Brentwood Borough Council

A community group based in Brentwood, Essex, is celebrating its success at getting donations to vulnerable residents.

Brentwood Borough CouncilCopyright: Brentwood Borough Council

The Brentwood Community Hub brings together a number of voluntary groups with the help of Brentwood Borough Council with donors dropping items off at the Town Hall.

The Hutton Community Food Hub said it was helping 250 families and handing over 300 food parcels a week.

Council leader Chris Hossack said: "The way the community has come together is extraordinary. These guys have established themselves, rallied volunteers and residents, complied with the rules that are in place to sort the donations and deliver them."

The groups also include Christian charity Manna Meals, community groups Brentwood Covid-19 Mutual Aid, which has 2,100 members on Facebook, and Brentwood Residents Action Group (BRAG).

Molly Miller, who runs BRAG with Jazz Cooper, said: "Our primary aim was to provide help to the over-60s self-isolating who were unable to shop."

A local council has said more personal protective equipment (PPE) is needed across Essex.

Brentwood Borough Council tweeted that while many local companies have been donating unused and unwanted stock, "more is needed".

It has appealed for anyone able to provide protective equipment to email PPESupplies@essex.gov.uk

Brentwood Town Hall turned blue last night as part of the weekly Clap for our Carers event

Cpl Eddie Griffin, 14, from the town's Imperial Youth Band played trumpet, leading into police sirens being sounded and blue lights going on in tribute to the NHS, emergency services and caring professions.

Brentwood Borough CouncilCopyright: Brentwood Borough Council

All parks, play areas and open spaces are now closed in the Brentwood Borough Council area.

Public toilets in Brentwood High Street and Ingatestone are also shut.

The following closures are in place for Brentwood:

• Golf course
• Bowling rinks
• Multi-storey car parks, except to residents of Baytree Centre - season ticket holders to use William Hunter Way car park

Marathon/GeographCopyright: Marathon/Geograph

All refuse services are running as normal, along with cemeteries and burials.

The Conservatives have lost control of four councils across Essex.

Chelmsford City Council was the scene of the biggest surprise. The Lib Dems overturned a 45-seat majority to take over the authority.

Southend, Basildon and Tendring fell to no overall control, while Thurrock and Colchester also remained without an outright majority.

There were Conservative holds in Castle Point, Maldon, Epping, Rochford, Brentwood and Braintree.

Harlow stayed under Labour control.

BBCCopyright: BBC

The Conservatives have held on to Brentwood Borough Council.

The party had 25 of 37 seats at the start of play.

The Conservatives have retained control of Brentwood Borough Council, where 13 of the 37 seats were up for grabs.

Polling has begun for elections for some district and unitary councils in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.

Across the country, 150 local authorities are electing new councillors, and there are six mayoral contests.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Councils holding elections here are:

• Cambridgeshire: Cambridge City and Peterborough City
• Essex: Colchester Borough, Basildon District, Harlow, Brentwood Borough, Castle Point Borough, Rochford District and Southend Borough
• Norfolk: Great Yarmouth Borough and Norwich City
• Suffolk: Ipswich Borough

In most places, a third of seats are being contested.

Polling stations close at 22:00 and BBC East will be providing live online coverage afterwards.