Fed up residents on the Montgomery Crescent estate in Harold Hill say they are fuming with car owners who are dumping car wrecks on their doorsteps, making the place look like a "war zone." Added to the misery of the parked cars, locals say they are angry
Exciting new planshave been unveiled to transform the derelict area of the Hythe, Colchester, into a waterside village. The pioneering project is the brainchild of the Colchester Economic Forum and could see work starting in as little as 12 months. The
Concerns are growing over a teenager who has been missing from a Chelmsford children's home for almost three weeks. Eve Durrant, 13, was last seen at the home in Chignal Road on Saturday, April 24. When she failed to return it was thought she may have
Families who had to put up with blaring music from a marathon 26-hour party have called for out-of-hours noise patrols on Canvey. People living in the normally quiet Little Gypps Road on the island had their weekend ruined when a neighbour's 21st birthday
The inaugural junior regional 10-a-side tournament for U16 girls took place on Sunday at Lichfield RFC in Staffs. Teams taking part were Eastern Counties, North West, North East, South West, South East, East Midlands, London and West Midlands. Colchester
Polish star Tomasz Gollob was assured of a heroes welcome ahead of last night's Craven shield fixture against Poole Pirates (start time 7.30) after his victory in last weekend's opening Grand Prix in the Czech Republic. Whilst many top names struggled
The danger in the skies above Brentwood has been starkly highlighted by the third near-collision between planes in the area in as many months. Safety experts are investigating the latest incident between a Boeing 737 and a Boeing 757 8,000ft above the
Childline, the free confidential 24-hour telephone helpline for children and young people in danger or trouble, receives 10,000 calls a day. But resources dictate that only about 3,300 of these are answered and money to run the much-needed service comes
A lorry driver was attacked and his truck hijacked - all for two phones and a wallet. The lorry's trailer was carrying flowers and police believe the robbers got the wrong vehicle and were looking for a much more valuable cargo. The 30ft articulated lorry
A quick-thinking council lorry driver stopped a fire spreading to his cab when he unloaded a burning skip full of rubbish. The seven-and-a-half ton Castle Point Council lorry was on Kiln Road, Thundersley, when the load it was carrying caught fire. Firefighters
Blushing Billericay bride Gaynor Brodie lured her gobsmacked groom into a secretly booked wedding service just minutes after she popped the question. But far from fleeing in panic, her sweetheart, who had already asked for her hand on several occasions
Home Office Minister Lord Williams of Mostyn was today (Friday) due to visit Witham to discuss initiatives for crime reduction. He was due to meet MP Alan Hurst and Euro MP Richard Howitt as part of his visit to inspect the town centre CCTV system. The
The funeral was due to be held today of one of the victims of the Soho nail bomb attack. Nicholas Moore's funeral service was due to take place at St John the Baptist Church, Orwell Road, Felixstowe, followed by a private cremation in Ipswich. Mr Moore
When Luke Charles was born with a rare chromosome disorder - 49 4XY - doctors told his parents he would probably never walk. Now two-and-a-half, the brave little boy has proved everyone wrong, walking a mile in a Mini Marathon Challenge at the weekend
Maldon Yacht Club's Iain and Philip Marshall overcame rig failure to take third place at Blue Circle's Snipe Open in Kent at the weekend. They started off with two firsts on Saturday but when one of their shrouds pins broke in the heavy gusts, their mast
Lynn Bollington was the star of the show as Chelmsford Highway Ladies Hockey Club became the National Veterans' Champions for the second successive year. Bollington, 37, scored five goals in the weekend Champion-ships, which were staged at the National
Finishing a creditable fourth in the Dr Martens League Southern Division plus the maturity at senior level of more than half dozen of his promising youngsters, has given Chelmsford City manager Gary Bellamy a satisfying season. "With everything considered
Lynn Martin won Boyce Hill Ladies medal with a net 66 from Jill Hair (69). Jean Shepherd and Pat Gilchrist won the Coronation Foursomes on 76 from two pairs on 78.5. Frances Spicer and Carol Smiillie beat Edna Miller and Elspeth O'Sullivan on countback
Brands Hatch is set for some serious racing action this weekend as the Autotrader British Touring Car Championship makes it first visit of the year to the famous Kent circuit. Leading the field at Brands is BTCC rookie, Frenchman Laurent Aiello, driving
Galleywood totalled 183 for six at home to High Roding, Gareth Eley hitting an unbeaten 59, Nick Gill 49 and George Mawby 30. Kevin Crisp bowled well for Roding and finished with two for 29 from 12 overs. Roding's reply saw Tredgett make a patient 41
Thorpe Bay tasted victory in the Essex Intermediate Cup despite three of the games going to three sets. Jon Lee, Simon Cuthbert, David Tubbs and Graham Bloomfield were the successful players who notched up the 4-0 win over Redbridge. There was success
Russian trapeze act Leoni and Elaina Veru warm up for a performance with the Santus Circus, which is at Marsh Farm Road, South Woodham Ferrers, until Sunday. There are performances at 5pm and 7.30pm today, on Saturday there will be shows at 3pm and 6pm
Despite being unlucky for some, 13 is currently the favourite number of one Essex Police Officer. PC Paul Anderson, of the Chelmsford Traffic Police, is celebrating after becoming 13th in the world for canoeing . He earnt his place after coming 13th in
Vandals have hit a successful cricket club for six by causing damage to vital equipment at their ground. Twice members of Clacton Cricket Club have turned up to matches to find tyres on their covers - which protect the wicket from rain - slashed with
Vandals have written swear words over a church minibus. They attacked the vehicle belonging to the Baptist Church in Prettygate Road, Colchester. They let down tyres and then daubed obscenities in black felt-tip pen over the paintwork. Converted for the
A wildflower garden in West Clacton is opening its gates to the public. Alan Seymour will be welcoming visitors to his large town garden at 8 The Approach on Saturday from 11am until 5pm. There are ten distinctive areas including a woodland and cornflower
Police investigating the cause of a fatal road accident in Braintree have appealed for information about two cars seen driving "erratically" at the time of the smash. The accident happened on the A131, near Marks Farm, at 11.30am on Easter Sunday. Jean
Influential Ipswich midfielder Matt Holland missed practice today (Friday) with a twisted ankle picked up during training on Wednesday. He said: "It is a bit swollen but I have had treatment and have rested it, so it should be alright for Sunday." Holland
Basildon javelin star Aaron Cramp flexed his muscles for another outstanding year on the athletics scene by continuing his success story in the Essex Championships. Cramp, a pupil at Woodlands School, triumphed with a winning throw of 49.16m in the under
Chelmer Cycling Club's Dave Nock was the fastest rider in the Essex C.R.A. "25" on Sunday, clocking 57.02, with Nick Hastler, of the Essex Roads Club (57.06) close behind. However, the awards in this event are for the fastest team of five and Hastler
Basildon duo Tim Meehan and Jim Crowley chalked up a record breaking 50 Stableford points to storm to glory in yesterday's Evening Echo Pairs Golf Vase at a windy Rochford Hundred. They finished three points clear of their nearest rivals in the annual
White Ensign have flown the Southend Borough Combination flag in glorious style this season. Having already won the Combination's Premier Division title, they completed the double in superb fashion at Southend United's Roots Hall Ground when they triumphed
Both Billericay and Wickford Cricket Clubs stage historic occasions when they embark on their campaigns in the first season of the Shepherd Neame Essex League's Premier Division. Both are among 10 clubs who have qualified for this trail-blazing competition
Last year's National League runners-up, Frinton, will be aiming to go one better when the new season gets under way on Sunday. Beaten in the final after an impressive run of form in 1998, team manager Bob Smith believes the squad is even better this time
Mystery and romance are at the heart of one of three attempts by University College Writtle to gain Chelsea Flower Show awards. Velvet and Brocade is used to create Angela Tolputt's regal courtyard garden. Angela, who took a part-time diploma course in
Chelmsford has become the first town centre in the UK to adopt the potentially life-saving Protectachild card scheme. The identity card carries children's photographs and details. If they become separated from accompanying adults, the children's parents
South Woodham and district Neighbourhood Watches have launched their latest crackdown on crime. Their campaign has a prickly solution to deterring would-be thieves and they are urging residents and garden nurseries to help them in their fight. So far
A study will be drawn up to assess the future of topless dancing at Cheeks in Southend. Club owner, Cherokee Leisure, is opposed to the Southchurch Road venue continuing as a place to watch provocative dancing by scantily-clad young women. The board of
Former Coronation Street heartthrob Adam Rickitt sent pulses racing when he arrived at the Essex FM studios in Southend to promote his forthcoming single. The 20-year-old star chatted live on air to the station's drive time presenter Paul Lovett and revealed
A social services boss has asked defiant mothers to form a parents' group to work with staff on children's services. Southend's director Jane Held met placard-waving mums, angry at plans to downgrade their Westcliff family resource centre. As a result
Thousands of commuters could be facing delays after a strike was announced by rail maintenance workers. Rail services are under threat because workers at Balfour Beatty Rail Maintenance, which operates on the main line to London, have walked out in a
Daniel Phillips, 10, a member of the Brentwood based Recoil Trampoline Club, bounced his way to a gold medal winning position at a recent trampoline competition held at Harlow. It was only the second competition for Daniel who competed in the U11 Novice
Billericay eased into the third round of the Essex League Cup with an emphatic win over Second Division Hornchurch, a result that didn't look in any doubt once the home side had posted a total well in excess of 200. Batting first the right and left-handed
The Cricket World Cup begins today (Friday), when England play the first match in the competition against current champions, Sri Lanka at Lord's. 12 nations are competing and there will have been a total of 42 matches played at different venues by the
As Central Essex BC and Brentwood BC share the greens at King George's Playing Fields, neither enjoyed ground advantage in an early season RBA League fixture, but at the halfway stage Brentwood looked likely to take both points. High hopes for the Central
It was business as usual for a popular pub yesterday after a suspected arson attack ruined one of its toilets. Southend firefighters were called to the Last Post pub in Weston Road, Southend, at around 6.30pm on Wednesday after somebody set fire to one
Police have issued an E-fit picture of a man they want to talk to about a brutal robbery at a Billericay off-licence. The robber left a shop assistant lying in a pool of blood at Unwins on Western Road after punching him several times in the face as they
Surgeons dedicated to fighting cancer have a new hi-tech weapon - a video unit giving them better views inside the body. Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, will be the first in the country to have the equipment. The Urology Computerised Video Cystoscope
George Young is on the verge of quitting Witham Town. The flame-haired manager who has kept Witham in the Ryman Division Two was unhappy after being refused a bigger budget for next season. But after being told to make an instant decision on his future
The brother of murdered John Marshall - accused of being a drug dealer - has broken a three-year silence in an attempt to clear his name. Angry Stewart Marshall said he had chosen to speak out in frustration that his brother's death is still being linked
Chelmsford Highway Veterans team finished off a perfect season for the club by retaining their National title at the National Hockey Stadium, Milton Keynes at the weekend. With the club's first and second teams having already made it a successful year
Chelmsford City have revealed their plan to have a side competing in the proposed new Southern Counties Invitation Under 21 League, which will provide an ideal platform for developing younger players at a senior level. Already eight clubs have signed
A football team has been booted out of the Ke-Connect Internet League for its "horrendous" disciplinary record. Division Two side Clarendon were expelled by the league at a special meeting when clubs voted 50-11 in favour of removing the Colchester-based
Stephen Peters or Ian Flanagan will fill the gap left by Nasser Hussain when Essex return to Championship action against Surrey at The Oval today. Both are in contention once more after being dropped following the opening match against Leicestershire
Thrills, spills and fast racing should be on the cards for the Braintree & District Motor Cycle club's scramble at Hatches Farm, Stisted on Sunday. Over 120 riders will be competing for honours including the ACE four stroke championship contenders
Witches asset Scott Nicholls, on loan to Poole Pirates this season, returned to haunt his former team mates at a sodden Foxhall stadium last night. Three points behind going into the final six lap top scorers race the Witches needed a 5-1 to snatch victory
June Mead, Danbury's lady snooker player had a successful Ladies World Championship at Sheffield. She learned a great deal from the experience of competing at such a high level. June had four qualifying matches to play to reach the first round of the
Six Braintree BMX Club's riders made the journey to Norwich on Sunday for the second round of the Summer Series. Steven Sewell once again proved how strong a contender he is in the eight year old class with a trio of second placed in the motos. He then
swans disabled adults club at Maldon has launched a £40,000 appeal to the community to help it create a new centre. Plans have been drawn up to create a new home close to the current base at St Cedd's House, Princes Road. They were shown to members at
A major new initiative is to be launched in a bid to crackdown on violence and drugs in Clacton town centre. Eight pubs and clubs in the resort are joining forces via two-way radio in a pioneering initiative called Publink in an effort to make it safer
Boisterous Stephen Copperwheat was an active and lively child who often got into scrapes. But a fateful meeting with 36-year-old Alan Noakes in July 1992 was to eventually lead to his death. His mum Michelle, then aged 20, had just separated from her
Katie Holmes, a member of the Billericay Tennis Club, made her debut for the Essex girls team in the LTA 13 & Under Inter County Cup last week. She was in the squad which travelled to Sutton to play in Group Two. In the opening match against Lincolnshire
Andy Smith and James Cottee were the goal heroes for Wivenhoe Reserves as they won the Tommy Thompson Cup. Their 2-0 victory over Bures gave them a league and cup double after winning the Kent Blaxill Essex & Suffolk Border League Division Three ahead
A frightened feline had to be rescued by firefighters after it became trapped in the suspension of a car. The cat had fled under the car after being found wandering around a building site in Hatterhill, Laindon, by a concerned animal lover who called
A gang of thieves disabled an alarm system and cut through locks to steal a £750,000 haul of designer clothes from a Basildon firm. The burglars broke into Barrymores on the Herongate industrial park, in Paycocke Road, through an office ceiling. They
Bradwell Power Station is unlikely to start generating electricity again until the middle of next month. The two reactors were shut down in April following the discovery of debris in a fuel channel in Reactor One. Reactor Two was then closed down as a
Baby killer Alan Noakes has been sentenced to 14 years in jail after a jury found him guilty of killing toddler Stephen Copperwheat. Today's (Friday's) sentence covers assaults on three children, including the manslaughter of baby Stephen. Noakes, 36,
Premier Division Great Baddow entertained Stock who totalled 191 for six, Stuart Pinkerton leading the way with 72 not out and Joe Olivelle taking two for 20 in a fine 12 over spell which included six maidens. Baddow lost wickets at crucial times and
Ipswich chairman David Sheepshanks is to take a back-seat role next season. The day-to-day running of the Portman Road club will instead fall upon the shoulders of a new chief executive. The club will advertise this new position. By then Sheepshanks hopes
Special ticket office windows have been installed at Witham railway station to improve communication for the hard of hearing. The sonic windows, fitted with a loop amplifier to assist hearing-aid wearers, form part of a £330,000 investment from Great
A lot has changed in midwifery since Edna Willis and Ada Steward were the top team at Colchester's maternity home - disposable nappies to say the least! Ada, 85, of Long Melford, was a matron at the well-loved maternity home in Lexden Road for 25 years
A bronze plaque made in Braintree now takes pride of place in the Tibetan Peace Garden in London. The two-metre wide plaque was unveiled at the garden by the Buddhist leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, at a ceremony yesterday (Thursday). Industrial design
World Cup cricket returns to Essex on Monday when New Zealand meet head on with Bangladesh at the County Ground, Chelmsford. The Group B encounter is the first World Cup clash in the county since India beat Australia before a packed house at New Writtle
Fifteen Chelmsford paddlers travelled to Bungay in Norfolk for the Waveney canoe marathon on Sunday with a mixture of successes for the Chelmsford contingent. In Division 5/6 K2 Tony Chapman/Roger Edwards finished third only 17 seconds ahead of Dean Williams
Springfield Striders took to the coast at the weekend with races at Frinton and Mersea Island. Pete Tremain was the first 0ver 50 at the Frinton & Walton half marathon in a fine time of 1.21. John Hoskyn (1.37), Janet Hill (1.50) and Brenda Whitehead
Computer whizzkids will be able to log on to a whole new shopping experience next month. A 3,000 sqft flagship discount video and computer games store is set to open in Basildon, giving games buffs the chance to buy the latest releases. Special Reserve
Rachel Holdsworth is usually able to sit on the sidelines when it comes to her footballing brothers. But the results of Sunday's Division One play-offs could test that. Brother Dean, 30, is a striker with Bolton Wanderers while his twin David is a Birmingham
Chelmsford College student Julie Lark was due to meet Prince Charles in London on Thursday. The prince was launching the Manpower National Skills Festival 2000 and invited Julie to share the event, as national winner of the Skillbuild painting and decorating
Stewart Marshall clearly remembers his anger when the news reached him that his brother had been murdered. He was working in America at the time and was initially told John had simply disappeared. But a day later a message arrived to say John - a close
Father-of-three Alan Noakes was a loud and fun character. But behind his laughing exterior lay his downfall - a terrible temper. Football fan Noakes, who at the time of his arrest was working as a security officer for British Rail, committed his terrible
Harold Park travelled to Walthamstow on Saturday as guests of Hainault Road and in a match played in a mixture of rain and wind, emerged as winners by 114 runs. Asked to bat first, Harold Park were given a splendid start by openers Cliff Leondiou and
