A no-confidence vote in the leader of Basildon District Council failed to pull in cross-party support on Thursday night. All 22 Labour councillors stayed loyal to leader John Potter and voted down the motion - the first of its kind in Basildon in more
Onlookers watched in dismay as a student was stripped and taped to a tree in a graveyard. In a bizarre prank, the student was bound to a tree in St Peter's Church cemetery and sprayed with red paint. Wearing only his underpants to protect him from the
More than 120 jobs could go after Sainsbury's revealed it will close its mini-supermarket store in Chelmsford. The supermarket giant has announced it is to close its Sainsbury Central store in the town's High Chelmer shopping centre in June. Bosses blamed
Essex county cricket boss Peter Edwards has died after suffering a heart attack in South Africa. The 63-year-old county secretary and general manager was in the country with 16 Essex members watching the England Test and triangular series tour when he
Southend United skipper Simon Coleman tried to shoulder the blame for Saturday's last-gasp 1-0 defeat at Third Division pacesetters Darlington. The Quakers sealed maximum reward from this fixture three minutes into injury time when midfielder Michael
Tiptree United continued their march towards promotion from division one with a 4-0 win against a lacklustre Haverhill Rovers side - but it could and should have been many more. On a heavy pitch, the Jam-makers made equally heavy work of their victory
Chelmsford's resources were severely stretched at the weekend but they were unfortunate not to come away with all the points last Sunday's match at Brooklands. Chelmsford, sponsored by Teakglobe Trading Limited, were forced to reorganise following the
Little Charlotte Mayor is to celebrate her first birthday later this month - even though she will be four years of age. For Charlotte, of Witham, is one of 1,800 babies born in Great Britain on February 29, 1996, the last leap year of the 20th century
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
Basildon's top policeman today spoke for the first time of the honour of being chosen to head the Stansted hijack negotiations. Basildon divisional commander Supt Denis Sheppard said he had never experienced anything as major in all his life. It was his
An eight-year-old girl has been paid £1.6 million after being born severely brain-damaged at Colchester Maternity Hospital. Eight-year-old Jessica Walton, of Kingsland Road, West Mersea, who was born at the Lexden Road hospital - which has since been
Courageous youngster Oliver Headon is to appear on a television advert with Nelson Mandela. Chelmsford youngster Oliver, four, is making good progress in his battle against cancer and has now been asked to star in the commercial for the Imperial Cancer
The operation to evict Rettendon's eco-warriors looks set to cost up to a staggering £4 million - and taxpayers will have to cough up. Essex County Council has estimated the final bill will be between £3-4 million. CountryRoute, contractors for the A130
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
A bootlegger from Maldon has been jailed for running the biggest music racket ever in this country. Alan Williams could have netted £1 million through his illegal compact disc business but a court heard how he is now a ruined man. Williams, 39, is expected
The Archbishop of Canterbury issued a stern message to politicians over their sexual morals in his visit to Essex. More than 700 people gathered at Essex University to hear the Most Rev Dr George Carey speak as part of his whirlwind tour of the county
Ambitious plans to transform a former shipyard site could get the go-ahead this week. An outline application for up to 100 houses and 60-bed nursing home on two adjacent parcels of land in Rowhedge will be discussed by Colchester councillors on Thursday
A survey on Second World War decoy bombing sites has received £5,000 in funding from the Essex Heritage Trust. The survey is being supported by a number of authorities. Essex County Council's heritage conservation group is conducting the survey which
Hundreds of Guides, Brownies and Rainbows held their annual Thinking Day at points across Essex. Colchester's event took place yesterday at Charter Hall with about 800 girls joining in. Every year Guides, Brownies and Rainbows across the world meet for
A man has been left scarred for life after he was attacked in a Clacton street. Lee Rawlingson was hit on the head with a bottle by another man in broad daylight and a court heard how he suffered severe lacerations to his face. His attacker, 21-year-old
A former Basildon soldier left traumatised by the bombing horrors of Northern Ireland turned to crime. Thomas O'Grady, 42, was involved in the aftermath of the Warren Point massacre in which young squaddies were blown up. He was also stunned by the boating
Southend Council has hailed its first social services customer review a success - despite having to accept that it was underperforming in certain areas. Super-councillors at the council's cabinet meeting heard from social services director Jane Held that
Councillors in Southend have put their weight behind opposition to plans for a business park in Rochford along the borough boundary. Southend Council's environmental scrutiny committee supported cabinet objections to a planning application that was received
Money - it's the root of all evil It's hard for people like me who remember with fondness Stan Collymore's all too short time at Roots Hall to see him as the "monster" he is often portrayed by the media. Hardly a day goes by without some horror story
Canvey Island gave their bid for a high finish in their first season at Ryman League Premier Division level a massive boost with a 3-0 home derby success over Billericay Town on Saturday. Although leaders Dagenham - who recovered from their recent bad
Richard Wright is praying for his England chance after joining up with Kevin Keegan's squad yesterday. The Ipswich Town keeper, who played a key role in the 2-1 win over Crewe, is in the full squad preparing to face Argentina at Wembley on Wednesday.
Southend Oakwood Sports saw their superb run in the FA Umbro Sunday Cup come to a crushing end at the hands of strong Birmingham outfit Grosvenor Park yesterday. In the quarter-finals, at Aveley, Southend Sunday League Oakwood lost 6-0 to the Midlanders
In the Southend Charity Competition semi-finals, Borough Combination Shoebury Town kept alive their hopes of retaining their hold on the senior Section A Shield. They took on star-studded District League Linford Wanderers and triumphed 3-0 with all three
Protesters at the proposed Etheldore development in Hockley have won a High Court injunction to stop security guards harassing them. The judgement comes only a week after developers Countryside Residential obtained their own injunction, giving them the
A police dog that went on the run after being castrated has been reunited with his relieved handler. Klauss, the two-year-old German shepherd, burrowed his way under a fence at the home of British Transport Police officer Steve Gould in Southend, a week
Tories in Southend were on Friday eyeing up a key ward as a boost to their hopes of regaining control of the borough council at May's local elections. They are set to target the marginal Prittlewell ward after the news that Liberal Democrat councillor
Braintree is set to become a boom area this year with the price of homes rocketing and large increases in the population. House prices in Braintree are predicted to go up by ten per cent within six months, which is double last year's increase. Already
London Underground is investigating procedures following the death of a medical student in a horrific accident. Edwin Doubleday, son of sculptor John Doubleday, died after falling from an underground train at Liverpool Street station last weekend as he
Wakering suffered a rare afternoon to forget in their Ryman League Division Three title challenge. Rovers, in their first season at Ryman level, will be delighted by the fact that, lying second, not many of their promotion rivals below them took advantage
Both Basildon and Rochford received a massive boost to their London Three title quest at the weekend when leaders Shelford lost 17-11 away at Wymondham. The result means third-placed Basildon are now within a single point of top spot, while neighbours
Chelmsford Highway fought back from a goal down to clinch all three points against Clifton at Bristol University last Saturday. With the home side needing the points to secure a place in this seasons play-offs the pressure was most certainly on them.
Campaigning grandmother Maddie Fuller has started a crusade to stop children getting involved with drugs. Mrs Fuller wants to stop young people using drugs after a 12-year-old boy alleged he saw fellow pupils smoking cannabis. He said other children smoked
He might be known as a prankster, but Jeremy Beadle is serious about charity work, writes SALLY KING Star of television Jeremy Beadle is coming to Southend to host an incredible variety show. The show is to be headlined by the Three Degrees, and will
A 15-year-old Colchester schoolgirl was recovering from tuberculosis in hospital on Friday. The illness was diagnosed a few days ago but the girl is said to be responding well to treatment. She is a year 11 child at the 1,000-pupil Thomas, Lord Audley
A Southend man jailed for 14 years after subjecting three children to a horrific five-year ordeal of rape and violence has failed to clear his name on appeal. Duncan John Gurney, 50, had accused the trial judge, Judge Philip Clegg, of giving a biased
Essex youngsters are taking to drugs earlier and do not receive enough help from social services, a new report claims. The Essex Drug Action Team interviewed 87 health and care workers and 76 under-19 drug-users throughout the county to find out why young
In Danbury today drugs tsar Keith Hellawell will unveil a new initiative targeting hardcore criminals who offend to feed their habit. He is expected to announce measures including the introduction of tough American-style drugs courts. In a speech to Essex
A domestic row which ended in a man kicking down the door of a house landed him before Southend magistrates. John Green, 48 from High Road, Benfleet, was bound over to keep the peace for six months to the sum of £50. A charge of using force to procure
Her first footsteps, teeth, words, in fact everything baby Charlotte Goldsmith does for the next 20 years, will be caught on camera in a new BBC programme. Charlotte, just over a month old and from the Colchester area, is among the babies born at the
The Old Southendians Ladies secured themselves a place in the third round of the league plate with this away win over Suffolk opposition. Due to injuries, the Southend girls could only field nine players. However, after good 18th-minute build-up play
A man in his 30s was today in police custody after the son of a Southend man died after being stabbed. Murder squad detectives arrested the suspect early today and were expected to question him on the incident. Daniel Davis, 24, who lived with his girlfriend
A former care home worker has been charged with murdering a resident at a Clacton care home. Pearl Gunfield, 41, of Harwich Road, Little Clacton, was charged with murdering Eunice Fifield, 62, on September 25, "together with persons as yet unknown" at
Schoolchildren will have the chance to swap their studies for the silver screen and learn how to make their very own film. The children from Greenstead, Colchester, have been offered the amazing opportunity to make their own animation film about their
Southend Manor are in with a real chance of lording it with a tremendous double in the Schweppes Essex Senior League. Already through to the semi-final of the League Cup, the Southchurch Park side are now just three points behind leaders Saffron Walden
That critical time of the season is fast approaching for Ipswich Town and they probably needed few reminders of the side who gatecrashed the promotion party last time around. Dario Gradi's Crewe are widely regarded as the side who wrecked the Premiership
Darlington's Michael Oliver broke Southend United's hearts, robbing Blues of a deserved share of the spoils, with a late, late injury-time strike on the Feethams mud-bath Saturday. The Quakers midfielder scored a break-away goal three minutes into stoppage
Miracle-worker Steve Whitton refused to rest on his laurels today after guiding Colchester United to relative safety in the middle of the Division Two table. The ambitious U's boss and his Layer Road squad have worked their socks off to lift the club
There could be only one result to this match after all the accolades and glory showered on new millennium maestroes Colchester United following their tremendous "David and Goliath" win over Wigan seven days earlier. And Steve Whitton's revitalised U's
A terrified store worker was robbed at gunpoint during a late night shop raid in Colchester. The masked raider went into Dillons store in Hunwicke Road, Greenstead, shortly before 11pm last night. Store manager Fred Wake said the two female assistants
A terrified store worker was robbed at gunpoint during a late night shop raid in Colchester. The masked raider went into Dillons convenience store in Hunwicke Road, Colchester, shortly before 11pm last night. An Essex Police spokesman said: "The robber
Tiny Tia Mosedale had a rude introduction to the world - after she was born in the back seat of her mum and dad's new car. Tia was due to be born on Saturday in Southend Hospital. However she surprised her parents Amber and Grant Mosedale, of Hannah Close
The face of golf dramatically changed at the prestigious Five Lakes Hotel, Golf and Country Club last week as plans were unveiled to unite to the two existing golf clubs. It has taken over 25 years, two clubs and two name changes to reach this decision
In the only Southend Borough Combination League Cup semi-final played, Leigh Ramblers 2nd had a double from Flint sparking them to a 4-0 win at Southchurch Hall 2nd in the Gladwin Cup. Ramblers have often proved a bogey side to Southchurch and it proved
SATURDAY RYMAN LEAGUE Premier Division: Canvey Island 3, Billericay Town 0. Division 3: Abingdon Town 1, Great Wakering Rovers 0. SCHWEPPES ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE Ilford 3, Sawbridgeworth Town 0; Southend Manor 2, Eton Manor 0; Saffron Walden Town 1, Brentwood
Police have pledged to crack down on crime, vandalism and under-age drinking in an Essex village by raising their profile in the area. Sible Hedingham has suffered a recent spate of incidents, including £200 of damage being caused to the recreation ground
Rayleigh children stepped back in time to experience life at a Victorian school. Pupils dressed up, took part in old-style classroom and PE lessons, and made old-fashioned wooden toys during Edward Francis Infants' Victorian Day. Deputy head Sandra Herring
