Sky News business presenter, Jeff Randall will present a special report seeing him travel back to his native county of Essex, investigating how the recession in the UK is hitting the people there.  The programme will air on Saturday 29th August at 20:30 BST.

Known to many as the home of the White Van Man and the Essex girl, it is a county rich in agriculture, business and industry, and has both suffered and prospered during the economic downturn. Ford’s Dagenham plant is cutting production, whilst bustling seaside towns like Southend-on-Sea are welcoming holiday-makers. Across this coastal county, the winners and losers of the UK recession are evident.

Jeff will examine how things might look in five years time by fast-forwarding to 2014. With unemployment showing no sign of recovery, what will be the affects on the housing market, how will social infrastructure cope with an increased population, and will companies solve the problem of funding debt in private pensions?

Jeff Randall said: “Essex is a melting pot of industries; a rural, suburban and metropolitan landscape with a commuter belt snapping at the heels of the big city. But the glue that holds its small communities together is under threat - the internet, the closure of pubs, post-offices and local newspapers could create socially poorer places in years to come.”

Jeff Randall’s Essex Factor will be shown on Saturday 29th August at 2030, throughout the day on Sunday 30th and Monday 31st August, and again at 1930 on Monday 7th September.

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