A THURROCK parliamentary candidate has hit out at the government for keeping residents in the dark over the options for a new Lower Thames Crossing.

Mike Le-Surf, the Labour candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock, said that residents have a right to know and that option C would be an environmental disaster for the area.

It comes after Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced option B, which would have landed from Kent in the area of Grays Beach Park and led on to the Dock Approach Road towards the A13, had “the weakest case” and would not be pursued.

Option A would see another crossing built next to the current Dartford-Thurrock crossing, whilst option C would land between Coalhouse and Tilbury forts and travel north towards the Orsett Cock junction of the A13.

Option C has also been heavily criticised by Thurrock MP’s Stephen Metcalfe and Jackie Doyle-Price.

Mr Le-Surf said option C would especially see the lives of Orsett residents turned upside down: He said: “The odds are now stacked further against the residents of the constituency and the government needs to come clean about their real intensions.

“This is no decision at all and will only add to resident distress as the cloud continues to hang over them during the festive period.”

He added:” "How Patrick McLoughlin can say that ‘ruling out the least attractive option now gives some clarity for local residents and businesses’ is ridiculous and shows how out of touch this Tory government really is."