News

Shop owner prosecuted for selling vape to 15-year-old

19 November 2024
The owner of a Tilbury vape shop has been ordered to pay more than £1,400 after a vape was sold to an underage customer, as part of an operation by Thurrock Council’s Trading Standards.
On Tuesday 12 November 2024, Basildon Magistrates Court ordered Alaur Rahman, 37, of Thames Road, Grays, who owns Vape-E-Licious in St Chads Road to pay £473 in fines and £1,000 in costs. Mr Rahman pled guilty to the charge of selling an age restricted product to an underage person under the Children and Families Act 2014.

Thurrock Council files claim against 23 councils, to recover approximately £40m lost through investments assured by industry body APSE

15 November 2024
Thurrock Council has today (Friday 15 November 2024) filed a claim against 23 councils that are members of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), after a ‘standstill’ agreement was not reached between Thurrock and the other councils. The council will be moving immediately to secure an order to stay those proceedings to minimise costs for all involved and to allow the council to focus on other recovery options.

Community forum breathes new life into forgotten park space

15 November 2024
An unused, overlooked space in Blackthorn Park, Stifford Clays, has been transformed into a thriving memorial garden.
Stifford Clays Residents Community Forum approached Thurrock Council about the fenced off and forgotten area in the park with ambitious plans to restore it as a memorial garden in time for Remembrance Sunday. The council agreed the forum could take on the land as a community project.

Large electrical transformer to travel through Thurrock

15 November 2024
There will be potential road disruptions through West Thurrock on Saturday 16 November, starting at 6pm due to the transportation of a large electrical transformer.
The transformer, weighing 155 tonnes and measuring nearly 70m in length, is being transported from the Port of Tilbury to a new National Grid substation in Woking. This is the first of five planned journeys over the next six months.
Due to weight restrictions at Junction 30 of the M25, the transporter will use a route through West Thurrock.

Residents meet Thurrock Council’s top team at Thameside to take part in first ‘Ask the council!’ public question time

14 November 2024
Residents put their questions to Thurrock Council’s top team on Monday 11 November at a special ‘Ask the council!’ public question time.
The special event which is the first in a series of public question times to be held over the winter, saw residents from across the borough come together for a lively discussion about the council’s plans and the issues and concerns that matter most to them.
The panel was made up of the council’s cabinet members and the senior officer team including the Chief Executive, Dr Dave Smith.

Help, advice and a friendly face at our Thurrock Cares Roadshows

14 November 2024
Thurrock residents are invited to get first-hand advice on the help and support available to deal with the cost of living this winter at a series of Thurrock Cares Roadshows.
Thurrock Council, in collaboration with Thurrock CVS and the Stronger Together Thurrock partnership, is hosting the roadshows and will be going out to communities across the borough.

Council tenants to benefit from community Repairs Action Days

14 November 2024
Thurrock Council is launching a series of Repairs Action Days for council tenants across the borough offering advice and support.
The action days kick-off on Tuesday 19 November 2024 with a community pop-up event at Koala Park, at the base of Freemantle House, in Tilbury from 10am to 4pm, offering tenants the opportunity to drop-in and speak to teams across the council’s Housing Service.

Donate gifts to help Thurrock's vulnerable children celebrate Christmas

14 November 2024
Residents of Thurrock can help to ensure that some of Thurrock's most vulnerable children can celebrate Christmas through the Give a Gift initiative at Impulse Leisure Centre.
Impulse Leisure Centre is accepting donations of toys and gifts at any of their leisure centre sites, which will go to vulnerable children in Thurrock and those at Little Havens Children's Hospice.
Donations are being accepted at the following Impulse Leisure sites:
- Blackshots, Grays, RM16 2JU

Remembrance Services in Thurrock

12 November 2024
Remembrance Services took place across the borough, including a ceremony which took place at Grays War Memorial on Sunday 10 November which saw wreaths laid in honour of those who have served.
Organised by the Royal British Legion, the service brings together veterans and dignitaries as a crowd of hundreds join in marking Remembrance Day.

Sheltered Housing residents raise over £1,000 for Thurrock hospice

8 November 2024
Sheltered Housing residents at Arthur Barnes Court in Grays held a fundraising event for St Luke’s Thurrock hospice on Saturday 26 October and raised more than £1,000.
Residents, their families and friends raised a grand total of £1,075 for the hospice by holding a raffle, disco and fancy dress competition. A special mention must be made of resident Evelyn Bodimeade (pictured) who was sponsored to shave her head at the event.
She said: “It was a great event for a great cause that is close to all of our hearts.”