The South Basildon and East Thurrock MP said he had ‘decided to continue my parliamentary career as an independent MP’.

The chief inspector of prisons revealed ‘frightening’ blades including a zombie knife was also suspected of being dropped into prison by a drone.

Radcliffe First has been installed as the new official opposition group on Bury Council. The hyper-local party, which currently holds eight of the nine council seats in the three wards of the town, ...