It’s December, it’s cold and the council does not expect anyone to be sleeping rough in Barking and Dagenham.

A local business has been fined £400 following investigations into a mass fly-tip in Barking last week.

Last Monday, enforcement officers attended reports of a huge fly-tip on Ripple Road, Barking following complaints from local people. Investigation by the officers led officers to discover that some residents and businesses had discarded their rubbish there including a nearby firm.

Albania marked 107 years of Independence yesterday 28 November. To mark the occasion, the Albanian flag was raised at Barking Town Hall, as the borough came together with members of the Albanian community, council staff and well-wishers.

Since Albania was declared independent on 28 November 1912, every 28 November is commemorated by all Albanians (wherever they live in the world) as their National Day.

The role of inspirational women and their achievements is being celebrated during March next year, as part of Barking and Dagenham’s sixth annual Women’s Empowerment Month.

A highlight of the month-long celebration is the 2020 Women’s Empowerment Awards which will honour and celebrate the borough’s amazing and inspirational women.

A group of promising footballers from the Riverside School, recently went on an unforgettable trip to France to test their skills against local sides.

During the trip, the students were based at C.D.F.A.S Sports Center Eaubonne which has been used by professional athletes such as Didier Drogba and the Ivory Coast national squad when visiting France.

More new jobs that are exclusively available to residents of the borough have been added to Barking and Dagenham Council’s Job Shop listings.

The latest opportunities include jobs in warehouses, customer service posts, construction vacancies and care roles, with both full and part-time positions available for local job seekers.

This week there are 30 full-time forklift driver vacancies, working four days on four days off, and paying £10.03 per hour, as well as 10 labourer posts with a pay of £11.50 per hour.

The application deadline for community organisations across Barking and Dagenham has been extended to Sunday 10 November.  

The fund will allow local charities and community groups, to play a bigger role in delivering a range of events.

The fund will be related to the Barking and Dagenham equality and diversity calendar, which involves everything from LGBT History Month to national independence days.

View the full calendar and an online application.

Students of Rush Green Primary School in Dagenham showed their respect for the fallen by putting together a series of remembrance displays around their school.

The whole school got involved in creating the displays, with pupils from Years 5 and 6 providing poems and other writings about the war.

Staff and students held a two minutes’ silence on Monday 11 November to mark Armistice Day and, later, parents were invited into the school to view the children’s work.

A local business has been fined following its failure to obtain the necessary permission to deposit a skip on a public highway and to pay an initial Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

Back in March 2018, council officers discovered a builder’s skip belonging to Quick Skips London Recycling Ltd of Thames Road Barking, on the public highway namely Manor Square in Dagenham.

A vigilant resident has played a huge part in helping to shut down the activities of an illegal brothel operating in Beverley Road, Dagenham.

Enforcement Officers from the council and the Police gained access to the property last week, 7 November, following a report from a concerned resident that they had seen men entering the property all times, night and day, a woman exposing herself and finding used condoms outside the property.