Council loses electronic equipment worth £37,000

Thurrock Council's debt position is expected to rise to £1.1bn by summer 2026

An effectively bankrupt council has been facing calls for an internal review after it was revealed that electronic equipment worth £37,000 has been missing since 2021.

A total of 133 laptops and mobile phones have not been returned by staff leaving Thurrock Council in Essex since January of that year.

Seventy-seven devices were also reported lost or stolen, a Freedom of Information request revealed.

The Labour-led council said it always took action when equipment was not returned.

The authority's debt position is expected to rise to £1.1bn by summer 2026, after a series of failed solar farm investments put it in financial crisis.

One of the most expensive devices that it could not find was a £626 laptop, the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed.

The total value of devices not returned by outgoing staff was £23,117 and those lost or stolen were worth £13,872.

A total of 133 laptops and mobile phones have not been returned by staff leaving Thurrock Council since January 2021

The figures have raised concerns about data security and asset management at the council.

It has a "leavers' policy" reminding departing staff to return equipment once their notice is logged in the HR system.

However, independent councillor Gary Byrne said the system was failing and called for an internal review to fix it.

"What this highlights is a deeper cultural problem that still exists within the civic offices," he said.

"An institutionalised mentality where too many have yet to grasp the reality that Thurrock is a bankrupt authority."

A spokesman for the council said all of its electronic equipment was encrypted to protect data.

"Digital equipment is the property of the council and staff and managers are required to return them when they are no longer needed," he said.

"When equipment is not returned action is taken to recover it."