Essex drama Fish Tank wins best film award

Gritty Essex drama Fish Tank has scooped the best film prize at the Evening Standard British Film Awards.

The film, by Oscar and Bafta winner Andrea Arnold won the jury prize at Cannes last year and is an unflinching look at the trials and tribulations of a young girl growing up on a tough estate in south Essex.

Katie Jarvis landed the lead role after being spotted rowing with her boyfriend at Tilbury station and was nominated as best newcomer, losing out to Peter Strickland for this debut film Katalin Varga.

Another Essex link came through Andy Serkis winning the best actor award for his portrayal of singer Ian Dury in Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll.

Serkis, best known for playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, was superb as the unlikely singer and dedicated his award to Dury, saying: "Ian wherever you are, this is for you.

"It's been a really extraordinary job from the word go – it chimes in with the 10 year anniversary of Ian's death this year.

"It's really great that people start to investigate his music once again - that's actually one of the joys of it," Serkis added.