Maverick Essex MP Teresa Gorman has called for women colleagues to be offered chastity belts - after it was revealed several male MPs are on Viagra! Her outspoken comments came after Dr Howard Stoate, Labour MP for Dartford, admitted he had prescribed
A bingo fan from Colchester has scooped a £111,000 prize. The factory worker - who has asked not to be named - was stunned when he completed a full house of 42 numbers, and was told how much he had won. He claimed the National Bingo Game prize of £100,000
Police are warning pensioners in Corringham and Stanford-le-Hope to be on their guard after a con woman duped an elderly widow out of £150 of her savings. The widow was in Corringham town centre when she was talked into accepting a lift from the woman
A nine-year-old blind girl is bringing venues across Essex to a standstill - after being discovered by accident singing karaoke. Justine Mears, of Pitsea, was taken on a special Christmas treat by her singing teacher to the Haven Crest Country Club, Corringham
Volunteers are needed to help kick crime off the streets of Hockley. Neighbourhood Watch wants to dump its curtain-twitching image and encourage more people to take an active role in crime prevention. Hockley already boasts more than 30 active neighbourhood
A docotor sacked from his locum job in a busy accident and emergency department and banned from practice will discover this week whether he was unfairly treated. Tushar Kanti Bhadra , 60, of Roxwell Road, Chelmsford, claimed a finding by the General Medical
Police were today hunting serial thieves who made off with £14,000 from Superdrug in Billericay. They were working with other officers in south Essex after it was revealed that several branches of the chemist have been targeted over the past few months
Police were today hunting serial thieves who made off with £14,000 from Superdrug in Billericay. They were working with other officers in south Essex after it was revealed that several branches of the chemist have been targeted over the past few months
Coastguards at Walton called in emergency services and put other vessels in the area on mayday alert after an 84 metre long cargo ship started sinking in rough seas off Clacton. Both Walton and Harwich lifeboats were launched last night along with a rescue
Southend Manor did neighbours Great Wakering Rovers a massive favour on Saturday when they went to league leaders Burnham Ramblers and pulled off a goalless draw. That result puts Village side Wakering right back in the title race following their 2-0
Rochford's awesome display of power and speed dismantled London League Three pacesetters Hadleigh. Rochford's hesitant start on a grey day in Suffolk was punished by an early penalty - but Matt Barber promptly ran in a try after some innovative work from
A mother who acted as a getaway driver in a £3,000 burglary was starting a jail sentence today of two years and nine months. Lesley Powell, 47, was also convicted of running a "drug shop" from her home at Langham Crescent, Billericay. She was helped in
Essex's Julie Pratt, the World Junior 100 metres hurdle champion, produced one of the best runs of her career to win a silver medal in the 60m hurdles at the AAA indoor championships at the NIA, in Birmingham. The Chelmsford Athlete's 8.37, a personal
Ten-man Southend United turned the form books upside down at Rotherham as Blues' bravehearts staged a Great Escape act that would have made Steve McQueen proud. The Shrimpers arrived at Millmoor on the back of a disastrous run which has seen the team
Castle Point Council was today eagerly awaiting the final budget from County Hall to see if vital road improvements will get the go-ahead. The borough has submitted a local transport plan for urgently-needed work and has already had positive feedback
Two people were seriously injured after their cars were in a head-on collision on the A133 at Little Bentley. Firefighters had to cut one of the victims from the wreckage of his vehicle. The road was closed for several hours as emergency services worked
Homeless people are getting helped off the streets - thanks to a £45,000 Government grant to Basildon Community Resource Centre. The money over three years will pay for a co-ordinator, supervisor and housing assistant. It comes from the Department of
Sainsbury's Pitsea store is to close, a move being blamed on fierce competition from two major supermarket rivals. The firm admits its profits have slumped because of the pressure from nearby giant Tesco Extra and discount store Lidl. A dramatic fall
The grieving mother of a teenage meningitis victim told her "perfect" son she loved him as he was wheeled away to intensive care. Sally Kemp never saw 14-year-old Mitchell alive again. Within four hours of arriving at Basildon Hospital, the merciless
A man is behind bars today after he admitted having sex with a 14-year-old girl during a three-month relationship. Richard Tong, 30, a van driver, of Southchurch Road, Southend, claimed he had not realised the girl was under 16, Southend magistrates court
With top rivals Aylesbury and St Albans away on FA Umbro Trophy duty, Purfleet had hoped to move back to the top of the Ryman League Premier Division with home success over relegation-threatened Slough Town. However, Slough, managed by former Spurs and
The teambuilding plans of Arena Essex co-promoter and team manager, Peter Thorogood, have been thrown into disarray. Following in the wake of the want-away plea by skipper Colin White, Dane and Arena stalwart, Jan Pedersen, has also indicated that he
Steve Murray, Harlow's exciting young lightweight, showed why his promoter, Frank Warren, thinks so highly of him when he delivered another comprehensive victory. Making his fourth professional appearance, the previous being only seven days previously
A leading campaigner fighting to secure the future of the maternity unit at St Peter's Hospital in Maldon has warned the fight is not yet over. Nicky Crisp who is chairman of MOMMS (Mums Opposed to Maldon Maternity Shutdown) is also a member of the Mid
The owners of a pet shop today told of their fears that a vendetta is being waged against them in an attempt to drive them out of town. Tom and Rose Catania, who run Tom's Pet Shop in Old Road, Clacton, believe someone tried to leave poison in the latest
A new Early Years Unit has been officially opened at the oldest school in Wickford. A ribbon was cut and children at Wickford C of E Primary School in Southend Road were given a talk about the history of the building which houses the new department. At
Trail-blazing plans to revamp term times at a south Essex school today sparked outrage among parents and pupils. From January 2000, the Greensward School in Hockley will become the first in Essex to introduce a five-term academic year. The move is designed
TOM KING meets ex-docker Les Reynolds, MBE, honoured for many achievements - but not all of them... The walls of Les Reynolds home in Chadwell St Mary are lined with pictures of Sir Winston Churchill. "A giant of a man," says Les. It takes one to know
