A prolific rogue trader who defrauded residents out of more than £100,000 has been jailed following a long investigation by London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Trading Standards and the National Trading Standards Tri-Regional Investigation Team.
Essex Police is supporting a four‑week amnesty to remove specific types of blank‑firing guns from circulation. – The amnesty runs from 2 February to 27 February.
Weapons can be handed in anonymously at Grays, Southend, Chelmsford & Colchester Police Stations Counters.
Brentwood Borough Council, in partnership with Axis, Seven Arches Investments Limited and the Brentwood Health and Wellbeing Board, is now accepting applications this year’s Brentwood Community Fund.
Local organisations and individuals are invited to apply for funding to support community projects. Grants ranging from £2,000 to £6,500 are available for projects delivered between 1 June 2026 and 31 March 2027 that aim to improve quality of life for residents and address key community issues. – Deadline for applications is 16 March 2026.
The scheme will see a locally listed historic building brought back into use while delivering nine much needed family homes in Romford.
The development includes nine residential houses, including one two bedroom house and eight, three bedroom family homes, which will protect the historic core of the building, erected in the late 1800s.
In another day of action, Barking and Dagenham Council and Reside joined forces to clear up Gascoigne Estate, Barking and encourage residents to dispose of their waste correctly. Officers worked together to litter pick, clear fly-tipped waste and spoke to residents about how to dispose of their waste correctly. Clearing over half tonne of waste on top of the general waste.
Havering Council has welcomed new government plans to recruit 10,000 more foster carers nationally, The council says the move will help more local children in care find safe, loving homes closer to where they live. Havering is encouraging people from all backgrounds to consider fostering – with full training and support provided.
Residents can access free digital skills training, borrow laptops and tablets, receive one-to-one support from trained Digital Champions. With more than 100 residents attended the launch of a new Digital Inclusion Project at Barking Learning Centre on Tuesday 27 January. The project, led by Ekota Academy in partnership with London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in 6 libraries
More than three-and-a-half tonnes of waste has been cleared during Barking and Dagenham Council’s latest CleanerBD Day of Action.
Teams targeted Whalebone Lane North, Rose Lane and nearby roads in Chadwell Heath, removing rubbish, cutting back vegetation, fixing potholes and taking enforcement action on waste and parking offences.
Volunteers from local schools, community groups and businesses joined council staff on the day.
Havering Residents can borrow thermal imaging cameras to identify areas of heat-loss in their homes.
Identifying areas where improved insulation may need to be installed to help keep Havering Homes warm in the winter months.
Havering’s first-ever Ninja Knife bin has seen the surrender of 271 knives and bladed items taken off the borough’s streets, in its first six months.
