Basildon Borough Council

Many recycling centres across the East have reopened today and there have been long queues.

In Northampton, the queue outside one tip meant there were delays in the post leaving from the nearby Royal Mail sorting office.

While in Essex, the queues outside the centre at Pitsea were up to three hours earlier this afternoon.

Basildon Borough Council says it has found accommodation for every known rough sleeper in the town.

Leader of the council Gavin Callaghan said although some people refused offers or did not respond to calls, there was accommodation available for all.

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"By this morning our staff had accommodated 16 of the 20 people sleeping rough who are known to us, and we are waiting to hear back from the other four in order to get them into the accommodation we have for them," he said.

"Basildon Council is taking unprecedented action to keep people healthy because our number one goal right now is to save as many people’s lives as possible."

Hundreds of ballot papers were rejected across Essex with many people making their feelings on Brexit and politics in general known by spoiling their papers.

Basildon Council saw 794 papers rejected while more than 280 were spoiled in Rochford.

Some voters have said they spoilt their ballots in protest against the government handling of Brexit and the lack of a party to represent them.

The Conservatives have lost control of Basildon Council after Labour and independents made in-roads into their majority.

The Tories remain the largest party but Labour now has 15 seats, six are with independents and UKIP has one.

it will now be for the Labour group to see if it can form a coalition to run the authority.

Labour have won five of the first seven seats declared in Basildon Borough Council's elections.

In a strong early showing the party has taken Laindon Park from the Conservatives with John Scarola elected.

Conservative Kevin Blake has won in Burstead while Independent Pauline Kettle has taken Nethermayne.

Basildon Borough CouncilCopyright: Basildon Borough Council