residents in Wharf Road, Stanford-le-Hope and visitors and workers at the Stanhope Industrial estate this morning (Friday, 23 July).

The road was blocked, reportedly under the Wharf Road rail bridge.

THE clock is ticking down towards the reopening of a once popular Thurroick pub that has fallen on hard times recently.

After being bought and a refurbishment programme instigated, the The Wharf pub and restaurant on wharf Road South Grays, is preparing to open its doors on Friday 27 August and there are a number of job opportunities available - including a bar manager's role.

ONE of the community organisations that operates out of the apparently doomed Thameside Complex due to Thurrock Council cost-saving measures has been promised a new home.

Quest Music Services (QMS) are currently based in the Thameside complex in Grays anmd were threatened by the site's pending closure.

MOTORISTS in the borough who fail to pay parking fines could soon see their vehicles seized by Thurrock Council.

The council plans to seize vehicles from people who persistently fail to pay after growing issues with unpaid penalties.

DESPITE a long-running campaign by residents calling on Thurrock Council to help ease traffic congestion outside a cluster of local schools, a majority of councillors have vetoed a bid to bring in more preventative measures and increase enforcement.

Over the past year Thurrock Nub News has reported several times on problems experienced by residents in the Ward Avenue and Bradleigh Avenue area of Grays and other nearby roads whose lives have been badly impacted by bad parking by parents and carers dropping off and picking up children at Grays Convent, St Thomas of Canterbury Primary and Quarry Hill Primary.

The amount of violent crime in Thurrock and wider Essex has gone down, says the county's police force.

A statement from the force says: "We're relentlessly driving down violent crime and are working hard to keep it that way through enforcement, education and intervention.

ESSEX Police have highlighted the work of a Grays-based officer as it marks the UK's first Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week, organised by community safety specialists Resolve.

All through this week forces across the country have been turning the spotlight on how police, councils, housing providers, fire services and community groups keep communities safe.

PLANS to expand villages in Thurrock into smaller towns appear to be on the radar of Thurrock Council as it shapes its new local plan - and an earlier scheme to turn the Lakeside regional shopping entre into a 'town' may also be revived.

In 2018 various schemes were advanced to make Lakeside the new centre-piece of housing development. Among was a plan that ended up winning tacit approval from planning for converting shops including the centre's Debenhams store into residential areas.

COMMUTERS on the c2c rail link have been asked by police if they saw an incident in which a man spat at a woman on a busy train.

Officers from British Transport police are investigating an incident during which the woman was spat at and have released a CCTV image in connection with the offence.