Thurrock Labour Party Candidate, Carl Morris, was so impressed with the slogan being used by his biggest rival, he ordered his party to steal it for his own leaflet.
A source close to Mr Morris 59, who is also a Councillor for the Grays Riverside Ward, said that at first Morris was ecstatic believing that the BNP had made a major spelling error in their campaign leaflet.
The Straw man, a name used by people who know him quite well, quickly regained his composure when it was pointed out that his young opponent was actually a woman, hence the term Maid.
Mr Morris was later heared whinging that it was at times like this that he wished he had been born a woman.
A BNP spokesperson said actually Mr Morris would of benefitted by being born half man half woman. Then for once he could do the people of Thurrock a real good favour and go fuck himself.
PROMINENT LOCAL CONSERVATIVES have said that Thurrock Labour Party is embroiled in a funding sleaze row following investigations into donations made by businesses to the local party shortly before its councillors tried to influence the future of lucrative contracts with Thurrock Council.
Recently, the Tory Council announced that it was considering replacing the 18 Contractors that it uses for its building maintenance service with a single contractor. Labour immediately greeted this with hostility and argued against the move. Thurrock Labour Party Chairman and local Councillor – Carl Morris – then went on to chair a scrutiny committee this summer that recommended the Council should not move to a single contractor but continue to employ a number of smaller companies.
It has now emerged that two companies, which the Council uses and who would be adversely affected by the decision to appoint a single contractor, are past donors to the Labour Party, something that was not declared at the time! Both companies were awarded contracts when Labour ran the Council.
According to independent data published on the Electoral Commission website, Just before the local elections in 2007, a company called Econogas Ltd - based in Laindon, Essex – made a donation of nearly £1,500 to Thurrock Labour Party, just a few months before Cllr. Morris and Labour colleagues sat on the cross party scrutiny committee and argued in favour of multiple contractors which would have included this Econogas.
In May 2001, Castle Point Heating Co. Ltd made a donation of £2,500 to Basildon and East Thurrock Labour Party and is also on of the 18 Contractors used by Thurrock Council.
Leading the charge for the Conservatives, Cllr. Ben Maney said, “There is something very murky about this. Labour said that the reason they opposed a move to a single contractor was because they were standing up for local businesses but in fact only about five out of the eighteen companies that would be affected are from Thurrock so that argument does not hold much water. Is it that what we have here is an attempt by Labour to protect companies – both based outside Thurrock – because they have made financial donations to the party? “
Thurrock Conservative Association Chairman, Fred Topham Added, “this is a very serious exposure, there is little chance that Cllr. Morris, as chair of Thurrock Labour Party, would not have known about the donation from Econogas or that they were Council contractors and had been for many years. There needs to be a full and transparent inquiry into this and Labour need to come clean. It is very hard to see how the public can have confidence in them after this”.
IN A SHOCK STATEMENT made last night (Wednesday 25th March) Tory Councillor Terry Hipsey has announced that he has quit his post as Leader of Thurrock Council - and that he has crossed the floor to become a Labour Councillor.
The announcement, issued during a chaotic and at times farcical full Council Meeting, flew in the face of Councillor Hipsey's vigorous defence of his position as Tory Leader of Thurrock Council at a press conference held last Tuesday.
At that press conference, Councillor Hipsey was responding both to criticism of his leadership of the Council as well as calls for his resignation following a 'damning' report by The Audit Commission on the performance of Thurrock Council over a range of services
Commenting on his announcement, Mr Hipsey said that his political 'volte face' was in response to Conservative central office policy on measures to lead the UK out of the current financial and economic recession.
He said: I can confirm that I have resigned as Leader of Thurrock Council, and have also left the Conservative Party in order to become a Labour Councillor. This last week has shown some of the worst examples of David Cameron's attempt to respond to the recession.
When speaking to constituents,I cannot justify David Cameron's decision to make his number one priority in a recession a tax cut, which would give hundreds of thousands of pounds to millionaires, but do nothing for the vast majority of Thurrock families.
By over-ruling people in his own Shadow Cabinet,like Ken Clarke,who clearly opposed his plans to give a tax cut to millionaires, Cameron has moved the Tories from the centre ground of politics and continues to offer no help to families in Thurrock.
In contrast, I have been deeply impressed by the way that Gordon Brown has recognised the urgent need to give real help to families now. By joining the Labour Party, I hope to be able to support the Prime Minister's practical steps to help people in Thurrock out of this recession.
I look forward to working closely with our local Labour MPs, Andrew Mackinlay and Angela Smith. They,like me,care deeply about giving Thurrock families the help that they need during this global recession.
I've spent the last two-and-a-half years trying to keep this dysfunctional Tory group of Councillors together. Recently, after having some time to reflect, it has become clear to me that this group - and the Conservative Party more widely - are incapable of making the changes necessary to take Thurrock forward.
I've been increasingly impressed with the group of Labour councillors locally and the Labour government's response to the recession nationally.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Be careful what you wish for. If we continue our Shakespearean theme then former Tory leader and now Labour Councillor, Terry Hipsey may just have walked straight into Iago’s clutches.
It appears that Cllr Hipsey was the Thurrock man after all and for the sake of his health and perhaps sanity decided that enough was enough.
This decision has cost him a lot of money. We were wrong in suggesting it was the 'economy stupid'.
He is a man who entered politics in his forties and,it appears, will leave it in his forties as well. But it is clear that he will have the undying respect of his new wife.
Some may say that the Labour Group had a big coup d’etat planned here. With Terry Hipsey defecting, the push was on to try and force a motion through to put Labour Leader John Kent in power. It failed.
Reaction of new leader of Thurrock Council, Garry Hague to defection of Leader to Labour.
Chair of Labour Group Carl Morris reacts to defection of Thurrock Leader to his own ranks
The packed gallery were treated to an unedifying spectacle of bungling ineptitude. Mayor John Everett was hopelessly out of his depth.
Eventually, with great assistance from the Monitoring Officer, Gwen Bankole Jones, the path of constitutional correctitude was made clear. Deputy Leader Garry Hague was elected leader.
This is a great moment for Cllr Hague. He has his finger on the pulse of the regeneration agenda in the borough and is at the fulcrum of the Conservative agenda. With his deft PR skills he may well pull the party together.
What the new Interim Chief Executive Bob Coomber made of all this, one can only speculate but many are now confident that they will bring solidarity, consensus and the beginnings of the long march towards being a 4 Star Council.
Electing the right Deputy will be tricky.
Sue MacPherson resigned as Deputy Leader a few months ago amid much rancour. It appears that she does not enjoy the support of a number in her party.
It was clear that Chair of Labour Carl Morris was disappointed at the result. He had clearly banked on a sweep into power and once again is frustrated by the Tories ability to pull themselves off the ropes even under extraordinary conditions.
One of the key criticisms of Mr Hipsey’s reign was that he seemed to be making policy up to the surprise of the rest of his members.It now looks as if Labour are doing the same.
Labour were thwarted by the two East Tilbury Councillors, John Purkiss and Barry Palmer abstaining and BNP Councillor Emma Colgate siding with the Tories. It leaves 23 Tories, 23 Labour, 2 Independent and 1 BNP.
Thurrock council leader and local traitor extraodinaire, Terry Hipsey, has resigned from the Conservative party and crossed the floor to join the Labour party.
It is believed that Hipsey has done this to get revenge on his party after coming under pressure from David Cameron to resign to avoid further embarresment to the Tories.
ONE OF THE FIRST moves by Thurrock Council to address the criticisms made by the Audit Commission has been to employ another 'Communications Consultant'.
Head of Media and Marketing, Andy Lever said: “As part of the Improvement Board's work, communications was identified as an area of focus. The council's partners are funding a consultant to examine the communications needs of the council and to support the communications team.”
This is clearly aimed at members and officers alike.
Members of the public were astonished by Corringham Councillor Anne Cheale’s outburst against one of the Corringham Traders at the meeting last week (see video).
But it's often not outbursts but apathy, inertia and perceived contempt for the constituents that has frustrated and annoyed the public and been identified by the Audit Commission as simply not good enough.
There appears to be a cultural divide. Tory Councillors such as Gary Hague, Tunde Ojetola and Sue MacPherson seem to grasp the need to communicate. They are regularly seen in their wards, are available for interview and have a high degree of inter-personal skills that are required in their position.
We understand that Chair of Corringham Traders Association Sharon Jarrold wrote to all the local Councillors regarding the meeting held on March 2nd. She says she did not receive any reply from Councillor Ian Harrison and Councillor Pauline Tolson.
YourThurrock has e-mailed them as well but have also received no reply.
Many of the Tories have no surgeries. Little Thurrock Councillor Rob Gledhill has defended the decision. He said: “We feel that instead of sitting in a hall for two hours and seeing no-one, we prefer a walking-surgery, where we discuss things on the doorstep with our constituents.”
But are there implications for diversity in this decision by the Conservatives?
Primary School teacher, Eny Yesac said: “There are 41 different languages spoken in my school. People from all over the world are flooding into Thurrock. It seems remote and holds people in contempt to require people to ring you."
To be fair, Cllrs Maney and Ridgwell hold surgeries. The Aveley trio do as well. Cllr John Cowell is a ubiquitous figure in the ward, whether it is in the High Street, Community Forums or Youth Club.
Ockendon Councillor Amanda Arnold has been ill with Glandular Fever for three months. It took them two months before a statement was made. Her mobile phone remains shut off, her e-mails unanswered.
In modern business the message would have been:
'Cllr Arnold is unwell at the moment but is keen that any enquiry is dealt with. You can contact member services on 01375 652652 or my colleague Barry Johnson...”
It will be interesting to note whether Cllr Arnold hands back any of her £16,000 allowance?
Portfolio Holder for Public Protection, Cllr Ben Maney has not responded to any of YourThurrock's e-mails for over a year with a request for an interview.
One of the key criticisms by the Audit Commission has been the “fundamental” breakdown between relationships between officer and members.
Earlier this year, Chair of Planning Stuart St-Clair Haslam made an unbridled attack on the work and lack of vision of planning officers in a public meeting. Is that part of the problem?
YourThurrock asked Cllr St-Clair Haslam for an interview regarding this - but he has refused. Ironically, he has not made any response to the possibility that the major building initiative on his ward (Martello Homes on Dock Road) has been suspended.
Would we be writing this story a year ago? Perhaps not. With a recession, issues such as this come sharply into focus. The councillors are perhaps fortunate that one of the first casualties of this recession has been journalism. The Thurrock Recorder has disappeared; the editor of The Thurrock Gazette, Neil Speight has left. And all that remains at the Orsett Road office of the Thurrock Gazette are two desk-bound journalists.
It was quite pointed that The Mayor of Thurrock, John Everett attempted to lampoon the Thurrock Gazette at the last Council Meeting when he held it up and identified a mistake in the paper where they incorrectly stated that the Head of the Burma Star was a 'Winston Churchill look-a-like'.
“Bring back Neil Speight” he declared. He then went on to show an embarrassing lack of knowledge on procedure and constitution that perhaps crystallised why the Council is one of the worst performing councils in the country. The term “glass houses” comes to mind.
Yet Labour are by no means immune from communication needs and we shall be addressing them at a future date.
For example, we were not impressed by the Labour Councillor who when asked by YourThurock for an interview regarding unemployment, replied: ”Can’t make it. Off to Bluewater!”.
The real concern is whether the Council gets it. YourThurrock asked them why it was that the Citizens Advice Bureau - who have the Service Level Agreement to deal with Housing Issues - were not invited to the Putting Tenants First Conference on March 27th.
The response was:
“Decisions on who to invite to the conference were taken by the Conference Working Group which includes six tenant representatives. However if the CAB wish to take part, they should contact the Housing Participation Manager on 01375 413985”
You would have thought there would have been some attempt to conciliate but the fact that they still have a 'You ring me' attitude indicates that there are deep-rooted bureacratic and cultural issues that will take a long time to eradicate.
(As we have noted previously, this is the same Conference scheduled during the day when most tenants are at work.)
Last year, YourThurrock offered to make (for free) a series of showcase films on the nominees for the Thurrock Civic Award.
A council Press Spokesman said: “We don’t think that is a good idea”.
These systemic problems may stem from the top. Thurrock MP Andrew Mackinlay has branded them as “Out of Touch” and East Thurrock MP Angela Smith has labelled them as “Clueless”.
Lorna Payne identified herself on Thursday as “Acting Interim Chief Executive” when interviewed on the hallowed fourth floor of the Council offices. The big question is “What happened to the Interim Chief Executive?”
Lorna Payne has always been amenable to interview. We understand that officers are not allowed to speak to the press but she is trying to break down a few barriers here. She cannot do this on her own.
Needless to say, YourThurrock asked Thurrock Council for a comment but have yet to receive an answer. And needless to say, when we asked about the new 'Communications Consultant' - employed at what expense to council tax-payers? - he / she remained unidentified!
Cllr Leader Terry Hipsey is unavailable for interview until March 31st.
David Cameron's office set to order Council Boss to go.
“Ruining Electoral Chances” “The Buck Must Not Stop Down The Hall” Labour Call on Beleaguered Leader and Administration To Resign
IN A DRAMATIC MOVE, Conservative Central Office is set to order Thurrock Tories to remove Thurrock Council Leader, Terry Hipsey from office.
Until recently, Westminster Tories were confident that both constituencies, Andrew Mackinlay’s Thurrock and Angela Smith’s South Basildon and East Thurrock were target seats to be toppled at the next General Election.
But the recent catalogue of controversies - from the “stepping down” of Chief Executive Angie Ridgwell and highly rated Director of Education Robert McCulloch-Graham to the U-turns on Freedom of the Borough for the Burma Star Association and the closure of Chadwell St Mary Primary School - have put the Tories' General Election hopes at risk.
However it is believed that the 'tipping point' is the disastrous handling of the plans to impose car parking charges in Corringham.
One Tory insider revealed:
“For four years, (prospective Tory candidate) Stephen Metcalfe has been confident that he can overturn Angela Smith’s slim majority (3,142).
He attended the meeting at Corringham Village Hall and was privately fuming at the Tory Councillors' performance.”
Subsequently, Mr Metcalfe issued a statement publicly criticising Thurrock Council’s own proposals.
He said: “I have spoken with a number of traders and fully support their opposition to any introduction of charges. “I understand that the Council has a difficult job to do, and that they have to set a balanced budget, but filling the hole left by lack of proper Government funding and the deepening recession by introducing parking charges in Corringham is not the answer.”
The decree from Central Office is set to come before the next full council meeting where the Labour opposition have tabled a motion of no-confidence in the Council Leader and Stanford-le-Hope Councillor, Terry Hipsey.
Chair of Thurrock Labour has demanded the resignation of Cllr Hipsey and the rest of his administration.
At last night’s Tory Cabinet meeting, the Tories discussed the Audit Commission report where Acting Leader, Garry Hague pledged to move forward.
Call for leader’s resignation after authority is rated as one of the worst in the UK
THURROCK Council has been rated as one of the worst authorities in the country.
It is one of just six, judged as ‘not improving adequately’ by the Audit Commission.
A record number of local councils received four stars in the latest Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA).
Thurrock Council, which has been led by the Conservatives since 2004, failed to improve on its previous rating, received just two stars out of four.
Thurrock Labour Party leader, councillor John Kent, described the report as the most damning he had ever seen although a BNP spokesman said, Mr Kent obviously has a short memory otherwise he would of added to his statement "since the last one when my party was in charge".
He said: “This report confirms what most people know about Thurrock Council. It’s poorly run and not delivering for local people.”
Council leader Terry Hipsey was unavailable to comment as he is away on honeymoon.
In a statement, the council insisted it was committed to providing good services for residents and playing a key role in improving their quality of life.
Deputy council leader, councillor Garry Hague, said significant challenges were ahead and that the Audit Commission had helped identify them.
He said: “We are determined to make rapid progress.”
The CPA findings, which were published last Thursday, look at how efficiently councils are run, quality of local services, and whether they are value for money for taxpayers.
A GRAFFITI Project has enabled young artists to transform part of Grays High Street into a historical community mural.
Budding artists from Thurrock took part in the Grays Beyond Graffiti Project which is designed to educate participants on both the negative aspects of graffiti and the positive aspects of art and design.
The project’s fifteen dedicated young people worked together on the community mural project, which involved them using their artistic skills by researching, designing and creating a wall painting at the pedestrian walkway.
Cabinet member for Public Protection, Coun Ben Maney said: “This project is a good way to encourage young people to use their artistic and design skills in a positive community project as well as to learn more about their local history.
“Graffiti is not a victimless crime. It is a form of criminal damage. There is a financial cost to remove the graffiti to the householder, business or local taxpayer.”
“Through the Grays Beyond Graffiti Project, participants spend time cleaning illegal graffiti and are educated about the negative impact on their community that graffiti vandalism causes, the legal consequences and the financial costs.”
The Safer Thurrock Partnership funded project is a joint programme which sees Thurrock Council’s Be Smart Environmental Education Programme, Thurrock Youth Offending Service, Connexions, Brave Arts and Essex Police working together with these young artists.
Images that can be seen in the Crown Road walkway include depictions from the dinosaur and stone ages through to the modern era and the future. Local landmarks including The State Cinema are also included.
British National Party Councillor, Emma Colgate, has raised an issue that will concern many Thurrock residents and in particular, women and parents of young children.
Councillor Colgate, speaking in the council chamber said:
“A report issued by the Essex Mappa (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) found that Thurrock (with Basildon) has more convicted sex offenders than anywhere else in the county, and nearly half of all registered sex offenders live in South Essex, many of whom re-offend.
What measures will the Council take to protect vulnerable members of our community from this threat and will the Council embark on a program to raise public awareness of this dangerous situation?”
Leader of the Tory run Council Terry Hipsey said:
The figures by the MAPPA report are the aggregated figures for the police area of Basildon and Thurrock. When disaggregated, the figures for Thurrock alone is 67 Registered Sex Offenders living in the Thurrock area. This is actually lower than the figures for all other police areas in Essex with the exception of Colchester.
The rate for sexual offending is similar to all crimes, of around 7%.
MAPPA Meetings are held on a monthly basis and Children’s Social Care are represented at all meetings, including any emergency or higher-level meetings. Information is shared at these meetings in order to build up a cohesive understanding of the pattern of offenders and that information is then utilised in protecting vulnerable people through further assessments being undertaken. Care plans and agreements are being made with families and disclosure of information being agreed where risk is identified. Plans are agreed by MAPPA meetings that will include agreement about where RSOs should live, what agencies will support and monitor them, where they can receive treatment and how best to protect others. Where RSOs have been convicted of an offence against a child, and is thought to be in contact with any child, then referral is made to the Social Care Team as an Bassessment undertaken.
Supplementary question from Councillor Colgate
I’d just like to ask - what concerns me is that we may have some of these offenders living in Council properties that we’re short on, which could benefit other people and I wondered what sort of powers you have to refuse properties to people convicted of sexual assaults, especially on children and if you do have any power to refuse them to actually be in the Borough, let alone in a Council property?
Councillor Hipsey
What I would like to do is I’d like to respond to you in writing, to (inaudible) because obviously there’ll be severe legal implications in this and I wouldn’t like to give you an answer at this moment in time.
NIGHTLIFE in Grays town centre is set to get a multi-cultural boost after a disused basement nightclub was sold.
A new lease for nightclub, which is situated in the Queensgate Centre, has been sold by the Ipswich office of national business agents Christie and Co.
The business was secured by experienced London operator, Owen Mcleod, who hopes to capitalise on the location, links to London and lack of competition in the area.
The club has been known as Rumours, Aqua, Club Rise and most recently the Q Bar and Lounge.
Mr Mcleod, 39, plans to make it an over 22’s themed nightclub.
He said: “I want to make it a club accessible to all the different cultures living in the surrounding area.
“I plan to introduce African, Asian, Eastern European and Caribbean themed nights and much more for all the community.”
The club is set to be reopened on Saturday February 28. No other detials have been confirmed.
Impulse Leisure ask top councillors for £250,000 one-off grant
TOP Thurrock Councillors have demanded Impulse Leisure supply them with a business case before handing over £250,000 in a one-off grant.
A report to the council’s Cabinet meeting asked members to “agree a request from Impulse Leisure for a one off payment of £250,000 in 2009/10 from the council reserves”.
Impulse Leisure is the charitable trust, which manages the council’s three leisure centres at Corringham, Blackshots and Belhus Park.
The money would be used “to assist with the significant increase in utility costs and the budget pressures on Impulse Leisure’s low level of reserves”.
Cabinet did agree a new funding and management agreement between the council and Impulse at £600,000 a year, for the next five years starting in the next financial year (2009/2010).
However, members were worried about the lack of reserves held by the trust, its future security as a viable organisation and what measures were being taken to cut costs.
Councillor Ben Maney said he was “concerned how close Impulse is to bankruptcy”, adding: “If we give this money, will it survive?”
And Coun Steve Veryard added: “It’s worrying that they seem to be investing beyond their means, will £250,000 be enough?”
Council Leader, Coun Terry Hipsey, said members wanted to see a full business case from Impulse Leisure so they could be assured that the trust was viable and that the £250,000 one-off grant would secure its long-term future.
The issue will be considered again at the meeting of the Cabinet in February.
A NEW in-store pharmacy was opened at Asda Tilbury this week.
Ward councillor Bukky Okunade opened the pharmacy on Saturday before undergoing a blood pressure and diabetes check by resident pharmacist Chidi Egeolu.
The opening follows a three-year campaign by ASDA to make pharmacies more accessible to the community, and reflects its commitment to saving the residents of Tilbury time and money.
The pharmacy will be open for 100 hours a week, and will stay open until 11pm Monday to Friday, outside of traditional opening hours.
ASDA Tilbury General Manager for Home and Leisure, Gwen Hosking, said: “ASDA has worked closely with the local Primary Care Trust to create this new department and by offering extended opening hours, we are providing an invaluable service that makes healthcare advice readily available to all, without the need for an appointment.”
Councillor Bukky Okunade added: “This Asda pharmacy is a credible addition to the existing facilities in the area. It's going to make for easier access to health care here in Tilbury.”
The new ASDA Tilbury pharmacy in Thurrock Park Way will be open from 8am – 11pm Monday; 7am until 11pm, Tuesday – Friday; 7am until 10pm Saturday; and from 10am until 4pm on Sunday.
Tony Salvatore Benson is a former Homesteads Labour Councillor. He is now known as Simple Tony Benson, Chairman of the Corringham town festival committee.
This is the left wing idiot who banned Christmas carols from a Corringham school.
Below is a picture of mr Benson and contact address for those who would like to communicate with him.
51 Howell Road, Corringham, Stanford Le Hope, Essex, SS17 8JH
A THURROCK resident who ordered food from Pizza Hut got a shock when boxes of excrement were delivered instead.
The nasty delivery, from the Pizza Hut takeway restaurant on Lodge Lane in Grays, has led to the sacking of a delivery driver.
The food was ordered by a resident from Grays, who phoned Trading Standards after opening two Pizza Hut boxes and finding faeces inside.
Pizza Hut launched an internal investigation into incident and say that the food, which was left unattended by the driver whose car had broken down, was tampered with by a member of the public.
A spokesperson for Pizza Hut said: “We were shocked to hear about this incident.
“After an internal investigation, it has emerged that a delivery was left unattended after it had left the restaurant and was subsequently tampered with by a member of the public.
“We do not tolerate any breaches of our strict policy on food delivery and have dismissed the delivery driver.
“We have apologised to those involved and are working with local authorities to assist them in identifying those responsible.”
Thurrock Council Spokesperson Andy Lever said: “A detailed investigation has been undertaken following two Pizza Hut boxes containing faeces being delivered to a customer in Grays on 23 November 2008.
“A visit was made to Pizza Hut, Grays, on the following day by an Environmental Health Officer to investigate the complaint and interview staff.
“It is thought that the cause of the incident was due to the delivery driver acting irresponsibly by permitting the delivery to be outside of his control following his car breaking down.
“It appears that four individuals not connected with the company ate the food contained in the boxes and replaced it with faeces.
“It is not known whether this is animal or human.
“It is clear that Pizza Hut did have proper food systems in place at the time of the incident and the driver involved had received suitable training.
“The driver was subsequently dismissed.
“Thurrock Council will not be taking any further action regarding this complaint.”
CHRISTMAS carols were kicked out of festive celebrations in Corringham last week, disappointing a school choir who had been rehearsing for weeks.
The 60 pupils from Arthur Bugler Junior School in Stanford-le-Hope had finished their rehearsals for the Corringham Winter Festival when organisers informed the head teacher that the carols they had chosen did not “dovetail” with the festival’s theme.
There was no time for the pupils to rehearse new songs so the school was forced to pull out.
Head teacher, Mrs Sue Morris, said: "It would appear there was a communications mix-up between the school and the organisers of the event.
"Initially the school was invited to attend and sing, but after a great deal of rehearsal with the school’s 60-strong choir, we were informed the songs we were rehearsing would not have dovetailed into the event’s theme.
"There was no time to reorganise the choir’s planned programme and we thought it best that we did not take part. The organisers of the event were informed of this.”
A parent of one of the children in choir, who asked not to be named, said: “The school was advised by the organisers that the carols they had chosen were not suitable as they were deemed to have a religious theme.
“The kids were really disappointed.
“Whatever the Christmas Carols were that they were going to sing- I can’t see how they would be offensive to anyone.”
Organisers of the Corringham Winter Festival have put the incident down to a communication problem.
Mr Tony Benson said: “It was a simple communications error, it did not come to my attention until it was too late they even appeared on the program and street notice.
“It was a smashing evening and their presence would have gilded the lilly.
“I have promised the head mistress that we will give them a lot more notice in the future, I can assure you their parents disappointment was matched by mine.”
When the Gazette asked Mr Benson if the school was told their Christmas carols were unsuitable for the event he added: “It is a fact of life that a lot of people have forgotten the meaning of Christmas.
"We the committee try to put something back into the community with The Winter Festival and The Tree of Lights which we arrange and put on for St Lukes.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Prayer Book Society, Prudence Dailey, has hit out at the organisers of “winter festivals” up and down the country, saying their political correctness threatens Christmas.
She said: "These 'politically correct Winter festivals' seek to make Christmas part of a 'multi-faith' mix and hark back to pagan winter solstice observance.
“'Winter festivals' see Christmas as merely a local seasonal event and miss its central religious significance at the heart of national identity.
“Perhaps organisers would benefit from reading the Book of Common Prayer and discovering what winter festivities are in fact about.”
A north London pensioner is due to be sentenced after using "prayer sessions" to help defraud fellow churchgoers out of tens of thousands of pounds. Serial fraudster Richard Abeson, currently wanted by Belgian police for a similar con, claimed he was a wealthy Nigerian oil trader with a fortune tied up in his home country.
London's Southwark Crown Court heard he told his victims their money would not only help him move the funds to Britain but would win them "substantial" pay-offs.
Abeson, 70, of Cosway Street, Edmonton, admitted two counts of conspiracy to defraud "with others unknown" between August 31, 2004, and April 30, 2006.
2,000 sex offenders - including rapists and paedophiles - escape with a caution
Two thousand sex offenders - including rapists and paedophiles - escaped with a caution last year.
The shock figure is a two per cent increase on 2006.
It means that, of all sex offenders punished for their crime, 28 per cent escaped with a slap on the wrist.
Those cautioned included 30 people guilty of rape - up from 20 a year earlier - four attempted rapes and nearly 300 people who admitted having sex with under 16s.
Cautions were also handed out to six people who admitted breaking child prostitution or child pornography laws.
The report revealed that - overall - the number of convicts escaping with a caution was up four per cent, to 362,900.
There has been a 28 per cent leap since Labour came to power in 1997, when only 282,100 people were given a slap on the wrist.
Other criminals to escape with the sanction - supposedly reserved for minor crimes - last year included almost 7,000 burglars, 614 robbers, and 72,789 people convicted of theft or handling stolen goods.
There are huge regional variations in the use of 'soft justice' cautions. In Dyfed-Powys, a staggering 57 per cent of indictable offences end in a caution - compared to only 22 per cent in North Wales.
Earlier this year, the Mail revealed how police had been instructed to give some serial criminals a string of cautions rather than drag them to court.
Under the Home Office guidance, anyone caught committing the same 'trivial' offence again can be let off with the equivalent of a slap on the wrist - providing two years have passed.
It means a thief could receive up to five cautions in ten years without ever having to face a court appearance.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'Although there is a high percentage increase of rape cautions, the number of cases actually remains very small (32 in 2007 and 20 in 2006).
'Only in exceptional circumstances will the police and CPS decide that it is in the best interests of the victim not to prosecute.'
