Leader of the Council, Councillor Darren Rodwell, said:

“We are saddened by the events that took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning and our hearts go out to everyone affected. We’re aware that some residents have lost everything including their homes and possessions.

A local leisure centre is celebrating International Women’s Day by offering a range of free activities at its recently launched women’s only gym on Wednesday 8 March.

In its UK premiere, the film 'Marianne’ explores the impact of French secularism on Muslim women.

The protection of young people from harmful products is a top priority for the Trading Standards team at Barking and Dagenham Council, who last month carried out a test purchasing operation which involved two teenagers aged 13 and 14 trying to buy vapes containing nicotine from local shops.

The landlord of a property dubbed a “house of horrors” by Barking and Dagenham Council enforcement officers has been ordered to pay more than £8,000 by the courts.

Protecting services, extra support for people struggling with the cost of living crisis, more money to provide social care, further spending on improving residents’ homes and keeping the streets clean have been agreed in Barking and Dagenham Council’s 2023-24 budget.

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

Throughout the month of March, the council will be hosting a series of events and activities to promote women's empowerment. These include workshops, talks, and networking events aimed at encouraging and supporting women in various areas of their lives.

A bench has been installed on the premises of Jo Richardson Community School, in Dagenham in tribute to one of their former pupils, Jodie Chesney. She was stabbed while out in a park with her friends on a Friday night in March 2019.

The owner of, and estate agent responsible for letting a two-bedroom flat in Dagenham have been found guilty in court for providing extremely poor living conditions for tenants and have been ordered to pay over £22,000 between them.