Paul Prichard is not expected to pull on an Essex sweater again until next month. The former county skipper, his wrist encased in plaster, revealed that he expects to be out of action until the beginning of July. "The tendons are damaged and I just have
The likes of Manchester United and Arsenal may have a new face joining them on the pitch next season when Billericay referee Andy D'urso begins his first season officiating in the dizzy heights of the FA Carling Premiership. Andy, who lives in Crays Hill
Television stars will be donning their cricket whites on Saturday, June 26, to form the Bunbury XI who take on a Nasser Hussain XI. The celebrity cricket match at the County Ground in Chelmsford, is being staged as part of Essex captain Hussain's Benefit
Peter Barker, Brentwood School's outstanding squash player, recently captained the English Under 17 team to victory in the European Championships at Lokeven, near Brussels. Peter, 15, who lives in Upminster and trains at both the school and the Kingswood
The likes of Manchester United and Arsenal may have a new face joining them on the pitch next season when Billericay referee Andy D'urso begins his first season officiating in the dizzy heights of the FA Carling Premiership. Andy, who lives in Crays Hill
Strong union backing for all 92 Premier Division and Nationwide League football managers was welcomed by Southend United boss Alan Little. The League Managers' Association has joined forces with MSF, the union for skilled and professional people, to provide
Although it is outside the soccer season, action at Billericay Town's New Lodge ground tonight may have as significant a say in the club's fortunes as any match on the pitch. An emergency general meeting is being held at 8pm at which a group of dissident
A Clacton athlete has told about his gruelling 53-hour triathlon race which has left him ranked eighth in the world. Des Kiernan, of West Avenue, has just taken part in the Triple Iron Man Triathlon World Championships in Neulengbach, Austria. But a finish
In its day it was more valuable than the FA Cup, but that's not to say the Harwich Charity Cup is now a forgotten trophy. Today it is still raising thousands of pounds for charities in the area - exactly 100 years after its inception. Now to celebrate
The only Colchester fireman to die in the line of duty is to finally get a gravestone - more than 70 years after he was buried. For all that time Lieutenant Frank Naylor has lain in an unmarked plot at Colchester Cemetery. Now that is to change, thanks
The actor who plays one of TV's most famous detectives is to head the new team at Westcliff's Palace Theatre. Roy Marsden - better known as PD James' Commander Adam Dalgliesh - will be the Palace's new artistic director when it reopens in December, it
A former Colchester head teacher who resigned amid controversy, is now a school's inspector for Ofsted. Len Brazier, who quit the Gilberd School in August 1996 over an expenses row, is working as an inspector in the West Midlands branch of the Office
Mental patients at Runwell Hospital today spoke of their hurt and confusion after a nursing home planned for them was refused. Runwell is to close within the next two years. Patients were excited about plans to move to a 12-bedroom home in Long Road,
A teenage knifing victim with a severed wrist artery was saved by a quick-thinking front desk employee at Chelmsford police station. Essex Ambulance Service officers said that the 19-year-old could have died if the gaping wound had not been pinched together
A man needed 60 stitches to his face after an unprovoked attack in which he was repeatedly slashed with a broken bottle. The 23-year-old was left dazed and bleeding following the savage attack which is likely to leave him physically and mentally scarred
A Pilot escaped uninjured after his aircraft overshot the runway at Clacton airfield and landed up in a hedge. The only person on board, a 60-year-old man who has not been named, was not hurt but his Cessna 172 was badly damaged. Police closed West Road
Maldon residents will be lining the streets to cheer on a convoy of black cabs bearing 250 disabled and special needs children. And the cabbies have arranged for their own special thank you to mark the 47th year the town has welcomed them by having a
Lifeboat crews from Burnham helped rescue five people from the River Crouch. A 16-foot speedboat had been towing an inflatable on Saturday when the craft capsized. Two men, a woman and two children, who were all wearing lifejackets, were rescued by other
Two Campion School rugby players gained selection for England Under 18's this season, Tom Coughlan having played on the wing and Terry Ellis played in the hooker position. Terry was captain of both the Campion and Eastern Counties teams, and both boys
Bank managers and executives at NatWest are being forced to give up their company cars, it has been announced. More than 4,500 managers have been told they must hand back their paid-for vehicles in a move which could spell the beginning of the end for
Drama student Gary Tushaw is set to follow in the footsteps of Anthony Hopkins and Glenda Jackson - by landing a place at one of the world's most famous drama colleges. The Billericay student beat 2,000 starry-eyed hopefuls to get on the books of the
A three-pronged clampdown on a troubled Basildon estate has slashed crime by half in just three weeks. Residents on the Felmores council estate, Basildon police and Basildon Council joined forces to launch the operation. It involved setting up a special
Shoppers played a real-life version of the Price Is Right when the tills stopped working at a Stanway supermarket. Customers were invited to "come on down" and assess the cash total of their trollies during the 1- hour power cut at the Co-op Fiveways
A Pilot escaped uninjured after his aircraft overshot the runway at Clacton airfield and landed up in a hedge. The only person on board, a 60-year-old man who has not been named, was not hurt but his Cessna 172 was badly damaged. Police closed West Road
Lifeboat crews from Burnham helped rescue five people from the River Crouch. A 16-foot speedboat had been towing an inflatable on Saturday when the craft capsized. Two men, a woman and two children, who were all wearing lifejackets, were rescued by other
Hanningfield reservoir enjoyed a successful day when they hosted the second leg of the prestigious 1999 European Fly Fishing Championship at the weekend. This International Championship over three legs - the first staged in Belgium in April - and the
Witham Town Football Club will be running four teams in the forthcoming 1999/2000 season, as, in addition to the first and reserve teams, there will be two youth teams at under 18 and under 16 level. At present, four pre-season friendlies have been arranged
Mick Gibson is stepping aside as chairman of Heybridge Swifts Football Club, after 15 successful years at the helm. Gibson took over the role from Quiff Gill shortly before his death and has steered the club from the Essex Senior League through the lower
Masses of visitors are set to whisk back in time for the 22nd annual medieval fair in Witham on Saturday. More than 3,000 people visited the event last year and this summer's fair at St Nicolas Church, Chipping Hill, looks set to be another crowd-puller
"Keep our town tidy" is the plea from Witham's flower power experts anxious for it to look its best as the time for judging for the Anglia in Bloom competition looms nearer. Hanging flower baskets bedecked in the silver and blue of the Citizens Advice
Royal London Judo Club staged a successful international event at the weekend with more than 150 players involved. And there was plenty of success for the Colchester hosts. Neil Langworthy swept all before him in the adult section, while junior Peter
Chelmsford City will face four new sides in the revised Dr Martens League South East Division next season. The new teams will be Wisbech Town and Stamford, being transferred from the old Midland Division, along with newly promoted Burnham (Buckinghamshire
Chelmsford man Neil Watson has been named a Man in a Million. He and his fiance, Marie Billows, had been together for only six months when he whisked her off to Venice and proposed on a gondola. Marie, 26, nominated him for the Woman's Realm/Lemsip Max
Essex Fire and Rescue Service has been slated for its "appalling and shameful" record on equality and sickness levels -- by the people who run it. It was criticised for its low level of women and black recruits. It was branded as an organisation with
Drama student Gary Tushaw is set to follow in the footsteps of Anthony Hopkins and Glenda Jackson - by landing a place at one of the world's most famous drama colleges. The Billericay student beat 2,000 starry-eyed hopefuls to get on the books of the
COGGESHALL.................................189-8 BRAINTREE......................................191-2 (Braintree won by eight wickets) (Jaygate Homes Two Counties Division Two) Dave Denny continued his impressive start to the 1999 season by scoring an
Player-manager Julian Hazel looks set to leave Ryman League Wivenhoe Town after being granted a transfer request. The 25-year-old former Colchester United striker will spark off a cash scramble for his signature with the Dragons expecting to receive a
Mick Gibson is stepping aside as chairman of Heybridge Swifts Football Club, after 15 successful years at the helm. Gibson took over the role from Quiff Gill shortly before his death and has steered the club from the Essex Senior League through the lower
South Essex tennis hopes were dashed yesterday when local clubs were vanquished in the Essex LTA cup finals. In the Men's Senior Cup Westcliff Hard Courts lost out 7-6 on a tie break after holding Clearview to two events all. The Ladies' Senior Cup saw
Billericay 2nd 262-8 dec Gidea Park and Romford 2nd 243-7 (match drawn) There was more than a hint of deja vu about this match as Billericay's Mark Harmer and Gidea Park's Derek Allen repeated last season's feats of scoring centuries. The only difference
Bank managers and executives at NatWest are being forced to give up their company cars, it has been announced. More than 4,500 managers have been told they must hand back their paid-for vehicles in a move which could spell the beginning of the end for
Four paintings, found in a former Cistercian barn at Abbey Farm, Coggeshall, after being lost for more than 40 years, are to be auctioned. Auctioneers, Vost's, expect the paintings, by Victorian artist Frances Swithin Anderton, to fetch more than £4,000
Four paintings, found in a former Cistercian barn at Abbey Farm, Coggeshall, after being lost for more than 40 years, are to be auctioned. Auctioneers, Vost's, expect the paintings, by Victorian artist Frances Swithin Anderton, to fetch more than £4,000
Plans to axe more than 50 trees and cut back up to 70 more on one of Witham's housing estates has been condemned as ''a tragedy". The work will see 118 trees on the town's Templars estate targeted in the next 12 months - followed by more in later years
Crime in Billericay has risen worryingly for the second quarter running, it has been revealed. A total of 237 offences were reported in the town during the first three months of 1999, up from 229 during the same quarter of 1998. The figure was also up
The decision by Barclays to pull out of a massive new development in Laindon has been attacked as "criminal damage" on a beautiful site. The Rev Nihal Paul of St Nicholas Church, Laindon, was originally against the plans to build on the corner of Upper
Billericay racer Matt Davies closed the gap on British Formula Three rival Jenson Button by finishing fifth at Brands Hatch. Davies is now only 19 points behind hotly-tipped Button in the Rookie of the Year award although the pair of them were behind
In its day it was more valuable than the FA Cup, but that's not to say the Harwich Charity Cup is now a forgotten trophy. Today it is still raising thousands of pounds for charities in the area - exactly 100 years after its inception. Now to celebrate
Magnificent figures figures of nine for 38 rewrote the cricketing life of Halstead's Trevor Cooper in their division C match at Maldon. The slow left armer's effort was his best in more than 25 years of cricket. Cooper said: "My previous best was eight
Maldon residents will be lining the streets to cheer on a convoy of black cabs bearing 250 disabled and special needs children. And the cabbies have arranged for their own special thank you to mark the 47th year the town has welcomed them by having a
Southend United have been paired with Oxford United in the first round of the Worthington League Cup. Blues have been drawn at home in the first leg and will face the Second Division outfit at Roots Hall during the week commencing August 9, before travelling
Police today warned they will prosecute anyone found performing illegal activities at a reopened public toilet at the centre of a gay sex investigation. The men's toilets in Hart Road, Benfleet, were closed last October by the council following advice
A college art tutor has been suspended after students staged a protest at their end of year exhibition. They were furious about some of their course work being censored by South East Essex College bosses, who were worried about offending younger students
A man has died and four other people were injured in serious crash on Chelmsford's Army and Navy flyover. The flyover was closed for 12 hours after the accident which happened at 7.15pm on Sunday evening. A gold Ford Escort carrying two men and a woman
Two North Essex GPs have been criticised by the Health Service Ombudsman for the treatment of a woman with a breast lump. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about the NHS when a local one has failed to satisfy the complainant. In the first case Ombudsman
A cricketer died after collapsing on the pitch - seconds after ending one of the most successful innings of his career. Players and officials were stunned as desperate efforts at Southend's Southchurch Park failed to save "loveable giant" Dave Karchargis
A Braintree man has died following a fall from scaffolding. The painter and decorator, who has not been named, was taken to Harlow's Princess Alexandra Hospital on Saturday but was pronounced dead on arrival. A police spokesman said the workman fell off
Two Campion School rugby players gained selection for England Under 18's this season, Tom Coughlan having played on the wing and Terry Ellis played in the hooker position. Terry was captain of both the Campion and Eastern Counties teams, and both boys
Fishing downriver aboard the Danzel at the weekend Rick Marshall and boat owner Dave Marshall enjoyed a frantic Thornback session. The pair managed no fewer than 16 quaility specimens, ranging from 6lb to 18lb. Fresh mackerell and squid was used on small
Paul Prichard is not expected to pull on an Essex sweater again until next month. The former county skipper, his wrist encased in plaster, revealed that he expects to be out of action until the beginning of July. "The tendons are damaged and I just have
Southend United's soccer stars will play a vital role in strengthening community links around the town next season, Blues chairman John Main revealed today. The Shrimpers supremo pledged to bring the Third Division side's players and supporters closer
Forgotten U's striker Neil Gregory has been handed a chance to start a new career in America. The U's record signing has agreed a loan spell at Major League Soccer club Boston Bulldogs and will miss the start of the new English season. Gregory, who has
Billericay racer Matt Davies closed the gap on British Formula Three rival Jenson Button by finishing fifth at Brands Hatch. Davies is now only 19 points behind hotly-tipped Button in the Rookie of the Year award although the pair of them were behind
A Clacton athlete has told about his gruelling 53-hour triathlon race which has left him ranked eighth in the world. Des Kiernan, of West Avenue, has just taken part in the Triple Iron Man Triathlon World Championships in Neulengbach, Austria. But a finish
Campaigners have won a victory for disabled people in Rayleigh - after councillors listened to their protests. Orange badge holders will still be able to park in the High Street for up to three hours and will be allowed to use two parking bays in a designated
Gipsies who have been camped on land in Basildon have been moved on. Notice was served on the travellers - and less than 24 hours later they were escorted from the site by police. A dozen or so caravans have been camped on the site opposite Yardley's
Seaside resorts are set to get a welcome shot in the arm from the Government. And the move to build a comprehensive strategy to assist them in the future has been welcomed by Harwich MP Ivan Henderson. Chris Smith, Secretary of State for Heritage and
Chelmsford City will face four new sides in the revised Dr Martens League South East Division next season. The new teams will be Wisbech Town and Stamford, being transferred from the old Midland Division, along with newly promoted Burnham (Buckinghamshire
A burglar punched a woman in the face after she found him ransacking her house. It is thought the incident may be linked to two other raids. Insp Richard Day said the woman arrived home in Main Road, Great Holland, at 12.15pm last Thursday to find a burglar
Chelmsford man Neil Watson has been named a Man in a Million. He and his fiance, Marie Billows, had been together for only six months when he whisked her off to Venice and proposed on a gondola. Marie, 26, nominated him for the Woman's Realm/Lemsip Max
Shoppers played a real-life version of the Price Is Right when the tills stopped working at a Stanway supermarket. Customers were invited to "come on down" and assess the cash total of their trollies during the 1- hour power cut at the Co-op Fiveways
Colchester Golf Club juniors Rachel and Sarah Graves are looking forward to the rest of the summer after they both picked up trophies. The sisters, of Vine Drive, Wivenhoe, are golf mad and have already decided they want to become professional golfers
Police were hunting for an armed gang who burst into the home of a terrified Clacton couple and their six young children and demanded cash. The three men, armed with a silver handgun, knife and a small club, threatened the man and woman - who is five
Masses of visitors are set to whisk back in time for the 22nd annual medieval fair in Witham on Saturday. More than 3,000 people visited the event last year and this summer's fair at St Nicolas Church, Chipping Hill, looks set to be another crowd-puller
Three wards are to close at Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital before the end of the year in a bid to save £1.75 million. Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, made the announcement as it tries to combat debts of £2.4 million.
A man needed 60 stitches to his face after an unprovoked attack in which he was repeatedly slashed with a broken bottle. The 23-year-old was left dazed and bleeding following the savage attack which is likely to leave him physically and mentally scarred
Three wards are to close at Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital before the end of the year in a bid to save £1.75 million. Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, made the announcement as it tries to combat debts of £2.4 million.
Colchester Golf Club juniors Rachel and Sarah Graves are looking forward to the rest of the summer after they both picked up trophies. The sisters, of Vine Drive, Wivenhoe, are golf mad and have already decided they want to become professional golfers
Player-manager Julian Hazel looks set to leave Ryman League Wivenhoe Town after being granted a transfer request. The 25-year-old former Colchester United striker will spark off a cash scramble for his signature with the Dragons expecting to receive a
Royal London Judo Club staged a successful international event at the weekend with more than 150 players involved. And there was plenty of success for the Colchester hosts. Neil Langworthy swept all before him in the adult section, while junior Peter
Colchester wine merchants Lay and Wheeler have announced it is expanding into the worldwide market. The 135-year-old family-run company has bought out historic West Country wine merchants Howells of Bristol for an undisclosed sum. The move will allow
Colchester's Odeon Cinema is finding the force isn't with it as it bids to stay open later to screen the new Star Wars blockbuster. The police are opposing plans to extend screening hours at the Crouch Street cinema. The Odeon wants the extra screening
Maritime officials will carry out their annual survey this summer of the old US navy ship packed with explosives off the Southend coast. Tenders still have to be agreed before experts can check the stability of SS Richard Montgomery. In 1944 the American
Runwell Hospital has been found to have some of the poorest accommodation for secure unit patients in the region. Inspectors from the Mental Health Commission reported their concerns after a visit to discover how the Mental Health Act was being administered
Colchester United have been handed a mouthwatering Worthington Cup draw against former Premiership Londoners Crystal Palace. The U's will entertain the troubled Eagles on Tuesday, August 10 - three days after their first League game - before travelling
South Woodham Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses has built a new hall of worship. More than 1,000 volunteer workers from all over Essex and Suffolk took just four days to construct a barn-style Kingdom Hall opposite the Shaw Farm pub in South Woodham
The managers of a Clacton nightclub are celebrating winning their fight to give a better deal to customers and take their business into the next millennium. Peter and Geraldine Steele, at Fibbers in Pier Avenue, have been granted an extension of one hour
Colchester wine merchants Lay and Wheeler have announced it is expanding into the worldwide market. The 135-year-old family-run company has bought out historic West Country wine merchants Howells of Bristol for an undisclosed sum. The move will allow
Crime in Billericay has risen worryingly for the second quarter running, it has been revealed. A total of 237 offences were reported in the town during the first three months of 1999, up from 229 during the same quarter of 1998. The figure was also up
Basildon javelin ace Aaron Cramp has come within agonizing inches of smashing an 18-year Essex throwing record. The 15-year-old, who attends the town's Woodlands school, fell just short of his 51 metres target as he picked up yet another Essex District
Billericay 2nd 262-8 dec Gidea Park and Romford 2nd 243-7 (match drawn) There was more than a hint of deja vu about this match as Billericay's Mark Harmer and Gidea Park's Derek Allen repeated last season's feats of scoring centuries. The only difference
COGGESHALL.................................189-8 BRAINTREE......................................191-2 (Braintree won by eight wickets) (Jaygate Homes Two Counties Division Two) Dave Denny continued his impressive start to the 1999 season by scoring an
Witham Town Football Club will be running four teams in the forthcoming 1999/2000 season, as, in addition to the first and reserve teams, there will be two youth teams at under 18 and under 16 level. At present, four pre-season friendlies have been arranged
South Woodham Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses has built a new hall of worship. More than 1,000 volunteer workers from all over Essex and Suffolk took just four days to construct a barn-style Kingdom Hall opposite the Shaw Farm pub in South Woodham
The managers of a Clacton nightclub are celebrating winning their fight to give a better deal to customers and take their business into the next millennium. Peter and Geraldine Steele, at Fibbers in Pier Avenue, have been granted an extension of one hour
Strong union backing for all 92 Premier Division and Nationwide League football managers was welcomed by Southend United boss Alan Little. The League Managers' Association has joined forces with MSF, the union for skilled and professional people, to provide
EAST ANGLIAN PREMIER LEAGUE Blistering starts to both innings could not help Clacton hit the winning trail against Swardeston. Having lost the toss, the Seasiders reduced their Norfolk opponents to 11 for three before the home side recovered, led by captain
A headmaster today praised generous parents who rallied round after vandals smashed 24 school windows in a single week. David Ogden has been inundated with offers of cash to replace glass at Wickford County Junior School, in Market Road, Wickford. He
Essex drivers could be the first in the country to be taxed for parking at work. But the Essex County Council bid to reduce town centre congestion was today branded a "new tax for motorists". County councillors on the environmental services board agreed
A family devastated by the death of their son on holiday in Tenerife claim that those responsible live in Essex. Garry Walton, 21, left Ballinamult in Ireland for a week's holiday in the Canary Islands in 1996 but died after falling overboard from a boat
Former Basildon schoolboy Martin Doyle is on top of the world - after conquering the icy heights of Mount Everest. Martin was part of an expedition which successfully completed the 8848-metre ascent. They overcame freezing temperatures to follow in the
A family of four claim to have suffered a 'holiday from hell' after booking an inclusive two-week trip to Portugal. Paula and Louis East, of Riverside Way, Kelvedon, are now considering legal action after returning home from the Algarve. They list a catalogue
Police have appealed for witnesses after a man was killed in a horrific crash in Wickford on Sunday night. The head-on collision between two cars happened in Nevendon Road at about 7.15pm. The driver of one car, from Hornchurch, is believed to have died
Essex Fire and Rescue Service has been slated for its "appalling and shameful" record on equality and sickness levels -- by the people who run it. It was criticised for its low level of women and black recruits. It was branded as an organisation with
A mile-high plume of smoke could be seen for miles around when five tonnes of polystyrene went up in flames in Basildon at the weekend. A teenaged boy was taken to Basildon Hospital suffering from the toxic effects of the smoke. Two police officers were
