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They gathered outside the Civic Offices, the Yellow Advertiser reports, in New Road, Grays, to witness the council raising the flag, as part of Armed Service Day.

The service was led by borough mayor, councillor Anne Cheale, who paid a heartfelt tribute to the Armed Forces. She stated the public will never forget the personal sacrifices every memeber of our Armed Forces make for us every day.

War veterans, council leader John Kent, and other councillors and officers were also in attendance.

Mr Kent said it was poignant, on the day that the MoD had announced the country’s 300th armed forces death in Afghanistan, they were raising money for and awareness of the Help For Heroes chairty, for heroes literally dying for the cause.

The official Armed Service Day takes place this weekend on Saturday, June 26.

A leading member of Thurrock Council confirmed that they would have to ‘act like surgeons making cuts to save the patient’, the Yellow Advertiser reported. He vowed, however, that the effect will be minimal to those most vulnerable.

Concerns were also expressed over the previous administration’s spending, with a considerable overspend in the last financial year that had to be covered by the council’s reserves, although he acknowledged people worked hard to cuts costs in that time.

He also called for councillors from all parties, as well as council staff, to work together to reduce spending further. Further details about the cutbacks will be outlined during a special meeting of full council on Wednesday, June 30.

The Thurrock Council-owned Park recently pledged “to engage in an ongoing process to sustain high quality learning outside the classroom and meet all of the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge indicators”.

The Thurrrock Council website confirmed that this comes after receiving a Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge (LOtC) from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. It means that the park offers good quality teaching and learning experiences as well as manages risks effectively.

Mathew McGettigan, Education Ranger for Langdon Hills Country Park, said: “We are pleased to receive the quality badge, which puts us in good stead as providers and also for our users. With it, families can be sure their children are getting excellent learning outside the classroom.”

He also added: “For us here, the classroom is the great outdoors, with fun activities being very much ‘hands on’ and contributes to the development of a child.”

Fundraisers praised the generosity of givers county-wide after the craft was unveiled at Orsett Hall.

The helicopter will continue to carry its highly skilled crew of doctors and paramedics and sophisticated life-saving equipment to a patient within the first few vital minutes of an emergency.

A spokesman for Essex Air Ambulance said to the Yellow Advertiser: “This is an important day for the service and tribute to all those who give so much towards it. We receive no National Lottery funding and rely upon the generous people of Essex to keep the aircraft flying.”

The rescue craft was launched in 1998 and has flown over 10,000 missions. It costs around £250,000 per month to cover all charitable costs and aircraft operations.

The new Essex Air Ambulance will also be making another special appearance locally this coming Sunday, 13 June, giving people the opportunity to see it up close and personal.

It will be at the Big Band in the Garden event at Ivy Cottage, Little Burstead, near Billericay, from 1pm to 5pm.

His visit gave Yvonne Williams a brief opportunity to raise a few queries with him. Immediately the chat finished, Stephen had to rush away to get back to the House of Commons.

Stephen Metcalfe intv with Yvonne 08.06.10

The sessions are open to young people aged 11 to 19, and will run from 12pm to 2pm throughout the week, at the following venues:

- Tuesday, 1 June: Blackshots Park, Blackshots Road, Grays RM16 2JU.

- Wednesday, 2 June: Stanford Youth and Connexions Centre, Hassenbrook Rd, Stanford Le Hope SS17 0NS.

- Thursday, 3 June: Riverside Youth & Connexions Centre, Quebec Rd, Tilbury RM18 7RA.

- Friday, 4 June: Culver Youth & Connexions Centre, Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon RM15 5RR.

There is no need to book – just turn up! For more information, please call Pat Kielty at Thurrock Council on 01375 413037.

In an article issued by the Press Association, Basildon University Hospital acknowledged that 20-year-old Kyle Flack died following failures in its “systems and procedures”, Basildon Crown Court was told this week.

The hospital’s governing trust admitted breaching health and safety law by failing to ensure patients were not exposed to risk after being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as a result of Mr Flack’s death nearly four years ago. Judge Christopher Mitchell is due to impose fines next month following a sentencing hearing.

Prosecutor Pascal Bates said Mr Flack, a quadriplegic who had cerebral palsy, died at the hospital in October 2006 after getting his head trapped in protective bed bars.

Mr Bates said the hospital had failed to properly supervise Mr Flack, failed to properly pass on information, failed to properly train staff, failed to properly assess risk and had not heeded warnings.

Mark Goldring, chief executive of health charity Mencap, said Mr Flack’s case is “not unique” and has called on the judge to send a “powerful message” when sentencing.

“(The trust) accepts that its offending was a significant cause of this death,” Mr Bates told the judge. “Management failed to lay down correct procedures.” He said the offences amounted to a “serious” breach of duty and the hospital had fallen “markedly short” of the required standard.

The Thurrock Health Centre, the BBC News website reports, has been temporarily based at Grays Health Centre in Brooke Road, since it opened in March.

Its planned opening at the former Woolworths in the High Street, Grays, was delayed because renovation work was not finished on time.

Now the health centre has announced it will be opening in the town centre on 31 May.

On the Essex Police Newsline it states: –

“The 22-year-old local man was taken to Basildon Hospital with a number of stab wounds to his body and legs. He received emergency treatment and is now described as stable. Police will be speaking to him as soon as he is well enough to provide a statement. No one else was injured.

The men who broke in are described as black and were wearing balaclavas. Police would like to hear from anyone who was in the area, saw the men or has any other information that can help identify them.

Anyone who can help should contact detectives at South Ockendon on 0300 333 4444 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”