Children from across Barking and Dagenham let their imaginations run wild this week as they celebrated World Book Day.

From dressing up as their favourite character from a book to class story sessions with milk and cookies, many Borough primary schools took part.

World Book Day aims to give every child and young person a book of their own and has been running for 22 years. 

Barking and Dagenham residents are being invited to a public meeting to talk about their concerns on a range of community safety issues. 

The next Barking and Dagenham Safer Neighbourhood Board meeting will take place on Thursday 14 March at the Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club from 6.30pm. 

Stephen Thompson, Chair of the Barking and Dagenham Safer Neighbourhood Board said: “This is a public open meeting and residents are welcome to discuss any issues they may have from knife crime to burglary and any other anti-social behaviour. 

Pupils at Eastbury Community School became ‘book worms’ for the day as they celebrated World Book Day.

The whole school were encouraged to take part in the international day that is being celebrated for the 22nd year.

Students who had chosen to study art at school were tasked with designing their own book cover in a competition which was judged by the English department, while the rest of the school could take part in a ‘design a book token’ competition.

A shop owner and premise licence holder have been fined £2,645 for illegally selling alcohol to an underage person.

 

Angel Stores in 9 Royal Parade, Church Street, Dagenham sold a can of Fosters beer to a 16 year old male without confirming his age and asking for identification.

 

The offence took place on Thursday 10 August 2017 during a routine test purchase exercise by Council Trading Standards officers. 

 

Staff working for Barking and Dagenham Council who are experiencing domestic abuse will now get up to 10 days paid leave thanks to the introduction of a ground-breaking policy to address the issue.

 

Tackling domestic violence and abuse is a key priority for the council. It recently announced plans for a commission to explore local attitudes and perceptions to domestic abuse. Just under 40% of the council’s workforce also live in the borough and so it is starting with its own workforce. 

All Saints Catholic School in Dagenham has been awarded with the Centre of Excellence status for a second year in a row. 

Inclusion Quality Mark Ltd (IQM) gave the award which recognises the ongoing commitment by schools to provide the very best education for all children irrespective of their differences and abilities. 

The reported commented on ‘how the school continues to move forward at an impressive pace and that its commitment to inclusion was exceptional and was evidenced through its policy and practice in all areas.’

Ninety-year old volunteer, Evelyn Karstadt has been specially recognised by the Mayor of London and is set to be one of the stars on the Mayor’s Instagram page as an ‘amazing women’ during women’s empowerment month.

Evelyn will be part of an online gallery to celebrate incredible women Londoners who have been behind some of the greatest achievements and discoveries in the Capital.

Almost three out of four young people in Barking and Dagenham will attend their first preference secondary school from September this year.

 

Figures show that out of 3,452 applications, 2,534 (73.41 per cent) of 11-year-olds have been offered their first preference compared to the capital’s average of 65.89 per cent. 

 

From Tuesday 5 March 2019, Cadent Gas will be carrying out gas mains replacement work along Rainham Road South, between the junction of Reede Road and the junction of Dagenham Road. 

Work will be carried out in five phases between March and July 2019. During these phases, parking bays will have to be suspended and there won’t be access to Surrey Road from Rainham Road South at times that will be displayed on the road. 

 

Barking and Dagenham Council’s battle against grime crime continues with the release of the fourteenth CCTV Appeal film.

The video series catches people who are illegally dumping rubbish in the borough. The latest episode shows people brazenly dumping fridges, mattresses, umbrellas and even a boiler in different locations across the borough.