Firemen went to the aid of an elderly woman on Thursday night after rain water started to leak through her roof. The woman phoned for help about 11.15pm after she spotted water coming through her ceiling. A crew from Canvey fire station dashed to her
Colchester lorry driver Simon Morgan unknowingly carried some extra cargo into Britain on Thursday after two Kosovan refugees sneaked onto his HGV. Mr Morgan, 34, of Rowallan Close, realised someone was inside his lorry when they banged on the headboard
The mother and son who died in a five vehicle crash on the M11 a week ago today have been named as Mrs Jeanette O'Sullivan, 37, and six-year-old Robert, from Rainham. Daughter Amy, 10, is said to be "serious" in Great Ormond Street Hospital, London; but
Great Wakering Rovers have plenty of scope for moving into joint leadership of the Ryman League Third Division tomorrow night. For a first League goal of the season by midfielder Danny Scopes just three minutes from time saw the village side to victory
Eco-warriors hiding underground at the site of the planned A130 Rettendon bypass could soon be breaking an unofficial protest record. From today, the green campaigners will have be been underground for 22 days - equal to the tunnel protest against expanding
Billericay Town and Chelmsford City were last week celebrating the start of work on a new section of Billericay's New Lodge home. The new stand - made possible after Chelmsford City announced an undisclosed five figure 'gift' to allow landlords Billericay
A family have been left in a state of shock after a piece of debris from a tree-felling exercise was thrown through their window. Gary and Julia Taplin, of Blake Road, on Witham's Templars Estate, had only been home for ten minutes when the incident happened
The Soho pub bomber has admitted killing Colchester mum-to-be Andrea Dykes and her friend John Light. But at the Old Bailey on Thursday, prosecutors warned David Copeland's defence team they were unlikely to accept his pleas of guilty to manslaughter
A life-long love of the theatre means teacher and director Louise Manders never has a dull moment, writes SALLY KING She's the daughter of two mayors of Southend, has a sister who was in the French resistance, and once appeared on stage as the Grand Duchess
An outraged mother has called for action after her young daughter found a used heroin needle in a play area. Annette King, of Ferdinand Walk, Colchester, said she was shocked when eight-year-old Aimee returned home with the needle after visiting the Magnolia
A businessman has called for extra help for police to clamp down on vandalism in Clacton town centre. Ron Talbot, a partner at Lighthouse Properties estates agent in Pier Avenue, said his premises had come under attack twice in the past month. There had
Health bosses have been warned that an appeal may be forwarded to the Secretary of State if they refuse to keep a ward open at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford. Two of the three wards originally earmarked for closure at the end of March are to stay open
A sandwich bar manager has been cleared of groping a female customer just yards from the highest court in the country. Antonio Repole, 46, of Dacre Close, Aveley, maintained he had brushed against the 18-year-old accidentally, while reaching across the
Single mum Maria Le Beau today hit out at council bosses after claims she was housed in a place "not fit for an animal". The 26-year-old broke down and cried after being given a "take it or leave it" ultimatum by Basildon Council. Maria was offered the
Industrial action at motor giant Ford could be halted by the end of the week, unions today announced. White collar staff will be called on to accept the latest pay and pensions offer by the company. Union members are expected to make a decision by Wednesday
A village store has been targeted by armed raiders for the second time in five days. Terrified staff were threatened by robbers brandishing a shotgun and hammer in the second armed raid at the Co-op Food Store, in Church Street, Bocking. The robbers ordered
Youngsters at Riverside Junior School in Hullbridge are all medal winners! The pupils have each been presented with a special millennium medallion specially commissioned and struck by the Royal Mint to mark the year 2000. The medal bears the inscription
Basildon star Denise Van Outen has enraged villagers with her wedding plans, according to reports. She is planning to marry popstar Jay Kay in their local church in Buckinghamshire - prompting fears of a media circus in the sleepy hamlet. Historic St
The countdown is on to raise the final £90,000 for a major resource centre for voluntary groups. Southend Association of Voluntary Services has already raised £700,000 to refurbish 29/31 Alexandra Street, Southend, through the lottery and other grants
A Southend woman is one of the 40,000 who have been found jobs as part of the Government's New Deal since it was introduced in January 1998. Giselle Stock found a job as a support worker at the therapy unit of Abridge House after two years on the dole
A man has been cleared of raping a woman after he went to her home in Jaywick. The prosecution at Chelmsford Crown Court had alleged Ozkan Durmush, 39, raped the woman on September 22 last year. Durmush, of Bouvier Road, Enfield, who worked in a kebab
SOUTHEND 20 HARPENDEN 20 Southend showed the progress they are making when an outstanding comeback narrowly failed to net the win which has been on the cards for weeks now. Harpenden are in the top half of the table but could not hold the very strong
Billericay Town's hopes of picking up three points to ease their fears of being dragged into the Ryman League Premier Division relegation dogfight were thwarted on Saturday when they were held to a home draw by a Hendon side equally anxious to steer clear
How Aldershot manager George Borg must be wishing that Chris Duffy had joined his club rather than Canvey when the midfielder left Nationwide Conference Northwich Victoria during the summer. For Duffy proved to be the difference between the two sides
Southend United were left cursing their luck again on Saturday after failing to turn a dominant performance into three priceless Third Division points at Halifax Town. The Shrimpers were forced into settling for a share of the spoils by their Yorkshire
The Co-op has sold nine of its ten pharmacies to Moss Chemists. The sale, for an undisclosed sum, will take effect on March 1 and involve 49 full and part-time staff. Announcing the deal today, Colchester and East Essex Co-op chief executive Chris Blanchett
It's hard to believe now that people were discouraged from visiting Southend at all during World War Two. As a result, records and photographs of that time are few and far between, TOM KING discovers Throughout the years of World War Two, Southend - which
Southend Manor went into the weekend action knowing that, if they could win at Brentwood and Basildon United see off top dogs Saffron Walden at Gardiners Close, they would move into joint leadership of the Schweppes Essex Senior League. However, the plans
In the Premier Division of the Southend Table Tennis League, electric team RESSC B have not been the brightest of sparks in their last two games. They were crushed 8-1 by both Rawreth A and Canvey A. George Reeves and Chris Nunn both grabbed hat-tricks
A true sporting Mr Essex, Peter Edwards, sadly died last week after suffering a heart attack while on a trip to South Africa. Peter was manager of Essex Cricket Club where he helped steer them out of the doldrums and into a period of great success. But
White Ensign took over at the top of the Southend Borough Combination Premier Division when, as they were winning 10-0 at home to Borough Rovers, previous top dogs Southchurch Hall OS were going down 1-0 to bogy side Leigh Ramblers. Wilkins got four and
SATURDAY RYMAN LEAGUE Premier Division: Billericay Town 1, Hendon 1; Canvey 2, Aldershot Town 1. Division 3: Dorking 0, Great Wakering Rovers 1. SCHWEPPES ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE Basildon United 1, Saffron Walden Town 2; Bowers United 0, Hullbridge Sports
Naked chef Jamie Oliver spent a day at the seaside to show off the delights of picnics for his new television series. The celebrity chef, who has his own show on BBC2, brought his nieces to Southend seafront and played around at Adventure Island for the
If you're after a room with a view, a windmill in Tiptree could be the ideal home for you. The unique residence, with a circular lounge and plenty of original features, has been put on the market for £245,000. The 18th century property has four floors
Gurkhas based in Colchester for three years are now set to leave. Attached to the 1st Battalion The Royal Scots, the Gurkhas will parade at their Hyderabad Barracks base before leaving for Catterick in North Yorkshire on Friday. The Nepalese soldiers
The future of a post office has been put in jeopardy after the owner's plans to save the facility have been scuppered. Vince Ranzulla of the Mile End Post Office in Nayland Road, Colchester, had planned to save the post office and general stores by changing
The Stand By Your Man production, which was plagued by director problems, is set to open at the Cliffs Pavilion in a blaze of glory tomorrow. Chris Dunham, ex-Palace Theatre artistic director, had been due to make a comeback to Southend by taking the
A birthday party ended in disaster for a Braintree family after a fire started by young revellers left them homeless. The blaze happened at the home of mum-of-five Davene Wood, in Rosemary Avenue, Braintree, who had been celebrating the birthday of her
A council inspector suffered head and neck injuries in an horrific attack by a man wielding a bat. The foreshore inspector was set upon while on duty alone in his office at Bell Wharf in Leigh on Thursday at 1pm. The attack comes five years after the
A man with terrorist links tried to infiltrate Colchester Garrison, it has been claimed. Reports in a national newspaper at the weekend claimed the Army base at Colchester was one of two to be targeted during the past few weeks by a breakaway terrorist
Since we first highlighted the threat to our sub post offices at the beginning of January, not a week has gone by without letters and calls from concerned readers reaching the This Is Essex partner the Essex Chronicle. All describe how vital sub post
A man who received his wife's kidney in a transplant operation has been released from hospital following fears his body was rejecting the organ. Mike and June Seymour of Villa Road, Stanway, underwent the surgery at the beginning of the year. However
House prices in south Essex have gone through the roof - with some homes earning nearly as much in a year as their owners. For the first time, the average price of a three-bedroom semi in the county has smashed through the £100,000 barrier, a survey today
The new owners of the Odeon cinema chain have promised to go full steam ahead with an £8 million scheme for a multiplex in Colchester. Cinven, which bought the chain from the Rank Group for an estimated £280 million yesterday, said it would forge ahead
If Prime Minister Tony Blair visited rural Essex he would get an icy reception. National Farmers Union branch chairman Tim Sell, whose patch covers South Essex including Brentwood through to Kelvedon Hatch, explained to Kerry Stephenson, why farmers are
Residents on Southend's Kursaal estate will be able to slip tell-tale notes about anything relating to crimes - from the names of known drug dealers to car vandalism - into a specially-built steel information box. PC Steve Crane said community policing
Heybridge Swifts looked set to take on Runcorn for a place in the FA Umbro Trophy quarter-finals without Nicky Hayden and Nicky Simpson. Both players were rated as "very doubtful" for Saturday's game by manager Liam Cutbush after both picked up ligament
Chelmsford Highway concluded their league fixtures with a hard-earned point against Olton at Chelmer Park on Saturday. A victory for the home side would have seen them leapfrog their opponents in the final league position, but they had to be content with
There is still a chance to join in a series of exciting workshops for an Essex-wide carnival project, especially if you are from Castle Point or Basildon. Carnival 2000 offers the opportunity to join a professionally led project supported by the National
Residents of a north Colchester crescent have condemned plans to install traffic calming measures in their road. People living in Defoe Crescent, Mile End, say the street, linking Nayland Road and Mill Road, has become a rat-run for drivers heading from
A young child escaped serious injury when he fell about 25 feet over a bannister at a Clacton hotel. The five-year-old, who has not been named, dropped to the floor below and complained of pains in various parts of his body. Paramedics were on the scene
A pollution scare was narrowly avoided when a tanker carrying diesel and gas slid off the causeway linking Osea Island with Maldon. The incident happened at about 9.30am on Thursday when the tanker went off the side of the road between the island and
Friday Night's All Wright for TV chat show host Ian Wright, but Saturdays are proving tiresome for Burnley's high-profile striker. The former England striker failed to hit the goal trail for the second successive week, having missed out on his debut against
A new day care centre which will provide specialist care for elderly people has been opened in Chelmsford. The 20-place centre, Charles Dickens Court in Nickleby Road, is part of a partnership between Essex social services, Chelmsford Borough Council
A terrified student managed to struggle free from an attacker who indecently assaulted her and tried to pull her to the ground. Police have just released details of the assault, which happened in an alley off Avon Way, Colchester, at 6.30pm on Thursday
Commuters were hit by rail chaos after a man was killed by train at Benfleet station. Services between Shoebury and London were halted on Friday night while British Transport Police investigated the death. Disruption continued throughout the night with
Cliff Richard was nowhere in sight but the double decker bus was when a mum decided to take her son on a birthday treat with a difference. Bus driver, Hillary Sprigg, created her very own version of the hit 60s film Summer Holiday when she took her son
A boy of nine turned detective when two burglars broke into his home and stole £4,300 in property. The young sleuth was alone in the house in Noak Hill Road, Billericay, when the thieves knocked on the front door. He refused to answer and minutes later
Murder squad detectives were today following several new leads after questioning 1,000 people at the scene of a fatal stabbing in Vange. A week after the death of Daniel Davis, 24, of Waldegrave, Vange, officers returned to the scene to seek witnesses
Essex villagers have been left in shock after the announcement rural branches of Barclays Bank will be axed. Coggeshall, Dedham, Sible Hedingham, Hatfield Peverel and Thaxted are among the areas to lose their only bank. Villagers have reacted angrily
The crown appeared to be slipping from the head of Ipswich Town striker David Johnson. Marcus Stewart's arrival meant a new king was born at Portman Road and there were doubts whether the two were prepared to share the coveted title. Shorn of confidence
There is one Ipswich Town player who will be glad to see the back of the club's orange away strip at the end of the season. While the votes are being cast by fans for their choice of kit for next year, player-coach Tony Mowbray is glad none of them are
Magnanimous Colchester United defender Joe Dunne is ready to take it full on the chin if he was wrongfully booked instead of his team-mate Karl Duguid in the U's Division Two defeat by Burnley. Dunne claimed to know nothing about a possible mix-up hours
Southend United boss Alan Little was left to reflect on the penalty kick that got away after his side had battled to a creditable 0-0 draw at Halifax Town on Saturday. Hull ref Paul Robinson waved away Blues' frenzied appeals following a blatant foul
The private library of bookshop owner Christina Foyle is to be auctioned later this year. Auctioneer Christie's today confirmed the sale - which could fetch up to £10 million - will take place in the summer. Details are being kept under wraps at present
Forget cooking bangers around the campfire, the 1st Hawkwell scouts now have a newly revamped kitchen to do the preparing. Members of Rochford Rotary Club refurbished the scouts' kitchen and now the two groups have forged a lasting partnership which was
It was a full house at Maldon's first Saturday morning cinema. The district council's experiment paid off with 150 youngsters packed in to the town hall to enjoy Rugrats the Movie. Some disappointed children even had to be turned away. The new building
Natasha White will have a much easier time joining the Scouts than her mum. Tracey White became the first ever girl Scout in England - by accident. And now her six-year-old daughter is to follow in her footsteps by joining 12th Clacton Scout Group as
Four security cameras are to be set up at Braintree Railway Station, which has been plagued with theft and vandalism. The £46,000 scheme follows a campaign and 500-name petition from rail users. David Bigg, chairman of Witham and Braintree Rail Users'
The body of a pensioner who died at a Clacton care home will be exhumed next month on the island of Jersey. Police investigating six suspicious deaths at the Carnarvon Lodge Residential Care Home revealed that George Fowler's remains will be removed from
A car blaze and a theft have combined to persuade two new Essex residents to abandon Clacton for their native Wiltshire - after just two days! Chris and Sarah Watford had lived in Essex for only two days when their house was was damaged by a car fire
