Thurrock Council, working with Essex Police, took swift action to move on an authorised encampment which was setting up in South Ockendon yesterday afternoon.

Thurrock Council Environmental Enforcement and Essex Police Officers spoke with the group soon after they arrived on a grass area outside the Scout Hall in Tamarisk Road, South Ockendon, warning them that they should leave.

Following that conversation the group had moved on within three hours of arriving and the site was completely cleared by around 6pm.

Leader of Thurrock Council, Rob Gledhill, said: “Once again our officers have acted quickly and decisively following reports that an unauthorised encampment was being set up.

“This is another example of how the council’s robust approach to dealing with unauthorised encampments is benefitting residents by dealing with them immediately before they become a major issue for neighbours.

“We will continue to work proactively to ensure that we take action as soon as issues like this are reported.”

Thurrock Council has a borough-wide injunction which prevents named people from setting up an encampment around the borough without lawful permission. It also prevents ‘persons unknown’ from setting up an encampment on a number of named sites within the borough.

The injunction, which was granted in 2019, means anyone who sets up an illegal encampment faces the prospect of immediate arrest and gives the council the tools it needs to move on encampments within just a few hours.