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An eight-week inquest into the deaths of four men murdered by serial killer Stephen Port is set to begin on Monday 4 October at Barking Town Hall.

The long-awaited inquest will examine the Metropolitan Police’s initial response to the deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor, who were drugged, raped and killed by Port between 2014 and 2015. 

Port was sentenced to life in prison at the Old Bailey in November 2016 for the murders of the four men.

Residents of Barking and Dagenham aged 19 to 24 are being invited to take advantage of a 12-week traineeship with the Adult College. 

 

The traineeship opportunity will provide participants with the chance to improve their potential and prepare them for a career in hospitality, fitness and customer service.

 

Interested residents will be expected to meet the eligibility requirements and attend a pre assessment interview.

 

Last week, Trading Standards officers from Barking and Dagenham Council launched a campaign to protect residents against scams. 



In the first of many drop-in sessions, Trading Standards Officers provided information to residents and welcomed questions about all types of scams in Barking Town Centre last Thursday (9 September).



Dozens of local residents benefitted from best practice guidance on how to be scams aware, alert, and assertive against cold callers, doorstep sellers and potential distraction burglars.

A Dagenham restaurant has been fined over £5,000 after it was caught fly tipping on the public highway on two separate occasions.



On the mornings of 16 and 19 September 2019, council enforcement officers discovered an accumulation of bagged waste on Goresbrook Road, Dagenham.



After looking through the rubbish, the officer concerned found a large number of receipts for Balti Cottage, a restaurant which was in close proximity to the fly-tipped waste.

Riverside School in Barking has started the new academic year with an exciting enrolment to the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP). 

Delivered by the UCL Institute and the British Council, The Department for Education's Mandarin Excellence Programme has helped over 7,000 pupils in England get on track to become fluent in Mandarin Chinese since 2016. 

Acceptance to the programme has been a long-standing goal for the school. It has invested heavily in maximising the number of students who study a language at all phases.

A service which provides help and support to residents across Barking and Dagenham is set to be expanded.

The community food clubs – a partnership between the council and voluntary sector partners, provides discounted food to local residents. Club members pay £3.50 a visit which allows them to access up to £20 worth of shopping. In addition, they are able to get help, advice and support with finance, health, training and skills to get into work.

The Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Cllr Darren Rodwell has lent his voice to the Mayor of London’s ‘London Refugee Response’ fund, which will be a way for more people to make donations to help refugees build a new life in London.

A local man who assaulted a council civil protection officer has had his just reward after he was given a 9-week custodial sentence suspended for 18 months.

The Barking and Dagenham resident (who cannot be named for legal reasons), assaulted a Civil Enforcement Officer who had issued them with a Fixed Penalty Notice for parking in a suspended bay in Goresbrook Road, Dagenham.

The incident took place on 22 November 2020. Following the assault, the police were called, and the officer was supported until their arrival.

Katy-Anne Waite has been crowned Practitioner of the Year by the School-Home Support charity for her work with families at Mayesbrook Park School in Dagenham. 

 

The charity’s coveted annual award celebrates the practitioner who has made a significant contribution to leading the charity’s mission of supporting children to be in school, ready to learn, whatever it takes. It’s named the Terry Farrell Practitioner of the Year Award in memory of the late inspirational co-founder of School-Home Support.

 

A graduate of Barking and Dagenham Council’s apprenticeship scheme has been shortlisted for a national award.

Cintia Jankoczi, who worked as a level-3 business administrator in the Job Shop Construction Team, has made the final of the 2021 Public Services People Managers Association (PPMA) Apprentice of the Year award.

The awards identify and showcase the promising and emerging talent of people working in the public sector.