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
Wickford Rotarians have 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
A village was yesterday 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
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 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
A warehouseman fell about 20 feet from the arms of a forklift truck as he hurried to prepare a customer's order, a court heard. Magistrates were told the accident, which sparked a health and safety inquiry, was brought on by pressure to meet client deadlines
Car enthusiasts were in heaven when 500 classic vehicles turned out for an annual show in Battlesbridge, near Wickford. The event, behind Muggeridge Farm, Maltings Road, is now in its 13th year and proceeds are used to support the nearby Battlesbridge
Distraught mourners packed a Colchester church yesterday 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
A Crown Prosecution Service clerk has walked free from court after a magistrate threw out charges brought against her under the Official Secrets Act. Deborah Cahill, 31, of Eastern Avenue, Benfleet, was jointly charged with Det Con Michael Charman, 46
Motorists on the M25 were hit by jams today as hundreds of truckers began a 48-hour demonstration. Around 1,000 lorry drivers circled the motorway in their protest against hikes in fuel and road tax prices. The hauliers insist their action is not a blockade
Little Ebonie is all smiles after being reunited with Chloe - the cat rescued by firefighters after getting trapped in a car. Heavily-pregnant Chloe fled under the vehicle after being spotted wandering around a building site in Hatterhill, Laindon, last
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
A tough new police campaign will see tax dodgers' cars confiscated or even crushed. Squads of clampers will hunt out and target cars parked without tax discs before carting them off to the scrapyard if they are not claimed. The tough message came today
A limousine arrived in the pouring rain in the early hours of the morning to take a family off on the first stage of their holiday in the sun. The Theobald family, of High Woods, Colchester, were off to Spain for two weeks thanks to a vast group of wellwishers
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
Police were today hunting a knifeman who attacked a social worker in Colchester. The social worker was visiting a woman client in Rowhedge Road yesterday when the attack happened. As he went inside the house, he was confronted by a man angrily wielding
More than 100 soldiers left Colchester for Wiltshire today to train for deployment to Macedonia. Troops from 1st Battalion, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, Combat Service Support Battalion and 19 Regiment Royal Artillery were
A paedophile who preyed on homeless young boys in Southend was today starting a six-year jail sentence. Ronald Wright, 60, was told by a judge: "You present a serious danger to the public." Over the past 27 years Wright has received a string of prison
Police today appealed for witnesses after an 18-year-old girl was accosted in Leigh. The girl was followed by a man who grabbed her from behind, put a hand round her mouth and pulled her to the floor. The victim managed to kick her assailant and get away
The four Essex Police horses were today settling in with their new owners. Clouseau, Cormack, Courage and Chichester have now given up a life of fighting crime after the police mounted section, based at Southend, was forced by budget cuts to close. Cormack
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
Police have 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
Sought-after Ben Embery has signed a new deal to stay at Maldon Town. The former Tottenham Hotspur defender ended speculation he is on the move by agreeing to stay at the club he has taken from the Essex Senior League to mid-table in the Jewson Premier
Youngsters at a Canvey school were today urged to get behind a scheme to revamp the island's seafront in time for the millennium. Canvey 2000, a group of councillors, and local business people has already pumped more than £50,000 into restoring the seafront
Pirate pranks and maritime mayhem will be at the Royals shopping centre during half term. Young sea dogs are invited to the Southend centre on Thursday, June 3 to enjoy high jinx on the high seas as Happy the Clown entertains with nautical nonsense. There
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 motorcyclist died yesterday 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
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 yesterday 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
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
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
After the cut and thrust of Commons debates, reading stories to 30 pre-school children was a piece of cake for Castle Point MP Christine Butler . She was invited along to Benfleet library in High Road, to judge paintings drawn by a number of pre-schools
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
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
Police have 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
An investigation was launched today after firebugs were believed to have started a blaze at the community centre where the Long Road mental unit public meeting was due to start. The fire was spotted at about 6.30pm as the Paddocks in Long Road, Canvey
World Cup cricket returned to Essex yesterday when New Zealand met head on with Bangladesh at the County Ground, Chelmsford. The Group B encounter was the first World Cup clash in the county since India beat Australia before a packed house at New Writtle
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
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
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
On a dry evening, near St Neots, Ron Keeble, 34 Nomads clocked 2.36 to win the Barnet Veteran's ''10'', with Chelmer's Dave Nock, 21.02, his closest challenger. Other Chelmer times were G Boden 23.42, A Grant 24.15. It was, perhaps, not surprising that
Plans for millennium festivities in Billericay could be under threat - unless cash can be found from willing sponsors. The town council has circulated a document to possible backers which details ten ideas for projects or events during the year. The authority
The Sceptre Sunday League ended their season with four competition finals and Aspect Sports had particular reason to be happy. For winning the Colin Tyler Charity Cup at Roots Hall meant that the Canvey-based outfit had won no fewer than three major crowns
Doggetts County Primary School's junior netball team have had a very impressive season. They were victorious in their division of the Rochford Small School League. Then they went on to become runners-up in the Southend and District Junior Netball League
The fans call him psycho, the players nick-named him Bam Bam but Richard Naylor wants to be known as Ipswich's goal hero. Naylor scored as a substitute against Sheffield United in the last regular game of the season and had a wonderful chance when he
Ally Brown provided further evidence of his love for Essex bowling by powering Surrey to a four-wicket victory at The Oval. The right-hander scored a magnificent unbeaten century as his side coasted to their 272 target with surprising ease. He left his
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
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
Richard Milton finished an excellent 71st in the Inter Counties Fell Running Championships, on Saturday in Derbyshire. He led home the Essex team which also included fellow Springfield Strider, Pat O'Connor who was pleased with his 108th placing. Andrew
Bolton skipper Mark Fish is a major doubt for the clash at Portman Road after limping out of Sunday's match with a calf injury. Gudni Bergsson replaced the former Lazio man and looks set to take his place again if the South African fails to recover. Trotters
Eversley Park duo Peter Woods and Tony Westwell recorded astonishing figures as - just weeks into the season - Harold Wood were dismissed for what could be one of the lowest scores of the summer. Westwell took 6-8 in 6.1 overs, while Woods claimed 4-5
Police investigating a spate of shed and garage burglaries in Westcliff and Thorpe Bay are warning people to keep them locked up at all times. Westcliff has seen several raids on sheds in the area with bikes the main target. Police are advising bike owners
A family face being evicted from their home after a blunder by a community housing scheme. Debbie Hall, of Leinster Road, Laindon, is furious with the Basildon Community Housing Association after it messed up her bid to buy her home. The 32-year-old office
