Despite all the difficulties, most students in Barking and Dagenham have secured places at their chosen destinations.

There were celebrations at Robert Clack School of Science, where over 100 pupils will be taking up places in their first-choice university including offers at Russell Group universities with three of them securing places to study medicine.

Barking and Dagenham Council CCTV cameras continue to prove its worth in the fight against grime crime as a local woman has been caught and fined for dumping black bags.

Enforcement officers were made aware by CCTV operatives of a woman living on Sunningdale Avenue, who was seen dumping rubbish at the end of the road.

Following this, officers visited the property and were able to speak to the woman, who was immediately identified, as she was still wearing the same clothes as when she was caught by council CCTV cameras.

Barking and Dagenham Council launches campaign to address youth violence, after a spike in incidents across the capital in recent years.

The campaign, called Lost Hours, will see the council tackling the issue head on and speaking to parents directly, urging them to take more responsibility for their children by asking them where they are, before it’s too late.

The cost of getting children with special education needs in Barking and Dagenham to school is set to rise by at least 100 per cent and the council is seeking clarity from the government.

In a letter to Vicky Ford MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, Council Leader, Cllr Darren Rodwell and Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration, Cllr Maureen Worby asked the government to clarify what it means by safe travel.

Barking and Dagenham Council enforcement officers turned into Sherlock Holmes this week as their investigative skills helped them track down two fly tipping offenders.

On the evening of Thursday 27 July, the east London council’s CCTV recorded a driver and passenger of a white Ford transit box van dumping rubbish out of the back of the vehicle onto a public highway.

Businesses including bars, pubs, cafes not following government guidelines on social distancing and the rules on reopening in Barking and Dagenham run the risk of being shut down.

In a stern warning, the Leader of Barking and Dagenham, Councillor Darren Rodwell, said: “Now more than ever, it is vital that people continue to follow government advice on social distancing, wearing face coverings and practising good hand hygiene, in order to keep down the number of cases across the borough.

Barking and Dagenham Council in east London has vowed to take a zero-tolerance approach to people who show disregard for resident safety by thinking they can hold illegal gatherings in the borough.

The pledge comes after council officers and police closed an illegal party with upwards of 260 people in Broad Street, Dagenham on the night of Friday, 31 August.

From today, Monday 3 August, businesses such as cafes, restaurants and bars, will be able to apply for and secure a licence which will enable them to place furniture on the highway.

The Business and Planning Act 2020 provides measures intended to support economic recovery from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, including provisions to make it easier for businesses that sell food and drink for consumption on or off the premises to seat and serve customers outdoors by the introduction of a new type of licence, called a pavement licence.

With the government bringing coronavirus business grant funding to a close on Friday, 28 August, businesses across Barking and Dagenham are being urged to check if they are eligible for the grant.

Since the start of the pandemic, the council has been supporting local businesses and administering the government’s rates holiday for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, as well as the grant schemes for small businesses.

A council officer had a great week as his investigative nature and persistence led to him closing two fly tipping incidents.

Firstly, the officer visited Faircross Avenue, near the junction with Monteagle Avenue where rubbish had been dumped and following an investigation, he came across some evidence that pointed him in the direction of a property.