News in Thurrock

THE growth of Lakeside Shopping Centre in West Thurrock as a leisure venue in its own right continues this weekend with the opening of a major new attraction – which includes axe-throwing among the activities offered to visitors.

The Boom Battle Bar group is opening a new state of the art £2 million venue on Friday (July) which will be spread over 15,000 sq ft, featuring an eclectic mix of games including axe throwing, indoor curling, augmented reality darts, crazier golf, giant shuffleboards, beer pong and karaoke.

THURROCK Council's portfolio holder for education has delivered an upbeat message to residents in the wake of criticism of the council's decision to relocate classes at Thurrock Adult Community College.

The council is closing the college campus on Richmond Road and the last classes were held there last week. The site now remains open only for adult learners completing their paper-based examinations.

RESIDENTS in West Thurrock concerned about what appears to be an underground oil leak near their homes have been assured Thurrock Council is trying to find the cause of the problem – and solve it.

Thurrock Nub News first reported on the issue last month when the oil was spotted bubbling up in the Parsonage Road area of Grays.

A PAEDOPHILE from Tilbury found with more than 550 indecent images of children has been jailed.

Officers from the Essex Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) carried out a warrant at the address of Scott Chapman in Hume Close, Tilbury on 4 December 2019.

A NEW restaurant, owned by a chef who has become a familiar name of TV, has opened at Lakeside in Thurrock, bringing with it 40 new jobs.

Tapas Revolution has opened on The Boardwalk in the heart of the centre's waterfront leisure area and the independent operator's site features Spanish inspired decor, with menu development being led by the company's executive chef and owner, Madrid-born Omar Allibhoy Cuende.

Brentwood 1st XI 182

THURROCK Council's leader has issued a strongly-worded warning after the authority clamped down and brought about a prosecution that saw a borough food processing company fined £12,000.

Council hygiene officers visited cheese manufacturer Sunny Ventures Ltd, at its plant on the Thurrock Trade Park off Oliver Road in West Thurrock and discovered a number of breaches of food rules.

DESPITE saving £194,000 in wages that were not paid out, the strike by refuse and other environmental workers in the borough earlier this year cost Thurrock Council £109,132.

The figure has been revealed in a freedom of information request and among the detail given was that the drop off sites set up in the latter days of the strike in April and May costs £6,000.

TWO men have been charged after being stopped by officers in Grays.

The arrests were made near Thames Road yesterday (Thursday, 8 July).

IN light of the news this week that the cost of the proposed Grays Underpass, linking the town's station with the High Street, is estimated at £37m and could well rise beyond that, a local councillor says he fears the project could complete an unwanted hat-trick.

Labour's Cllr Martin Kerin, who represents Grays Riverside where the underpass will be created, has expressed his concern over the rising costs already of a project only in its infancy and he says he worries this could be an unwanted hattrick of overspent projects, coming on the heels of the A13 widening and Stanford rail station overspends.