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
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
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
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
Chelmsford Highway Veterans team finished off a perfect season for the club by retaining their National title at the National Hockey Stadium, Milton Keynes, last weekend. With the club's first and second teams having already made it a successful year
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
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
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
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
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
Fifteen Chelmsford paddlers travelled to Bungay in Norfolk for the Waveney canoe marathon last 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
Six Braintree BMX Club's riders made the journey to Norwich last 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
People power has won the day in the battle to restore axed bus services in Basildon. Bus operator Thamesway and Essex County Council have clubbed together to reinstate two bus routes in Basildon and Wickford. The routes fell victim to a controversial
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
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
Wickford Rotarians today criticised council "spoilsports" who forced them to take down signs promoting a big charity concert. The Rotary Club put up placards in London Road, Wickford, and throughout the town centre to publicise its tribute band gig on
More than 100 soldiers from Colchester have been put on standby ready to make up a peacekeeping force in Kosovo. The Government announced that a total of 2,300 British troops were to be prepared to go to the war-torn province in the event of a peace deal
Star Wars fans across south Essex will be able to watch the new blockbuster non-stop for nearly 24 hours when the film hits the big screen in July. Bosses at the Odeon cinema in Victoria Plaza, Southend, believe the force of demand for Star Wars - the
Witches asset Scott Nicholls, on loan to Poole Pirates this season, returned to haunt his former team mates at a sodden Foxhall stadium on Thursday night. Three points behind going into the final six lap top scorers race the Witches needed a 5-1 to snatch
Distraught mourners packed a Colchester church today to remember tragic London bomb blast victim John Light. Hundreds of friends, family and former colleagues of "life and soul" Mr Light gathered at the Wimpole Road Methodist Church for a moving ceremony
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
A wealth of family entertainment has been lined up for the 11th Chelmsford Spectacular. Medieval merriment will be the theme as the August Bank Holiday event coincides with the 800th birthday celebrations of the town gaining its market charter. Among
Youngsters at a dance school proved they had the right stuff when they earned special dance awards established to commemorate the life of Diana, Princess of Wales. The Starlight Dance Works of Thundersley put forward 31 young dancers aged between three
Prisons minister Lord Williams of Mostyn visited Bullwood Hall prison in Hockley - and promised to return next year to check on progress, after a whistle-stop tour. The minister spent about an hour at the women's prison, chatting to inmates taking fashion
A heavily-pregnant 16-year-old and three men have denied holding a man hostage for three days. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused along with Alfie Healy, 18, of Cranes Court, Basildon, Scott Gould, of no fixed address and Christopher
Barry Hyam looks poised to keep his place in the Essex side after playing a starring role during yesterday's absorbing tussle for supremacy at The Oval. The 23-year-old wicket keeper was recently recalled to the side because Robert Rollins had not recovered
If it's true that luck evens itself out over a season then Ipswich are owed a penalty, a couple of goals and a trip to Wembley. The Blues did not deserve to lose at the magnificent Reebok Stadium and if referee Mark Halsey had seen what virtually everyone
Colchester got off to the perfect start in their Shepherd Neame Essex League campaign with a crushing eight-wicket victory over newly-promoted Division One rivals Walthamstow. Skipper Andrew Kennedy won the toss and put the away side into bat on a slightly
Little Nichole Wellsman looks a dream as she joins in a major Wild West event. Nichole, two, of Melville Drive, Wickford, learned about ancient Indian dream catchers - devices believed to trap good dreams - at the show at Marsh Farm Country Park, South
Vange is set to frolic, Forties style! The countdown to the second village fayre was launched at the weekend at the Barge pub in the High Street. It will be staged on June 6, the anniversary of D-day, so revellers are being invited to dress in Forties
A Witham crane driver who was taken to Broomfield Hospital's intensive care unit after two containers of metal fell on him is "fighting back". Joe McNally was taken to the Chelmsford hospital on Wednesday night following the incident at Seco Aluminium
A fierce battle of the bookmarks was today raging at Wickford and Billericay libraries - with each striving to make the longest! Staff in each have urged locals to pick up their pens and get creating as part of a record-breaking attempt. Billericay library's
Luck and a sense of humour are the essential ingredients for 70 years of happy and successful marriage, according to Tom and Grace Newman. Tom, 92, of Croft Road, Benfleet, met Grace, 88, at the back of a London theatre. It was the Roaring Twenties and
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
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
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
Maldon Yacht Club's Iain and Philip Marshall overcame rig failure to take third place at Blue Circle's Snipe Open in Kent last 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 Championships, which were staged at the National
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
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
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
Baby killer Alan Noakes has been sentenced to 14 years in jail after a jury found him guilty of killing toddler Stephen Copperwheat. Friday's sentence covers assaults on three children, including the manslaughter of baby Stephen. Noakes, 36, of Christchurch
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
Police are trying to trace the owner of a mystery oil painting found abandoned in Wickford. A passer-by spotted the painting in a hedgerow on the Wick Estate over a month ago and handed it in at Wickford police station. PC Geoff Whiter said: "It is possible
A haven for lonely pensioners and bored youngsters is being created in Wickford's old Co-op store. The shop, in the Broadway, is being transformed into a Mediterranean-style cafe to provide a meeting place for young and old alike. The resource centre
Police today issued an urgent warning over a possible deadly batch of heroin following two deaths in Clacton. Two men - who include a teenager and who are both known to be heroin users - died within two days of each other. The 18-year-old, who has not
Springfield Striders took to the coast last 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
This is the face of the alleged serial rapist who is said to have attacked women in Southend, London and Brighton. The photograph is now allowed to be published after the Old Bailey judge lifted a ban on identifying DJ Richard Baker. Baker, 34, allegedly
World Cup cricket returns to Essex today 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 Street
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
A builder who connected his house to the mains supply after having his electricity cut off has been jailed. Stephen Loughlin, 57, of Castlegate Street, Harwich, reconnected his own electricity supply and used more than £1,000 worth in more than two years
One of Colchester's biggest schools has pledged its support to This Is Essex partner paper the Gazette in its campaign for a cancer centre of excellence in the town. St Helena School is poised to get signatures from more than 900 pupils and staff. A "
A World War One love letter in a bottle was finally delivered today to the tearful daughter of a brave soldier who kissed her goodbye as he left for battle 85 years ago. Private Thomas Hughes' letter never made it to the beloved wife he addressed it to
Southend United Supporters Clubs yesterday showed their Blues heroes a thing or two about winning at Roots Hall. While the Shrimpers first team suffered a depressing home run without a win at the end of their Nationwide League Third Division season, Blues
Ronnie O'Sullivan lived up to his pre-match billing as the greatest natural talent in the game at Echo Newspapers' Snooker Classic '99 at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre. A 1000-plus audience at the event, jointly presented by Embassy Classic Snooker
The Shepherd Neame Essex League's new Premier Division is planned to provide all-day cricket - but someone forgot to tell Wickford in their opening game. They batted first at their Patmore Memorial Ground home and were dismissed for only 64 runs. With
If you're a cricket lover hoping to see batting of the highest order, Billericay's Toby Howe Ground at Rutters Field, Blunts Wall Road, might well be the place to visit regularly this term. Billericay started the first ever Shepherd Neame Essex League
Simon Dainty, aged 17, from Leavenheath, Colchester, has joined the race for a place in the final of the 1999 Daily Telegraph/Center Parcs Junior Golf Championship. He shot a 74 to win his qualifying round at Stoke by Nayland Golf Club and must now wait
A village was today in mourning following the sudden death of its former policeman. Tributes were paid to 39-year-old PC Kevin Hazell, who died while carrying out DIY work on his house at Pirie Road, West Bergholt, on Friday. Paramedics received reports
A motorcyclist today died after a road accident in Colchester. The accident happened at around 7.30am on St Andrew's Avenue near its junction with Harwich Road. The motorcycle and an articulated lorry were both going towards Colchester when the accident
If you have some spare time on your hands this summer and fancy a bit of a challenge, a playscheme is looking for your help. Holiday Playschemes for Children with Disabilities (HOPS) will be running at two venues in Leigh and Thundersley throughout July
Outgoing mayor Nora Goodman revealed a record-breaking £35,000 has been raised for a major revamp of St John Ambulance's Southend headquarters. The announcement came as new mayor Tony North took over the chain of office and pledged to visit the different
