THURROCK council approved a budget which will mean a ten per cent increase in council tax after receiving confirmation of a £632million Government bailout.

To heckling from the public gallery, which led to one resident being escorted from the chamber, council leader Mark Coxshall warned if the budget was not approved the council faced being destroyed.

Speaking at the meeting on Wednesday, Mr Coxshall said: “Tonight is the most important decision we are ever going to make in this chamber as elected councillors.

"Let me be even clearer on this decision for you all this decision is not a vote for the budget before us tonight then there is no future for the borough as a standalone council.

“Some may say we should not survive but I and the Conservatives love the borough and believe there is a future Thurrock."

Mr Coxshalll said the budget would give a new chance to correct errors from “the past 25 years not just the past six”.

He added Thurrock still had a below average council tax.

The meeting included angry exchanges between councillors over who was to blame for the council's bankruptcy, opposition councillors complained they had been asked to vote on £8million savings only the night before debate of a budget which included 70 proposals for savings.

John Kent, leader of the Labour Group said: “The leader made a great play of telling us that somehow that this budget is a fresh start. How he and his cronies are nothing to do with the council’s catastrophic situation. Let’s be clear. They have overseen the greatest financial crash of any council in Britain ever. The toxic Tory debt stands at very nearly £1.5billion.

“The losses on the dodgy investments stand at £275million. There is a funding gap of £469million in this year’s budget. The shortfall for next year is more than £180million and we will be spending £49million next year on debt interest payments. Tonight we can only set the budget relying on £632million of exceptional funding from Government which is likely to be treated as a further loan."

Mr Kent questioned whether there could be a fresh start led by the Tories.

He said: "It’s like the arsonist who set fire to your house saying 'it’s alright, I’m back and I brought a bucket of water with me.'"

Former council leader Rob Gledhill, who was at the helm as the council slipped into financial meltdown, failed to attend the meeting.

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