Debt-hit Thurrock Council's domestic violence underspend

The unspent domestic violence funding was revealed in a report

A cash-strapped council failed to spend nearly half a million pounds of funding for domestic violence, it has emerged.

A report has revealed Thurrock Council - which has debts of around £1.5bn - carried forward £490,000 it could have used to help victims.

One councillor criticised the underspend when "people were sleeping rough because of domestic violence".

The council said spending has increased this year, including money for running a refuge.

The figure was included in an update on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls, given to a council scrutiny committee.

Speaking at the meeting, Cathy Kent, a Labour councillor for Grays, said she was "very concerned" about the underspend, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

"The fact that we're saying we could be doing some really good things, but we're carrying forward a lot," she said.

"There's a lot of work we could do when we know there is a lot of people sleeping rough because of domestic violence and we are carrying forward £490,000."

'Very disturbing'

The report also highlighted endemic inappropriate and "harmful" sexual behaviour aimed at girls.

Ms Kent said: "I found this report very disturbing when you look a lot of young people are saying the problems are so common there's no point in reporting it because nothing will get done. That shouldn't be happening."

Ewelina Sorbjan, Thurrock Council's assistant director of housing , said she accepted the money should have been spent "better and a lot quicker" but added the funding is ring-fenced for safe accommodation.

"There is a lot more spend allocated for this year and has actually been spent and part of that is the cost of running a refuge," she added.

Thurrock Council is in debt after borrowing hundreds of millions, mainly from other councils, to invest largely in financial bonds linked to solar energy farms.