An investigation was today under way after factories were destroyed in a major fire. The blaze broke out just after 11pm on Wednesday at the Basket Works site in Grange Road, Tiptree. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service was inundated with calls as the
A landmark Southend pub's future was today in doubt after it failed to sell at auction. More than 120 people packed the Cumberland Suite, Pembury Road, Westcliff, for the auction of the Blue Boar in Victoria Avenue. Bidding opened at £150,000 but was
Thurrock MP Andrew Mackinlay has mounted a campaign to cut through Government red tape. He has introduced a Freedom of Information Bill to Parliament and is calling on public authorities and former public utilities to be more open. Speaking in the House
Essex education chiefs today hit back at criticism of the help they give children with special needs. The authority came under fire after the Independent Panel for Special Education Advice (IPSEA), a national parent support group, reported a 100 per cent
For all Pink Floyd fans tribute band Think Floyd are back in town -- enlisting the help of a Southend drama group. Think Floyd are now playing major venues around the country, faithfully re-creating the atmosphere and musical genius of one of the world's
Learner lorry driver Edward McLean is recovering from a nightmare drive that saved the life of his instructor. Learning to drive can be nerve-wracking enough, but when instructor Malcolm McIntyre keeled over with a suspected heart attack, quick-thinking
Essex is on its way to producing another star cricketer to follow in the footsteps of John Lever, Graham Gooch, Nasser Hussain and Paul Prichard. William Burnell, 14, is being tipped to become a top all-rounder, following his acceptance to attend the
A man in his 20s who was arrested following an allegation of indecent assault in Rifle Hill, Braintree, has been released on police bail. Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion
Stick by the lads and we won't let you down! That was today's impassioned plea to the fans from popular Colchester United skipper Richard Wilkins as he and his shell-shocked team-mates attempt to pick up the pieces of last week's FA Cup disaster at Bedlington
A last minute appeal has gone out to Billericay residents to do their bit to ensure the town has a bright Christmas. With only three weeks to go before the High Street Christmas lights are turned on, Billericay and District Residents' Association is still
PIGEON-LOVERS will be prosecuted if they feed the birds. This was the stark warning from council chiefs as they revealed a scheme to set traps for pigeons - and cull the vermin. War has been declared by environmental health experts who say people are
Cabaret artistes and former "co-stars" of desperately-ill Louise Tully are holding a charity evening in her honour. Louise, who has Fancomi's Anaemia and is recovering from a life-saving bone marrow transplant, is herself a budding singer. Guest stars
Council tax bills could rise by as much as £100 in parts of Essex, it has been warned. Leader of Essex County Council, Lord Hanningfield, fears the Government could cut its £800m grant to the authority by as much as £62m. It is rumoured John Prescott,
Liz Bottomley, Brentwood's first elected Mayor and one of the town's best-known personalities and borough councillors, has lost a courageous 12-month fight against cancer. She died peacefully on Friday at St Bartholomew's Hospital. She was 55 and leaves
The first female presenter of male sports bastion, Grandstand, and first female hero of Endeavour School - the two may seem worlds apart but for Helen Rollason there seems to be no distinction between them. This week, when she accepted her Hero of Endeavour
Youngsters at Basildon Library had a treat when a wily fox paid them a visit. The bushy-tailed character, well-loved by children for his antics in the Animals of Farthing Wood stories, read to them, played games and lent his paws to a spot of colouring
People suffering from mental health problems in Southend are to be given more help, thanks to a £345,000 grant. Three new projects are to be set up using the Government money, which the council is matching with £127,000 of its own funds over three years
Old Chelmsfordians 'D' continue to set the pace in division five of the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League and a convincing 8-2 win over third placed Danbury H leaves them with a perfect record of seven wins out of seven. Mick Hayes and John
Do you know of a top quality coach, be it a professional, teacher or volunteer, who is the unsung hero behind a successful team or individual? Or how about a junior sportsperson who has achieved excellence in their chosen field, and deserves some recognition
Fireworks and Christmas lights attracted an estimated 10,000 people to Chelmsford town centre as the festive season began with a bang. Town centre manager Cathy McBride said she had never seen more people packed into the pedestrianised centre. People
Police are to operate 18-hours-a-day Chelmsford town centre patrols in an attempt to wipe out drink, drug and petty theft offences. The move follows concern expressed by councillors and retail bosses and will come into being in the spring. There has been
Police are hunting a bearded man who offered a 14-year-old girl money for sex. The girl was walking in Brian Close, near Moulsham High School, when the man approached her. Now the police have warned the school to be on the alert. The terrified youngster
Southend should deal with its own household waste, not dump on other areas, councillors have demanded. Pressure is mounting on Southend Borough Council to provide its own waste dump after being severely criticised by county councillors for not proposing
A bid to slash accident levels outside schools by reducing the speed limit to 20mph is being spearheaded by a Castle Point councillor. Bill Dick, Conservative councillor for Thundersley, wants the limit lowered from 30mph to protect children and parents
Southend United's new owners are ready to pump cash into the club's squad in a bid to lift the Blues. Martin Dawn spelled out its plans after announcing their takeover at Roots Hall was due to be rubber-stamped today. In a statement released this morning
Imaginations have gone into overdrive as the annual fund-raising spree of Children In Need is once again upon us. You can donate securely over the web by visiting the Children in Need website. Hundreds of groups and organisations have been racking their
A Hockley vicar has cooked up a novel way to find new parishioners - he wants Delia Smith to give him a plug on her popular programme. The TV cook has launched a new series which takes a look at basic cooking, and the nation is glued to the screen. Critics
A dog owner in a council house could face eviction after she was fined more than £2,000 for letting her pets cover the backyard with excrement. Southend Council chiefs revealed they took the woman to court because the level of dog dirt "threatened the
South Woodham town councillors are considering moving their offices to the old post office site in Heralds Way. Members of Chelmsford Borough Council development control sub-committee approved a change of use proposal from the town council at a meeting
The floodgates may be opened to more licensed premises in Chelmsford town centre after magistrates backed plans for a new public house despite police opposition, according to the Licensed Victuallars Association. It was revealedthat a Shire Hall licensing
A 76-YEAR-old woman suffocated after "voices in her head" told her to shove a flannel down her throat. Nora Golding believed new tablets she was on were poison and had twice tried to push tissue paper down her throat before the incident which killed her
All-time children's favourite egghead Humpty Dumpty is making hospital visiting a more fun-filled experience for youngsters in Southend. Rayleigh artist Lisa Hawker has just unveiled her two big, colourful murals in the hospital's special care baby unit
TWO men have appeared in court charged with murdering "body in the boot" victim Colin Francis. Charles Nicholls, 56, and Michael Gould, 35, both of Cleveland Road, Basildon, who were dressed in matching sky-blue tracksuits, spoke only to confirm their
Police were today hunting a knife-wielding masked teenager who tried to rob a petrol station. The crook, aged 16-18, fled empty-handed after being challenged by a cashier and a customer when he tried to raid the Save petrol station in Southend Road, Stanford-le-Hope
The head of science at Felsted School has reached the finals of a competition which recognises the importance of good chemistry education. Dr Kay Stephenson reached the last six of The Salter's £10,000 Prize For Chemistry Teachers after judges joined
Members of South Woodham Round Table have launched a campaign to distribute £10,000 to good causes in the town. As part of the Fix-It Campaign, Round Tablers are inviting groups or individuals in the town to contact them to ask for donations or equipment
Dunmow residents are being urged to support an annual Christmas community event designed to put their town on the shopping map. The Chamber of Trade promises a feast of festive delights on the evening of Friday, December 11, when the High Street is closed
Fans of one of Hollywood's most famous stars are in for a treat as a Clacton hotel is offering them the chance to live alongside a legend. The Le'Vere Hotel in Agate Road is a shrine to swashbuckling hero Errol Flynn who wowed audiences in a string of
Chelmsford City, sponsored by Olympic Introductions, gained maximum points at Writtle College on Sunday against lowly Luton. Chelmsford were without four regular players and made a positive start in this Eastern Region League Premier Division match, but
Eight-year old Oliver Durham won last weekend's Essex Junior Under 9 Short Tennis Championships at the Hornchurch Sports Centre. Oliver had battled through his round robin group with four straight wins and then beat James Gamby of Upminster in the quarter-finals
With only one place and one point separating the teams at the start of play, Saturday's match in Southampton promised to be closely fought, and that is how it turned out. Chances were few and far between at either end, with only seven penalty corners
The second race of the Essex Winter Series saw 38 Chelmsford paddlers on the water on a mild but wet Sunday morning. Keith Moule teamed up with Dean O'Connor for a decisive victory in the Senior Mixed K2, winning by one minute 20 seconds from a mixed
The driver of a powerful Ford Sierra 4x4 car was killed in a crash in south Essex last night. The 47-year-old man, from Church Park Road, Pitsea, died in Basildon hospital. The Sierra was the only vehicle involved in the crash, on the A132 South Main,
This is the look of education for the millennium. Thirty-year-old Barstable School is preparing for the huge event with a new state-of-the-art building to add to its technology block. The new site is almost ready to be revealed to the public and members
A bid has been launched for cash to breathe new life into Greenstead and east Colchester. Colchester Council is hoping for a share of the Government's multi-million pound single regeneration budget which aims to boost industry and rejuvenate run-down
Golfers are set to swing their way into the next millennium with the news that a new nine-hole golf course is to be built in Southend. The development follows the decision to lease out the Essex Golf Club at Eastern Avenue, Southend, to a local consortium
Bully for them . . that is the triumphant cry for Brentwood Ursuline schoolgirls, Julia Coughlan, Emma Hickling and Joanne Luxford who have scored personal goals by being chosen to play hockey for Essex. And as well as being a triumph for the girls it
A Wickford teenager is calling on local youngsters to take up the sport he loves - so he can finally have someone to compete against. Neil Beauchamps, 15, of Beauchamps Drive, took up clay pigeon shooting when he was 12. He has already taken part in competitions
Richard 'The Tiger' Evatt's boxing career was sensationally re-launched last week with the return of his licence and the promise of a world title shot within the next four months. An incredible change of fortunes since June has seen Evatt staring the
A Wickford student fighting to relieve the carnage left in the wake of Hurricane Mitch is pleading with people back home to help. Marianne Johnson, 21, pictured left, from Fourth Avenue, Shotgate, was working in the village of Tamanique in the Central
Chelmsford Riverside Ice Centre's skating star Clive Shorten won gold for his short and long programme in Saturday's Senior Men's British Figure Skating Cham-pionships held at Milton Keynes, helping to make it a triple medal success for the local club
After a turbulent week which saw the departure of Danny Marshall and Scott Nichol, Chieftains travelled to the Isle of Wight to play table toppers Wightlink Raiders on the smallest rink in the league and they chose the occasion to put together a powerful
Bowling under the team name of Chelmsford Sliders, Mike Rogacs, together with John and Debbie Edmonds who bowl at Megabowl Chelmsford, have won the Southern Final of Megabowl's National Fax League which was held at Fareham. The competition attracted 59
Bed-blockers are putting Southend Council in a precarious financial position, it has been revealed. The cost of paying for care for elderly people in hospital is set to put the authority £500,000 in the red over the next two years. This could lead to
Police were today hunting an attacker who subjected a 20-year-old woman to a serious sexual assault in her own bedroom. The woman was woken in the early hours at her home in Beedell Avenue, Westcliff, to find an intruder standing by her bed. After sexually
A cashier is set to take the plunge for a three-year-old boy suffering from cancer. Kim Royden, who works for Sedgwick Insurance Brokers in Witham, will be swimming 100 lengths to raise funds for Ben Picton, who was diagnosed as having a brain tumour
A red ribbon has been cut to mark the opening of a new supermarket and petrol station in Southend. Supermarket giant Safeway has joined forces with BP to launch a mini-market and garage in West Street. Eight-year-old Matthew Day performed the official
There's a tuneful din coming from the Billericay School - but don't blame the pupils! Teachers have released their own CD packed with karaoke-style hits. Favourites such as Summer Nights, from Grease and Elvis's All Shook Up feature on the 17-track album
Pirate Billy Steel has taken a break from counting his treasure to add up the number of people who have written to Westcliff's Palace Theatre offering their support. The venue, which is due to close for refurbishment in March, sparking staff redundancies
Ambitious traffic schemes encouraging people to take the bus are to be launched in Colchester. The programme, which has won borough council backing, will see bus lanes and one-way systems installed in busy stretches of the town centre. A bus priority
Maldon town councillors have voted unanimously to suspend disgraced fellow councillor Keith Munnion. At an extraordinary meeting they decided to suspend him from active participation in any representative capacity - including all committees, sub-committees
A 16-month-old baby girl is recovering from smoke inhalation after a miracle escape from a flat fire. Station officer Martin Powell, of Basildon fire station, said baby Alexandra Richardson, her 24-year-old mother, Nicola Richardson, and 22-year-old father
David Sheepshanks placated shareholders and reiterated the importance of promotion at Ipswich Town's annual meeting last night. In a one-hour meeting, nowhere near as stormy as the one at Manchester United and far more civilised, Sheepshanks outlined
Chelmsford City's loyal supporters look set to have to remain doubly patient for a few more weeks as the club prepares to continue on its long road to rebuilding both on and off the park. With behind-the-scenes discussions continuing on City's hoped-for
Southend United's fast-falling first-teamers got a much needed pick-me-up when they held a strong Ipswich Town side 1-1 in a behind-closed-doors clash yesterday. The Blues have won just once in the last 11 games, including a disastrous FA Cup home defeat
Traders selling vehicles from the side of Colchester's roads are to be targeted with tough new measures. Councillors are seeking to introduce a sweeping new order which would leave vehicle sellers open to fines of £50. The initiative comes after it was
This Is Essex regrets that owing to computer problems we are unable to supply any Colchester news this weekend. Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Nightclub bouncer Thomas Mooney was cleared of unlawfully wounding a man celebrating his 21st birthday. Judge Caroline Ludlow directed a jury to return a not guilty verdict on 30-year-old Mooney because of confusion and contradictions by prosecution witnesses
Angry residents have re-launched a petition complaining about traffic from nearby industrial estates. Mark Moss, 35, of Wick Lane, Wickford, collected the 500 names three years ago but fears the noise, congestion and damage to vehicles in his street will
Taxi driver John Lewis's 50th birthday surprise left him dumbstruck. His girlfriend arranged their whole wedding without telling him a thing. Christine Harris set the date, invited the guests, bought the button holes, chose her outfit and even had the
Energetic youngsters were today celebrating after climbing to the top of the school playing field league. Children at Cedar Hall special school in Hart Road, Thundersley, lent a helping hand during the playground's planning stage by hand-picking their
A bid was launched today for cash to breathe new life into Greenstead and east Colchester. Colchester Council is hoping for a share of the Government's multi-million pound single regeneration budget which aims to boost industry and rejuvenate run-down
A Westcliff family poisoned by carbon monoxide fumes have had specialist oxygen treatment after the gas leak. The parents, their two sons, aged 15 and 20, and their 18-year-old daughter felt sick when they woke up in their Fairfax Drive house yesterday
A teenager is calling on youngsters to take up the sport he loves - so he can finally have someone to compete against. Neil Beauchamps, 15, of Beauchamps Drive, Wickford, took up clay pigeon shooting when he was 12. He has already taken part in competitions
THREE sets of tiny triplets are keeping staff in Basildon Hospital's special care baby unit on their toes. All three sets were delivered by Caesarean section within two weeks of each other, bringing the total born in the hospital this year to five sets
A teenager who walked out of his home "without explanation" is still missing 11 weeks on. Damien Andrew McCarthy, 18, left his home in Somercotes, Laindon, on September 4. He took no money or clothes. Damien is described as 5ft 8ins tall, thin with blue
Richard 'The Tiger' Evatt's boxing career was sensationally re-launched last week with the return of his licence and the promise of a world title shot within the next four months. An incredible change of fortunes since June has seen Evatt staring the
Nine anglers fished from four boats out of Felixstowe on Sunday in the Braintree Angling Club's third boat match of the season. Two boats fished the Washington Buoy while the other two fished just off Bawdsey. Conditions were fair but a choppy sea made
Southend Swimming Club's talented 10-year-olds Jenni Lawton and Susannah Carroll both enjoyed success at their first Essex County Championships, held at Fulwell Cross. Jenni and Susannah were both finalists in the 100 metres freestyle - Jenni taking silver
Work is soon to start to create a town park as part of the regeneration of east Braintree. The John Ray Park will provide a green link from London Road to Rose Hill, with pathways, a pond and sculptures. Following extensive public consultation, Braintree
Two angling friends from Shoebury enjoyed a real double tonic during a visit to Shoebury Park lake. John Hanks and Gene Chapman both took terrific double figure carp on an overnight session. It was John's first visit to the lake after 18 months spent
Southend United boss Alvin Martin urged everybody on and off the pitch to band together for Saturday's crunch home game against Plymouth Argyle. Blues have suffered a disastrous run of one win in 11 games culminating in last Saturday's 1-0 FA Cup home
Kieron Dyer may be pulled out of the Nationwide Division One representative side if he does not recover from a mystery virus. Ipswich's England under-21 international has struggled with an infection for a couple of weeks and felt weak during the game
Developer John Cross was celebrating today after planners approved in principle his bid to turn a Leigh boatyard into a restaurant. The controversial scheme to transform Mike's Boatyard into a 152-seater restaurant was given the go-ahead -- as long as
A woman whose "whole life revolved around horses" was found hanging after two horses in her care died in the same year. An inquest at Chelmsford Coroners Court heard Yvonne French, 51, was found hanging at Campions Farm, Gutters Lane, Chelmsford, in June
A PENSIONER suffered major leg injuries and had to be cut free from the wreckage of a car after a collision with a lorry in Clacton. Firefighters worked for more than an hour to free Rosemary Hughes, 73, from Elm Road, Little Clacton, who had been a passenger
A youngster has met South African leader Nelson Mandela on a trip to his homeland. Eight-year-old Mary Latimer, spent three months in South Africa with her mother, Joan, as part of a link between Chelmsford Community Church and the Xhosa churches. She
Youngsters have buried a time capsule in Basildon so future generations can find out what life was like in the 20th century. The capsule was placed in the foundations of the new glass bell tower at St Martin's Church in the town centre by pupils from
Taxi fares in Castle Point are to soar by up to 40 per cent - sparking a row between cabbies, it was revealed today. A split has developed between minicab operators and the drivers of traditional taxis after the substantial hike in fares was agreed by
Thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to a huge storeshed and its contents by a blaze at Chelmsford's Marconi Sports and Athletic Club in Beehive Lane early last Friday. The wooden building, next to the tennis courts and a distance from the club's
A trucker was fighting for his life today after a two-lorry crash which blocked the M25 London Orbital road in Essex. The accident led to jams throughout the south of the county. A Dutch lorry driver, aged 28, was due to be operated on at the Princess
Meet Nick Sillitoe, manager of the new Waitrose supermarket that will open in Billericay next week. The father-of-two has moved from Waitrose's Bishops Stortford branch after eight years with the company. Now Mr Sillitoe, who is looking to move to the
A grandmother has condemned a new pelican crossing and fears somebody will be killed by vehicles which are failing to stop. South Street in Braintree has recently reverted to a two-way street after months of preparation and alterations. But Mary Clarke
A zoology expert has told of his escape from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Mitch in Central America. Christopher Poonian, 21, of East Terrace, Walton, was scuba diving on the tiny island of Utila just off the coast of Honduras when news of the
Being saved by the heroic fire crew of London's Burning was all in a day's work for 11-year-old Rosie Wiggins. The Leigh youngster has recorded an episode of the top ITV drama which will be screened in the new year. Already in her prolific acting career
A Chelmsford 'spy' has revealed that sex, sleaze and corruption is what computer users demand most when surfing the net. Former Brentwood School pupil Phil Wand, 28, of Shenfield, is principal in Lightman, an internet consultancy based on the Widford
An investigation was today under way after factories were destroyed in a major fire. The blaze broke out just after 11pm last night at the Basket Works site in Grange Road, Tiptree. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service was inundated with calls as the
Learner lorry driver Edward McLean was today recovering from a nightmare drive that saved the life of his instructor. Learning to drive can be nerve-wracking enough, but when instructor Malcolm McIntyre keeled over with a suspected heart attack quick-thinking
A film crew was inundated with information after a This Is Essex and Evening Echo appeal for survivors of the Canvey floods. We told how county councillor Ray Howard, born and bred on the island, was being filmed for a Carlton First Edition documentary
A motorist faces a criminal charge of careless driving after a jogger was knocked down and killed. However, a coroner ruled the death of Roland Yates, 57, was an accident. Father-of-two Mr Yates died of head injuries after the incident in Stock on May
A Billericay worker could be on her way to America after getting through to the finals of a prestigious competition. Debbie Burgess, 20, a trainee quantity surveyor for Billericay-based D&D Construction, has got to the finals of the Modern Apprenticeship
Maldon's 200-year-old canal could be facing a major environmental threat if weed choking its waters is not removed, experts have warned. Despite recent work to cut back the fast-growing weed - believed to be a variety of pennywort - it is again spreading
Stan Page's Sigma 36 Chasseur consolidated her position in Class 1 of the Crouch Yacht Club's Autumn series after Sunday's penultimate race, sponsored by Shoreline, who run Lakedale Marine at Burnham Yacht Harbour. Page chalked up his third victory to
Essex County Indoor Bowling Association continued their run of successes by beating Lincolnshire by 125 shots to 86, andwinning on five of the six rinks. The Essex rink scorers were: D. Bloom, A. Houlder, H. Taylor, D. Wheeler 28, Lincs 9; J. Mouse, N
