UK: Locals 'shocked' and 'gobsmacked' by Essex lorry deaths - Laurelvale councillor

W/S House of suspect, Laurelvale
M/S Car near suspect's house
W/S House of suspect
W/S House of suspect
M/S Sign reading: 'Laurel heights. Laurel Grove and Laurel Drive'
M/S Sign reading: 'Laurel heights. Laurel Grove and Laurel Drive'
SOT, Paul Berry, Laurelvale Councillor: "Well, obviously, this has been a devastating piece of news for the village of Laurelvale but also literally across the world. It has brought spotlight to this local area, but obviously first and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the 39 people who tragically lost their lives in this lorry. It's just, it's hard to comprehend how such lives have been lost. Obviously, a Laurelvale person has been arrested, but they are innocent until proven guilty. And, I think, there has been a lot of social media hype in relation to the individual being named. I know the family personally, they are held in high regard in the Laurelvale area and they are very much active in the local community. So, what's a great shock and sadness to the local community is that this has happened but it's with the Essex police, it's with the PSNA, and we must allow them to carry out their duties in professional manner to ensure that whoever is responsible for this tragic event is brought before the courts and charged."
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SOT, Paul Berry, Laurelvale Councillor: "It's very early days and the people in the village are totally shocked, they are gobsmacked, they don't really know what way to express that because of the shock that has just come upon this local family and the local village because the family are involved in many of the local community organisations in the village and people obviously just want to protect them as much as they can, until more information has become available."
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SOT, Paul Berry, Laurelvale Councillor: "As I spoke to the father today, he didn't even know his son was arrested and was on media speculation before he even knew where his son was."
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SOT, Paul Berry, Laurelvale Councillor: "Obviously it's in the hands of the Essex police and obviously we trust their professionalism, but we do believe that you know space should be allowed to be given to the family, to Mr Robinson, who is currently under investigation and being questioned by the police and he is innocent until proven guilty. And I think that's the important part because there are people above who are carrying out church activity day and day out and I think it's about time we get to the real truth and get to the real people to find out what's happening, and I think that's really important for our police authorities and the governments across the world to deal will this."
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SOT, Paul Berry, Laurelvale Councillor: "It also does outline the tragic events where people are in such desperation in areas across the world that feel that they have to get on to such transport and be brought to other countries in such difficult circumstances and I think local governments, local authorities have serious questions to ask of themselves why their people are doing this and why they feel so desperate to leave these countries to come to other countries putting their lives at risk and in this case sadly fatalities, and I think it beholds us all to try ensure that such things like this never happens again."
SCRIPT
Local Councillor Paul Berry commented on the discovery of a lorry with 39 bodies in Essex, speaking in Laurelvale on Wednesday. Footage also shows the reported property of the suspect who is believed to be the lorry driver.
Berry stressed that the arrested person, believed to be Mo Robinson, is innocent until proven guilty and that "space should be allowed to be given to the family, to Mr Robinson, who is currently under investigation and is being questioned by the police."
"People in the village are totally shocked, they are gobsmacked," added Berry, saying that he personally knows the suspect's family.
Earlier on Wednesday, 39 bodies had been discovered in the lorry in Grays, Essex. The murder suspect, a 25-year-old male from Northern Ireland remains in custody. The force said the lorry travelled from Bulgaria and entered the UK via Holyhead in north Wales.