Cllr John Kent, Leader of Thurrock Council, spoke out in reaction to recent media coverage about Mr Alex Stringer.
Former William Edwards pupil, Private Alex Stringer, of 23 Pioneer Regiment Royal Logistics Corps, lost three limbs whilst serving with the British Army in Afghanistan.
He now resides in a sixth-floor flat in Chadwell St Mary with his fiancée Danielle Taylor, 19, and daughters Millie, three, and Harlie-Rose, one this month.
He said: “While we don’t normally speak about individual cases, this is now in the public domain and I feel we have to put the record straight.
“The national media coverage of this story has been wholly inaccurate.
“The council has NOT allocated a sixth floor flat to Mr Stringer. However, since the day the hospital informed us of Mr Stringer’s needs and that he was to live with his partner, the tenant Ms Danielle Taylor and children, we worked with the family and health professionals to ensure we could help him regain his independence at home.
“Thurrock Council has a proud record of supporting the Armed Forces — past and present. Mr Stringer is a local war hero and we are incredibly proud of what he has done for his Queen and country.
“It is only today that we have received an assessment from the army rehabilitation unit. We have been doing everything we can to support Mr Stringer’s return to independence and will continue to work with Mr Stringer and his specialists. And let’s be clear, we will – and have been actively seeking to – urgently find appropriate accommodation for Mr Stringer and his family.
“Mr Stringer continues his treatment at the army rehabilitation unit and we are determined when he comes back to the borough it will be to the type of accommodation he needs and deserves.”
its amazing how a bit of media coverage gets the jobsworths jumping.
Read the comments in the Gazette on this story. I think the Comrade is talking a load of sphericals again. The council spokesmoron at the time simply said that the family hadn’t contacted them so they hadn’t done anything.
It is funny how people can arrive in the borough from other countries or other London boroughs and get houses at the drop of a hat but we cannot allocate a house or ground floor accomodation for this hero, doesn’t it make you proud to be British????
if you look at the council house page in the gazette its looks as if quite a few homes are going to people who seem to have jumped the queue.
Should military personnel be helped more than others. Thurrock Council
does not have a large available housing stock and therefore most people will be offered introductions into Housing Assn / Private housing. Choice Base lettings exists for all and there are no and as far as I am aware no exceptions as you are banded Bronze / Gold. I hope Mr Stringer is Gold banded. The debate is do we offer military personnel preference? Does an injured Police Officer also deserve to be in the exceptions. To me both should be but debate is needed.
Valid point Vince. Should it matter how an individual received their disability. Should help be given on priority rather than if they were a soldier or not?
Vince63, you raise some very salient points, and I agree that any person serving in public role, be that in the Armed Services or the Emergency Services who is injured on duty should be given preferential treatment, also theor own employers have a role to play in this with better support networks.
All too often we see council properties being given out to those who have only just arrived in the country and have not contributed to the local or national community or even paid into the state, this is what really sticks in peoples throats, too many local councils are now becoming drowned in Political Correctness and put their own local people at the bottom of the queues just to gain political points.