Thurrock has beaten its neighbours across Eastern England in terms of NEET support.

Recently released figures show that Thurrock is one of the best areas in the country for dealing with young people who are not in work, education or training.

Government stats show Thurrock Council is one of three nationwide which has tracked the whereabouts of all their 16- and 17-year-olds.

The figures also show Thurrock is second of its 11 statistical neighbours in terms of young people engaged in education, employment or training – 92 per cent compared with 89½ per cent across the Eastern Region and 90.6 per cent nationally.

The council can offer them good information about education, employment, apprenticeships and training – on average, nationally, councils lose track of 3.8 per cent of them.

Thurrock Council Leader, Cllr John Kent, said: “The work we do with the so-called NEETs, young people who are not in education, employment or training, is something that makes me extremely proud.

“As we know what every single young person is doing we can offer appropriate support to all of them and be sure Thurrock youngsters are getting a better deal than those in Essex, Southend, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and across the country.”