Colchester residents will pay an extra 8.5 per cent council tax next year to fund borough services. Councillors agreed to the inflation-busting increase last night but the final figure has to be agreed by the full council next week. The rise will mean
A radical monorail system and a ban on vehicles from the High Street were suggestions at Colchester's Transport Forum. The group was formed after Colchester Council and Essex County Council agreed draft transport policies to help cut pollution and congestion
The owner of a burnt-out printing shop said he was devastated following a major fire at his business. Andy Smith, 26, was speaking after fire destroyed the printing shop Solo Press in Woodside, Leigh. He said yesterday: "It's bad news. I've lost everything
Colchester United's first season of Division Two football left the club with a loss of almost half-a-million pounds. A loss of £458,787 in the year ending May 31, 1999, will be revealed to shareholders at the U's annual meeting scheduled to go ahead at
Four Southend tennis players have made it through to the regional finals of a major national tennis tournament sponsored by a luxury car maker. Sue Blackshaw, Pat Townsley, Linda Vaughan and Sue Hookway will represent the area at the regional final of
Westcliff solicitor Paul Robinson is still fired with ambition for his practice - and for the Blues, as he tells RAY BRADLEY If you want to get ahead in this world get a good lawyer. They may be expensive and effusive, but in the crunch, you get the expertise
A professional Essex golfer is giving fans and friends a chance to share in his winnings. Jason Levermore, who turned professional last October, is turning himself into a human share offer in an attempt to raise funds to help him compete on the circuit
Southend's Golden Day Trophy certainly didn't live up to its name for competitors who went into action on Saturday. For driving rain came close to closing the course. Sunday golfers enjoyed far better weather and Rob Halpen, who plays off 15, covered
Five Star Amateur Boxing Club are staging their first open show for two years at Browsters Hall, Gooshays Drive, in Harold Hill, tomorrow, commencing at 8pm. Everyone involved in the club hopes this is the first of many hoping to put the club on the map
Newborn babies will have a cosier stay at Basildon Hospital thanks to a £1,000 comfort blanket. The hospital's neonatal unit is now £1,338 richer thanks to a local group of creative minds. The Essex Handicrafts Association has spent several months putting
Traders in South Woodham have joined together to fight for small business in the town. The South Woodham Alliance of Businesses (SWAB) has been established amidst fears traders could feel the pinch with supermarket giant Asda's impending buy-out of town
Ford white collar workers will take their first strike action on Monday with a one hour walk out over pay. The company's salaried staff voted to strike after failing to persuade bosses to match their pay demands, wanting a settlement equivalent to that
Former Colchester United midfielder Brian Launders has finally lodged an appeal against a Football League tribunal decision to reject his claim for unfair dismissal by the club. The Irish Under-21 international, who made just eight first-team appearances
Rochford Casuals hockey club were looking good for a win against title-chasing Upminster but allowed the visitors to fight back for a share of the points. With Upminster desperate for a win, two goals from G Hastings gave the Casuals the lead going into
Michael Clegg has been handed the chance to prove himself away from the pressures of playing for the biggest club in the world. The Manchester United full-back, who joined Ipswich Town on a month's loan yesterday, is likely to go straight into the side
Southend United midfielder Mark Tinkler believes he is gradually getting back to his very best form. The former Leeds United star is the first to admit he has gone off the boil over the last couple of months. But the 25-year-old pass master is desperate
Vulnerable young football players have been exposed to the risk of horrific injuries after "stupid" thugs littered a Kelvedon Hatch pitch with razor sharp shards of glass. They have struck Sunday after Sunday over the last five weeks laying a treacherous
Colchester United's 1-0 win at promotion-chasing Wigan has been voted as the Performance of the Week by the Managers' Association of the Football League. The U's tremendous success at the JJB Stadium eclipsed Newcastle's 3-0 win over Premiership leaders
A huge summer festival is set to become north Essex's biggest millennium event. The two-day spectacular will be based around a re-enactment of the Siege of Colchester. It will take place in two fields next to the Crown Inn at Ardleigh, just off the A12
A war of words has broken out between three popular schools after claims that one was trying to become selective and discriminate against pupils with special educational needs. The Eastwood School will now no longer be able to use "ability" tests in sport
Supermarket giant Asda could show drive-in movies in the car park of its Colchester store. Family films could be beamed on to a screen so people could watch from their cars, picking up the sound on their radios. Or tiered seating could be organised so
Annie Atkins says that a tipple of gin a day is what keeps the doctor away - and she should know at the grand old age of 101. Staff and friends at the King's Lodge residential home in Westcliff celebrated with a cake adorned with roses and a small party
It's fun and it's traditional. The Southend gang show starts at the Palace Theatre for the half-term week, learns SALLY KING Seventy young performers will burst onto the stage of the Palace Theatre on Monday for the latest Southend gang show. It's a Date
Last month, Aarron Todd, 24, was involved in a collision with a camper van. He has been in a coma ever since. His close-knit family have held a round-the-clock vigil. They have said their goodbyes more than once, but still they hope he may recover. They
The Ritz in Billericay was once home to all the greats - Dirk Bogade, Kenneth More and Jean Simmons all paid a visit back in the cinema's heyday. Now, however, the projectors have long since been dismantled and news has come that the building in Chapel
Colchester United schoolboy midfield ace Angelo Harrop is facing the chance of a lifetime tomorrow when he travels to Wales for youth international trials. Harrop, 13, a pupil at Colchester's Gilberd School, will be among more than 100 young hopefuls
Give bullies the red card I think it's right that the Football Association have decided to come down hard on clubs and players who attempt to intimidate referees. A lot has been written and said about recent incidents - including Manchester United's harassment
Two teenagers have landed magical jobs working with the world's most famous mouse. When Anna-Leigh Blower and Thomas Worship, both 17, finish their A-levels this summer they are heading for the Magic Kingdom. But they will not be working with Mickey and
Glamour - students stepped into the spotlight for a charity fashion show at Westcliff High School for Girls in Kenilworth Gardens. Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost
A new plan to link care agencies across the Braintree district through the internet has won the backing of a £435,895 Government grant. Braintree District Council with partners including the Braintree, Witham and Halstead primary care group, is heading
Colchester residents will pay an extra 8.5 per cent council tax next year to fund borough services. Councillors agreed to the inflation-busting increase last night but the final figure has to be agreed by the full council next week. The rise will mean
The owner of a burnt-out printing shop said he was devastated following a major fire at his business today. Andy Smith, 26, was speaking after fire destroyed the printing shop Solo Press in Woodside, Leigh. He said: "It's bad news. I've lost everything
An Army helicopter crash in Bosnia which claimed the life of a Colchester pilot was caused by a mechical fault, an inquest heard. A coroner's court was told yesterday Captain Philip Jarvis, 27, of Colchester, was killed when a failure in one of the gears
Vulnerable people could face huge cuts in services after Tories won an eleventh hour bid to shave 17p a week off the rise in council taxes. That was the fear of Labour and Lib Dem councillors, shocked at the outcome of Essex County Council's budget fixing
A school has launched a programme of vaccinations after two children were struck down by meningitis. A junior pupil at Porter's Grange School in Southchurch Avenue, Southend, was rushed to Southend Hospital three weeks ago but has since made a recovery
Police have arrested two women and a man in connection with an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of residents at a former care home in Clacton. All three were staff at the Carnarvon Lodge Residential Care Home for the elderly in Carnarvon Road
Halstead Town managed Shaun Bailey is to leave the club at the end of the season because of work commitments, it has been announced. Bailey, who took over in October when Terry Benson was sacked, works for gas company Transco and changing shift patterns
Colne Valley Golf Club's Paul Curry suffered mixed emotions following his debut on the American PGA circuit. While Tiger Woods, David Love III and eventual winner Phil Mickelson were battling for the first prize of $540,000 at the Buick Invitational at
Colchester United boss Steve Whitton has capped a great few days for the U's with the signing of Brighton and Hove Albion defender Ross Johnson. Colchester finally got their man, as originally promised, on a free transfer. Johnson - one of the stars of
Watford boss Graham Taylor has revealed how close he came to making ex-Blues striker Stan Collymore Southend United's first England international. The former national team coach has admitted he contemplated handing Collymore a sensational baptism of fire
Nathan Braithwaite is a young man in a hurry. A pupil at Tiptree's Thurstable School, he is already making his mark on the moto-cross scene even though he is only 13. So far he has won three club championships and has already started out on his quest
Southend Archery Club earned their second win of the season in a Bray League recurve encounter against Holdens A. The club won by 61 points, with captain Jeff Dowler top-scoring with 264 points and Betty Shaw (257), Michael Shaw (255), Dave Donaldson
Most of us have a hobby we enjoy. Some people collect stamps, others like train sets, but South Woodham Ferrers' Melanie Thompson loves Southend United so much she has been to every Blues game for the last 20 years. Melanie has been following the Shrimpers
Billericay Town kept alive their hopes of winning the prestigious Essex Senior Cup with a 2-0 quarter-final home success over Romford at New Lodge on Tuesday night. Town continued their recent impressive form in knockout competitions to see off the spirited
Wivenhoe suffered Vandanel Trophy heartbreak as they bowed out of the quarter-finals in extra-time 2-1 at Northwood on Tuesday. It was a great battling performance from the Dragons, who played for 50 minutes with just ten men after Alan Day was sent off
It was the return of the Prince. Almost a year ago, Maldon football coach Syd Wells was made an honorary prince by an African village for teaching soccer to their children. Earlier this month he returned to his new kingdom, the small village of Manduar
Michael Clegg has arrived at Ipswich Town on a month's loan from Manchester United. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson gave permission for the deal to go ahead on Tuesday night and the former England Under 21 defender came into the Town squad yesterday as
Southend United's supporters club is running a coach to this Saturday's Third Division fixture at Darlington. The coach will depart ASDA in Shoeburyness at 7.15am before making further stops in Southend, Chalkwell, Leigh, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Basildon
The increasing number of abandoned vehicles in the Maldon district has given rise to concern. Abandoned vehicles can be an eyesore, contaminate land and can quickly become targets for vandalism. Now district councillors are pushing the county council
Maldon Carnival organisers are appealing to clubs and organisations in the town to spare members to help at the gates on carnival day. This year's carnival week runs from July 30 finishing with carnival day on Saturday August 5 when help is particularly
The former Blenheim House old people's home in Leigh is to be demolished to make way for new homes, if Southend Council gives the planning go-ahead. It is more than a year since the social services-run home was controversially closed, along with a number
An embarrassed dad took his eight-year-old son to Hadleigh fire station and asked officers to cut off a pair of handcuffs. The boy, from Hadleigh, got stuck in the cuffs and was taken to the station last night. A spokesman from Hadleigh fire station said
Billericay councillors have said they deplore plans to demolish the former Ritz Cinema and replace it with flats, but are powerless to stop it. An application has been received by Basildon Council to build 14 flats on the site of what is currently the
When it comes to challenges, schoolgirl Arabella Wood is up there alongside Anneka Rice. The Southend teenager was today set to get a special award after being named Challenger of the Year for the entire south east of England by an animal charity. She
Experienced matchman Mark Campion paralysed the opposition at Sunday's Lake Meadows Open weighing in a superb 18lb 3oz haul. Mark, a member of Brentwood Angling Centre's squad, fished the sluice bank where he used a quivertip and feeder to land 17 bream
by PAUL JEATER At 11.50pm on Wednesday at the Bletchley Leisure Centre in Milton Keynes, 21 seconds remained in what had become a nerve wracking contest between the Lions and the Leopards. The score was tied at 87-87, the ball was in the hands of former
Billericay Town kept alive their hopes of winning the prestigious Essex Senior Cup with a 2-0 quarter-final home success over Romford at New Lodge last night. Town continued their recent impressive form in knockout competitions to see off the spirited
Manager Steve Whitton wants any new player joining Colchester United to move within an hour's travelling time of the town. Whitton is keen to lay down the law and the same terms will apply to existing professionals looking to sign new contracts. Defender
Double killer Jason Prentice, who stabbed to death a drinking pal and her friend, might have a mental disorder that makes him act in an aggressive way, a court heard. Dr Susan Young told a Chelmsford Crown Court jury Prentice, of Ronald Park Avenue, Westcliff
An "upset" police dog has gone absent without leave after being castrated, officers said today. Klaus, a two-year-old German shepherd, is used to facing up to the cut and thrust of police work. But one particular cut, the routine operation to chop off
Fixtures Senior Division One: Hatfield Peverel v Frenford Senior; Kelvedon Hatch v Essex Police; Rayleigh Town v Runwell Hospital; Shell Club v Metpol Chigwell; Takeley v Ekco First Data. Senior Division Two: Benfleet v Broomfield; Epping v Harold Wood
Billericay MP Teresa Gorman faces suspension from parliament for a month after the release of a damning report into her business affairs today. The report, by parliamentary watchdog, the standards and privileges committee, has laid down the most severe
A canoeing couple who paddled 24 miles along the River Stour with their dog are to be presented with an award. Roger and Susan Brown, of Langham Road, Boxted, bought their Canadian canoe last spring but never envisaged travelling so far in it. The pair
Billericay Town's New Lodge ground will play host to the final of the Essex County FA Senior Trophy. The match is on Wednesday, February 23, and is between Aveley FC and Tiptree United. Admssion is £2 for adults and £1 for concessions and the game kicks-off
Wibble wobble, jelly on a plate. Even the audience joined in with the familiar childhood rhymes as youngsters from Thorpe Greenways infants school put on an impressive display of nifty footwork to promote healthy hearts. Over the last three years, the
Great Wakering Rovers enjoyed a fine 4-1 win over Central Section leaders Tiptree United. But the result left United six points clear at the top after second-placed Chelmsford City went down 5-1 away to Harlow Town in the (Seatex Design) Eastern Junior
Youngsters at a Hadleigh school were praised by their local MP. Castle Point's Christine Butler spent hours looking around Westwood Primary School in Beresford Close. She sat in at a school council session and said she was impressed by how responsible
Skaters from the South Woodham Ferrers and Wickford Rollerspeed Skating Club continued to perform well in the National Indoor Inline Series, the third leg of which was held at Rollerbury in Bury St Edmunds recently. Sam Morrison continued his winning
London's new police chief has backed calls for the extension of Operation Arrow - the campaign to drive criminals from Harold's streets. The highly successful four month operation - during which crime hotspots including Harold Hill and Harold Wood have
Brentwood pushed their second placed rivals more or less out of contention with a battling win on Saturday. Taking the early lead after ten minutes through Matthew D'Arcy-Smith, the visitors looked to be in control, with the Ford forwards limited to a
More than 50 trees are being felled on a housing estate to reduce damage to houses, walls and pavements. The trees, planted in a series of landscape schemes in the 1960s, are causing chaos by cracking walls, raising pavements and undermining properties
A club in Mersea wanting to buy a new community bus has been denied lottery funding - because the club's headquarters is across the Atlantic. The vital community bus run by Mersea Island Lions Club has fallen into disrepair and a new one is now desperately
Hockley & Hawkwell Hurricanes blew away Chelmsford Unicorns 76-55 in the latest round of action from the Essex Basketball League. The game flowed really well due to some excellent refereeing and Hurricanes took advantage of a tight zone defence to
Baby Brooke Telling helped raise money for the maternity unit at Colchester General Hospital - just by being born. Regulars at the King's Arms in Crouch Street, Colchester, where her dad, David, is the landlord, entered a sweepstake to guess her weight
A joint round-the-table meeting has been held in Brightlingsea between organisations concerned over plans to develop the former James and Stone jetties. Brightlingsea Action Town Quay Association called the discussion meeting and invited representatives
A campaign has been launched to get escorts back on school buses after an inquest heard how a boy died while trying to jump on board a moving school bus. The bus driver has been cleared of blame in the accident involving Reece Straight, 12, who died of
A worried councillor today urged English Nature to "give badgers a fair chance". Deputy Castle Point Council leader Dave Blackwell is calling for the conservation group to visit the borough to supervise work carried out each time it issues a licence to
Citizen Advice Bureaux in Wickford, Basildon and Billericay could be in line for lottery cash - thanks to a boost from Basildon Council. The CAB offices hope to get a grant from the National Lotteries Charities Board to set up an advice call centre for
Brentwood town centre ground to a halt when roadworks to install new sewer pipes moved to Ongar Road causing massive tailbacks on Monday morning. Motorists were caught up in chaotic scenes as the road's unexpected closure to northbound traffic trying
Transport campaigners were celebrating this week after hearing that rail chiefs had caved in to their demands for improved passenger facilities at Brentwood's shabby station. For months angry commuters have been campaigning to get the station's padlocked
Concerned councillors are hoping to meet a town's market operators to discuss the way it is run. The former family-run market in Walton was taken over by Town and Country Markets just over a year ago and was seen as a shot in the arm to the town's economy
Golf-lovers will soon be able to practice their swing at a new village driving range. The proposed range on unused agricultural land at Little Oakley has received tremendous support. More than 500 letters backing the scheme were sent in to Tendring Council
Bird watchers have been flocking to Essex University to see a rare American gull. The ring-billed gull was first spotted at the lower lake by senior research officer from the biological research department Dr Peter O' Toole who alerted a bird watching
A pensioner has appeared on national television hoping to find her dream date. Daisy Gaisford was one of three female contestants on Blind Date trying to impress a man hidden behind a screen in the hope of being whisked off to a romantic destination.
a Tory bid to reduce the council tax rise in Braintree has failed. Last night, Braintree Council leader John Gyford recommended a proposed increase of 6.93 per cent to the district's part of the tax bill. It would mean an extra £6.75 a year for the average
Manager Steve Whitton paid a glowing tribute to his Colchester United players after their magnificent one-goal win at Wigan. Whitton said: "I am proud of all of them. To come back as strongly as they did from the defeats by Bury and Reading to beat a
Armed police were called to a house in Dovercourt today after fears that a man had a gun. Fourteen armed officers went to Langley Close shortly after midnight after reports of a man threatening to kill himself. A Harwich police spokesman said: "We had
An award-winning ride will open on Saturday offering youngsters a trip through Hell at Southend's Adventure Island. Beelzee Bob's Trail will finally be unveiled after more than two years of work creating the unique ride which cost more than £1 million
Southend United boss Alan Little has been knocked back in his efforts to bring a First Division forward to Roots Hall on loan. The Shrimpers chief would not reveal his target, but admitted he was desperate to add some firepower to his squad, following
Hutton Cricket Club and Shepherd Neame have joined forces to bring a new cricket competition to the Brentwood area. Entries are being sought for a 20 overs per side knockout competition to be played during June, July and August on Thursday evenings at
Children mutilated the feet of a badly burnt body they found in tunnels at an old fort, an inquest heard. Uncertainty still surrounds the death of Gregory Chung whose burnt and decomposing body was found at the Beacon Hill fort at Harwich on July 17.
Southend United's supporters club is running a coach to this Saturday's Third Division fixture at Darlington. The coach will depart ASDA in Shoeburyness at 7.15am before making further stops in Southend, Chalkwell, Leigh, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Basildon
A radical monorail system and a ban on vehicles from the High Street were suggestions at Colchester's Transport Forum. The group was formed after Colchester Council and Essex County Council agreed draft transport policies to help cut pollution and congestion
Annie Atkins says that a tipple of gin a day is what keeps the doctor away - and she should know at the grand old age of 101. Staff and friends at the King's Lodge residential home in Westcliff celebrated with a cake adorned with roses and a small party
Quiz king Harry Norton claims he has been banned from an Essex pub for thinking and not drinking. His ghastly crime? He repeatedly wins the Wednesday night pub quiz at the Windmill Tavern in East Hanningfield, and pockets the £20 top prize. However, lone
Kamikaze drivers who dice with death have been condemned by the official charged with cutting crime in the Ongar and North Weald area. And former police sergeant Tony Ellis has also criticised drivers of slow-moving vehicles who hog the road and whose
The family of a disabled rower who has spent more than 200 days at sea in his solo quest to cross the Pacific yesterday gave him their full backing. Andrew Halsey, 42, set off from San Diego in July on his journey of about 7,000 miles to Sydney, Australia
Firefighters today tackled a blaze at a historic thatched cottage in Hockley. A call alerted the fire service shortly after 4.30am to the fire at the cottage in Greensward Lane. The roof of the cottage was alight and had partially collapsed and four fire
The son of a world-famous artist has died after a freak train accident. Edwin Doubleday, son of renowned Essex sculptor John Doubleday, died after he was dragged beneath a moving London tube train. The 23-year-old medical student was three months away
Southend United's Third Division match at Darlington this Saturday has been made all ticket. Blues supporters wishing to attend the clash will need to purchase a ticket from Roots Hall this week, before making the long trip north to Feethams at the weekend
Colchester United are expecting their biggest crowd of the season when Ian Wright rolls into town next week. The former England striker, who signed for Burnley from Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic earlier this week, is still a huge draw and ticket sales
Canvey Island last night got the welcome news that their money-spinning home League game with Aldershot Town will definitely go ahead on Saturday week. The match would have been posponed, with Shots instead making a far lower key midweek visit later in
Southend racing driver Bill Stilwell is not competing in the MGF Cup this year - but his fans will still be able to see him in action. For the 36-year-old has agreed to race for Honda this summer in 24-hour events at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps and Germany's
Wivenhoe suffered Vandanel Trophy heartbreak as they bowed out of the quarter-finals in extra-time 2-1 at Northwood. It was a great battling performance from the Dragons, who played for 50 minutes with just ten men after Alan Day was sent off and were
Southend United boss Alan Little has been knocked back in his efforts to bring a First Division forward to Roots Hall on loan. The Shrimpers chief would not reveal his target, but admitted he was desperate to add some firepower to his squad, following
A leading businesswoman has died after a two-year battle with cancer. Business leaders today paid tribute to Georgina James, 48, the president of the Essex Chamber of Commerce. Miss James, who died on Friday after she finally lost her struggle against
A rugby prospect from a Stanford-le-Hope school is celebrating after a double selection coup. Robert Anderson, 14 , of St Cleres School, has been called up to both the Essex Schools side and the Eastern Counties representative squad. Multi-talented Robert
Fixtures Senior Division Cup First Round: Havering Nalgo v Romford Town. Division One Cup First Round: Broxhill v Old Cooperians. Senior Division: Byron Red Star 'A' v Prince Albert; Collier Row Colts v Elm Park. Division One: Bentley Alexandra v Hornchurch
Brentwood entertained Ipswich in an eagerly awaited match between the local team who have one of the best defences in the league and Ipswich who have one of the best attacking teams. On a bright cold afternoon Ipswich kicked off with the advantage of
Youngsters packed Canvey's Paddocks Community Centre to see a troupe of top Japanese drummers show off their skills. Pupils from Furtherwick Park Cornelius Vermuyden, and Castle View turned out for Taiko drumming sensation Mugenkyo. The British-born musicians
Signed sporting shirts and balls will be up for grabs at an auction held during the Colchester Trinity Rotary Club's 5th Sportsmen's Dinner. And organisers hope the event will raise at least £3,000 for Colchester charities including the Samaritans. Items
Business leaders have given their support to an ambitious bid for arts college status from two Clacton schools. The bid was launched by Clacton County High and Colbayns schools at the Princes Theatre, Clacton, yesterday. If successful, the status will
Basildon composer Mark Turnage's opera has been given standing ovations at its world premiere. Critics say his work, The Silver Tassie based on a play by Irish playwright Sean O'Casey, looks set to become a modern classic. The story tells of a young Dublin
One horse was killed and another hurt following road crashes as stray horses wreaked havoc on the roads around Wickford last week. Now Wickford Police, who are treating the situation 'very seriously', have seized three horses, as they work to find a long-term
The people of Ongar and North Weald are being asked to join a high-tech revolution to boost tourism in the area. The internet is being targeted by a partnership between Epping Forest District Council and local residents as a way of bringing more people
A Brentwood trader has demanded that police improve their communication systems after his repeated attempts to alert officers to the presence of shoplifters ended in failure. Richard Gregory, owner of Zakz menswear store on the High Street, tried to telephone
The failure of the leader of Basildon District Council to protect the ''vitality and vibrancy" of Billericay and Wickford town centres has been angrily attacked by two councillors. Cllr Malcolm Buckley, who represents Wickford South and Cllr Peter Patrick
Braintree Council is to launch a £500,000 health, housing and social needs scheme. The Healthy Living Project will lead to a "one-stop shop" which will forge links with the housebound or residents in isolated rural areas. Trained officers will deal with
More than 20 factory workers face the axe at sailing equipment firm Musto. Machinists at the firm's Benfleet factory have been given 30 days' notice of up to 26 redundancies. Keith Musto, managing director of the Laindon-based firm, said the warnings
More than £800,000 in benefits has been won for people in the Braintree district, it was announced this week. A total of £813,028 has been awarded as a direct result of intervention by Braintree District Council's welfare rights service. The amount of
A driver has been cleared of any blame after a boy died while trying to jump on board a moving school bus. Clacton County High School pupil Reece Straight, 12, died of multiple injuries after falling under the wheel of a double-decker bus. An inquest
A struggling church in Vange looks set to be demolished and replaced with a £1 million healthy living centre. A bid is expected to go into the National Lottery Board this year to turn the uninviting St Chad's Church, in Clay Hill Road, Vange, into a central
Colchester town centre is to lose two more top women's clothes stores. Both Miss Selfridge and Richards will be closing down over the coming months. The Arcadia company, which owns both of the chains, will be closing all Richards branches by the end of
Basildon United have a new soccer boss with Steve Wheeler, who spent a decade as manager of Schweppes Essex Senior League Bowers United, in charge at Gardiners Close. Wheeler takes over from Colin Norman, who relinquished the Bees' hot seat on Saturday
A young boy will get to go on the holiday of a lifetime - thanks to This Is Essex partner paper the Evening Gazette. Craig Tomlinson, 12, lost his mother Sharon Wilson, 36, in a tragic car accident in December. He went to live with Brenda Watts, her husband
A leading north Essex psychiatrist has revealed how he helped a man who wanted his healthy leg cut off. Dr Richard Fox, a former senior consultant psychiatrist at Severalls Hospital in Colchester, first saw Kevin Wright in 1991. Mr Wright, of Bromley
Supermarket giant Asda could show drive-in movies in the car park of its Colchester store. Family films could be beamed on to a screen so people could watch from their cars, picking up the sound on their radios. Or tiered seating could be organised so
Taxi drivers said yesterday they have been losing money hand over fist due to the roadworks chaos that has hit Wickford town centre. Customers are deserting cabbies in their droves as resurfacing and strengthening work on the bypass grinds the area to
Southend's youngsters had a rare chance to shine in last night's reserve team outing against Luton Town - but it was the visitors who did most of the twinkling. Blues fielded what was more or less an under-21 side at Roots Hall, with transfer-listed frontman
Colchester United boss Steve Whitton is ready to lay down the law to any new players joining the club. Whitton wants them to move house to within less than an hour's travelling time of Colchester. The same terms will apply to existing professionals looking
Taxi drivers said today they have been losing money hand over fist due to the roadworks chaos that has hit Wickford town centre. Customers are deserting cabbies in their droves as resurfacing and strengthening work on the bypass grinds the area to a standstill
The future of a bowls club, which has been on the brink of closure for more than a decade, finally looks to have been secured. Crittall Bridge Bowls Club - based on the grounds of an old nursing home at Witham's Bridge Hospital - has faced uncertainty
A rising star in the world of women's hockey has been rewarded for her talents. Nicola Kudela, of the Harwich School, was presented with a new stick from the Slazenger company for her winning performance at the recent England development squad matches
A brave daughter had to carry her bedridden mother down three flights of stairs to safety when their home caught fire. Coral Clouting's husband was at work. So when flames swept through the front of the home they share with her infirm parents in Hill
TOM KING met John Briggs and June Briggs, original members of the Basildon Amateur Operatic Society which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year Out of Britain's hundreds of operatic and dramatic societies, the Basildon Amateur Operatic Society enjoys
An epileptic woman was robbed as she had a fit and collapsed in a busy town centre car park. As stricken Tracie Faulkner lay paralysed on the ground just yards from Basildon police station, a callous thief made off with her handbag containing £190. Not
Ford white collar workers will take their first strike action on Monday with a one hour walk out over pay. The company's salaried staff voted to strike after failing to persuade bosses to match their pay demands, wanting a settlement equivalent to that
An Army helicopter crash in Bosnia which claimed the life of a Colchester pilot was caused by a mechical fault, an inquest heard. A coroner's court was told on Tuesday Captain Philip Jarvis, 27, of Colchester, was killed when a failure in one of the gears
Essex Police have been told to cut vehicle crime and burglary by ten per cent over five years, according to a new Government edict. On Monday Home Secretary Jack Straw announced crime-cutting targets for all police forces. Essex's targets are among the
An epileptic woman was robbed as she had a fit and collapsed in a busy town centre car park just yards from Basildon police station. As stricken Tracie Faulkner lay paralysed on the ground a callous thief made off with her handbag containing £190. Not
Police are hunting a man who conned his way into the home of two elderly women claiming he was a distant relative. The man called at the house in London Road, Rayleigh, at about 2pm on February 5 and engaged the pensioners in conversation before discovering
A brave daughter had to carry her bedridden mother down three flights of stairs to safety when their home caught fire. Coral Clouting's husband was at work. So when flames swept through the front of the home they share with her infirm parents in Hill
James Scowcroft believes it was in the script for Marcus Stewart to bury his old club Huddersfield. The Ipswich Town hitman, who signed from the Terriers for £2.5m nearly two weeks ago, scored the second goal at Portman Road to finish off Steve Bruce's
Colchester United contract rebel David Greene has been told to stay at home for the next two weeks. U's boss Steve Whitton revealed on Tuesday he has ordered the former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international to rest and do light training at his Luton
Hockley & Hawkwell Hurricanes blew away Chelmsford Unicorns 76-55 in the latest round of action from the Essex Basketball League. The game flowed really well due to some excellent refereeing and Hurricanes took advantage of a tight zone defence to
Canvey Island has received the welcome news that their money-spinning home League game with Aldershot Town will definitely go ahead on Saturday week. The match would have been posponed, with Shots instead making a far lower key midweek visit later in
Canvey-based Northwick Boys are through to the final of the Southend Junior League's Under-15 Cup. In Sunday's semi-final they beat Hullbridge Sports 3-2, thanks to two goals from Fisher, and now meet Grays Spartans for the crown. Spartans triumphed 4
A teenager who stole £9,000 from an 89-year-old woman by forging a cheque has been told she could still face a term in prison. Kerry Haddow, 18, formerly of Hudson Road in Eastwood, pleaded guilty to deception and fraud at Southend Magistrates' Court.
Southend Archery Club earned their second win of the season in a Bray League recurve encounter against Holdens A. The club won by 61 points, with captain Jeff Dowler top-scoring with 264 points and Betty Shaw (257), Michael Shaw (255), Dave Donaldson
It was the return of the Prince. Almost a year ago, Maldon football coach Syd Wells was made an honorary prince by an African village for teaching soccer to their children. Earlier this month he returned to his new kingdom, the small village of Manduar
Michael Clegg arrived at Ipswich Town today on a month's loan from Manchester United. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson gave permission for the deal to go ahead last night and the former England Under 21 defender comes into the Town squad as cover for the
The Tetley's Bitter Vase quarter-final against Old Wellingtonians is still more than a week away, but already the players of Stanford-le-Hope rugby club can feel a buzz about the town. "You can't walk down the street without people talking to you about
Youth holds the key to Southend United's latest reserve team outing against Luton Town at Roots Hall this evening, kick-off 7pm. Shrimpers boss Alan Little has opted to rest most of his senior second-string players for the Hatters' Avon Insurance Combination
Sean Cochrane grabbed a hat-trick of tries as Pegasus beat Rayleigh 31-12 in the Eastern Counties Four rugby union derby. The centre opened his account after the ball had been shipped along the Pegasus line early on, and then made it two after a pass
Brentwood Town Ladies Football Club has been awarded a £1,700 grant by the Millennium Awards for All Fund, one of the National Lottery schemes, in order to promote girls football in the town. The main purpose of the grant is to enable the club to set
Rochford Casuals hockey club were looking good for a win against title-chasing Upminster but allowed the visitors to fight back for a share of the points. With Upminster desperate for a win, two goals from G Hastings gave the Casuals the lead going into
Lifeboat inspectors were today expected to give the all-clear for Southend's RNLI branch to work out of a temporary base at the end of the pier. The move to a portable building on the pier head will mean contractors can now demolish the current boathouse
Harold residents are to be hit with an inflation-busting council tax bill as Havering Council slashes jobs in a bid to solve its budget crisis. The council, which has to make good a £7.5million budget shortfall this year alone, has just announced a 6.36
The commander of Essex Police's G division - which includes Brentwood - has hinted that forthcoming boundary changes may not be the last. From April 1 G division - which covers Brentwood, Ongar, Harlow and Epping - will expand to include the parts of
People in Brentwood, Ongar and Harold have spent millions of pounds hoping for a big cash windfall from the national lottery, but it is in the Billericay and Wickford area where the gambling bug seems to have bitten hardest. £48,540,192 has been spent
Buses are a hotbed of gossip and a place to find true love, according to a new survey. In a bid to promote public transport, Arriva, which runs services all over Essex, has launched a national campaign to encourage more people to consider the social benefits
An accountant has swapped figures for forks and spades for a special charity. Lawrence Brooks has became the Essex area organiser of Workaid - which sends tools and equipment to Third World countries. Mr Brooks, 66, of Notley Road, Braintree, found out
Peace will be the theme when 1,600 Guides descend on Southend for their annual thinking day. Members of the Essex Southend East Guide Association will join together with the county commissioner, county presidents and vice-presidents to begin their millennium
Asda could show drive-in movies in its Chelmsford car park. Family films could be beamed on to a screen so that people can watch from their cars, picking up the sound on their radios. Or tiered seating might be organised so that film fans can watch in
A school in Southend has won the lion's share of National Lottery cash for extra-curricular activities across the eastern region. The Prittlewell School gained £49,528 to boost its out-of-hours learning projects when only £60,902 was handed out across
Basildon Carnival is to keep on running - into the streets of Pitsea and Vange. Responsibility for the annual Basildon event has been handed over to Pitsea and Vange Carnival Association. Since 1991 the Lions Club of Basildon has been organising the Basildon
A young boy will get to go on the holiday of a lifetime - thanks to This Is Essex partner paper the Evening Gazette. Craig Tomlinson, 12, lost his mother Sharon Wilson, 36, in a tragic car accident in December. He went to live with Brenda Watts, her husband
Conservation guidelines for the garden village of Silver End, drawn up to protect the houses that Francis Crittall built for his workers in the 1920s, were severely criticised this week. Phillip Richardson has announced his decision to challenge a Braintree
Millionaire entrepreneur developer Eamonn Ryan has said he is to appeal to the European Courts of Justice over money he allegedly owes. It follows a county court hearing last August brought by estate agents Strutt and Parker against Mr Ryan claiming unpaid
A leading north Essex psychiatrist today revealed how he helped a man who wanted his healthy leg cut off. Dr Richard Fox, a former senior consultant psychiatrist at Severalls Hospital in Colchester, first saw Kevin Wright in 1991. Mr Wright, of Bromley
