Thurrock and Kent residents are uniting behind petitions to stop the second Thames Crossing being built in Thurrock.

Kent residents have started a petition on the Houses of Parliament website which has so far collected 5,428 signatures.

A 38 Degrees petition has also collected 9,531 signatures against a second Thames Crossing in Thurrock.

The parliament petition needs 10,000 signatures to get a 'government response' and 100,000 signatures to be debated in parliament.

A meeting at the Orsett Village Hall on Sunday had residents from Thurrock, Essex and Kent gather to organise a strategy to fight the crossing.

Residents on the Thames Crossing Proposals group on Facebook, with 8,369 members, are urging people to sign a petition and fill in the public consultation form.

Writing on the Thames Crossing Proposals page, Facebook user Angela Gaywood wrote: "I am pleased to say we are a UNITED voice in our fight against NO new crossing in Thurrock."

Linda Allen, of Graveshithe, Kent, also wrote after the meeting: "I am inspired now to get a working party together for like-minded people in Gravesham who want to do more. Will be pinching a few ideas from our friends in Essex... stronger together."

The parliament petition can be found here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/113715

The 38 Degrees petition can be found here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-new-lower-thames-crossing-into-essex

The public consultation from Highways England can be found here: https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/cip/lower-thames-crossing-consultation/consultation/intro/view

A public consultation meeting by the Highways Agency is on today, 11am to 7pm at the Culver Centre, Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon.