A Former Thurrock Council worker has appeared in court charged with abusing her position in the housing department to benefit her friends.

Rachel Thomas, 31, of Gumley Close, Grays, appeared before Basildon Magistrates court earlier this week.

She was charged with one count of wilfully neglecting to perform her duty or wilfully misconducting herself as a holder of public office.

Thomas worked for Thurrock Council, who are the prosecuting body in the case, and the indictment alleges that she manipulated the council’s housing application system in order to assist four of her friends in obtaining an unfair advantage in applying for social housing.

She was unable to enter a plea as the charge was deemed too serious to be heard at magistrates and so was referred to the Crown Court.

Thomas appeared alongside the four people she is alleged to have helped.

Lisa Nelson, Billy Nelson, Kevin Kiel and Sara Kiel were all charged with multiple counts of fraud by false representation.

Lisa Nelson, 31, and Billy Nelson, 30, both of Circus Square in Colchester, denied three and four counts of fraud between July and August 2015 respectively.

Kevin Kiel, 38, of Hallbutt Street, Dagenham, pleaded not guilty to three counts of fraud between June and December 2015.

Sara Kiel, 34, of Pettits Lane, Romford, was charged with four counts of fraud between April and June 2015 but did not enter a plea at this time.

Because their cases are linked to Thomas’s, they too were referred to Crown Court and will next appear in October. They were all released on unconditional bail until the next hearing.

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