The Thurrock Conservative Party has announced that Andrew Jefferies will be the candidate for the upcoming by-election in Ockendon.

Mr Jefferies lives in the ward and has listed illegal parking of lorries and anti-social behaviour as issues he wants to deal with.

He said: “I have made Thurrock my home and want to do my bit to make South Ockendon and Thurrock the best it can be.

"If elected, I want to see the improvements in services continued:

•        Providing more patrolling Enforcement Officers, issuing fines to stamp out littering and anti-social behaviour

•        Stopping the illegal parking of HGVs

•        Improving housing conditions and providing lower social housing rents

•        Keeping our roads pot-hole free and our green areas safe and well maintained

•        Implementing a regeneration plan for Ockendon in line with those already seen in Grays, Tilbury and Purfleet, so that areas like Derwent Parade can benefit from investment and employment opportunities.

"We can only ensure that Ockendon becomes an even better place for everyone if we elect a Conservative Councillor on 22nd March”

This comes after former UKIP councillor, Kevin Wheeler, who briefly joined TI when they originally formed, stood down as a councillor for Ockendon on February 1 this year.

A by-election will be held on Thursday, March 22.