Brave Bethany Mizen, who lost an eye to cancer, was given a holiday of a lifetime thanks to a generous charity. The four-year-old was whisked away by limousine for an all-expenses paid weekend to EuroDisney in Paris. Bethany, of Coombes Grove, Rochford
City travelled to Harlow looking to finish their league campaign in style with the Premier Division Championship depending on the result of the game. City knew they had to be at their best on Sunday, as they had only managed to beat UG Sports on penalties
For many the thought of seeing a snake is enough to make them run a mile - but a new campaign is hoping to change all that. The Snakes Need Friends project has been launched by an Ashingdon man, backed by various wildlife charities including Frog Life
On the Auto Windscreens cup: Enjoying cup final the Wembley way After watching the Auto Windscreen Shield final between Bristol City and Stoke City at Wembley, it really hit home what a great competition this is! A lot of football fans look down on this
Southend United striker Martin Carruthers has rushed to the hospital bedside of his older brother, who has been seriously injured in a Nottingham gun attack. The Third Division club's 17-goal top-scorer joined the rest of his family in the East Midlands
Adrian Aymes and Robin Smith emerged as the star performers as Essex were condemned to a five-wicket defeat by Hampshire in their Benson and Hedges Cup clash at Chelmsford. On a day when Australian leg spinner Shane Warne was at the centre of attention
The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club junior section, the Otters, have been presented with a state-of-the-art Optimist racing dinghy by a thankful Dutch couple. Lydia and Hans Van Oers, from Holland, whose parents used to sail Dragons at Burnham more than 60
Visteon today refused to confirm whether its new-found independence would mean a move is on the cards. Visteon, which makes car dashboard systems and other vehicle parts, has announced it is to separate from its parent company, Ford UK, later this year
An Essex commuter group is praising action taken to solve a notorious 'signal passed at danger' problem on Chelmsford's rail line. Last year shock government figures showed a red signal at Shenfield's Great Eastern Railway station had been passed at danger
Australian cricket star Shane Warne made his county debut at Chelmsford in the Benson and Hedges clash between Hampshire and Essex. The leg spinner, his country's top all-time Test wicket-taker, was due to play his first game in Wednesday's vital cup
Brentwood continued their push for divisional honours with a fine display. It turned out to be a one-sided match with the visitors only having three attempts on goal, all well saved by goalkeeper Alex Perry. The scoring started in the first minute with
Rayleigh town councillors are considering taking out a private prosecution against a man caught damaging the Millennium Clock. Bemused shoppers in the High Street thought the clock had slowed just months after it was installed as part of the millennium
Pro-active neighbours in Vange are taking to the streets to combat the growing youth problems. Fed-up residents in Swanstead are joining forces to get to the root of the problem which is making their lives a misery. Nine cars have been attacked in the
Forget Ronan Keating and Robbie Williams - there's a new kid on the block. Teenager Fred Jenkins is hoping to follow in the footsteps of the two boyband singers after he won a place in what could be the new BoyZone. Fred, of Tolleshunt Major, near Maldon
A Brentwood newsagent claims he is losing more than £1,000 worth of business a week while Kavanaghs Road is closed to traffic because of work on the railway bridge. Work on the bridge began last month and was scheduled to last four weeks, but owners Railtrack
Jubilant campaigners have welcomed a report which suggests "a potentially viable and exciting future" for Ongar War Memorial Hospital. The results of the public consultation into its future were warmly greeted by members of the Ongar Healthcare Review
A McDonald's restaurant turned sweet 16 - and was given some new electric doors to celebrate. As part of a major new face-lift the Basildon town centre restaurant now also has smart new toilet facilities and disabled access. Franchise operator, Gen Isikgun
Where should development go? That is the burning question for residents facing massive building work on their own doorsteps. People in South Woodham Ferrers, Battlesbridge and Runwell are to be questioned by Chelmsford Council in a bid to come to a solution
Southend MP David Amess has told Parliament that social services in Southend are in crisis with more cuts in services to follow. He argued that Southend was not being given the resources to cope with the increasing number of people needing the service
The licensees of a Maldon pub face strict conditions on their licence following reports of under-age drinking and trouble in the street after closing time. Kevin James and Michele Crow of the Rose and Crown pub in the High Street were told by Chelmsford
Jai Tout is the newly-appointed chairman of a new body formed to reduce the bureaucracy in community care. She talks to JANE O'CONNELL In spite of her name (which sounds like a breed of exotic fish or a martial arts discipline, but is actually an Indian
Southend High School for Boys have been enjoying success on the soccer field. They captured both the year seven and year 11 Southend Borough Cups.The year seven line-up with a 3-0 win over Cecil Jones and the year 11s went nap against Prittlewell with
Swimmers from Rochford and District Swimming Club finished the Essex 2000 age group championships in the same fashion as they started - with a clutch of medals. The club contested the third and final round of the series at Fulwell Cross pool at Barkingside
Boss Steve Whitton is still counting his walking wounded following Colchester's dismal defeat at Wycombe Wanderers. On Tuesday four players had still not trained since Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Adams Park because of injury or illness. Skipper David Gregory
Four Chelmsford Canoeing Club crews managed to see the Waterside Series of races through to the bitter end by completing the final race of 34 miles from Devizes to Newbury on Sunday. Bitter was the appropriate word as the wind was strengthening from the
For the first time the Essex Shotokan Karate Area Championship was held at the Notley Sports Centre, Braintree, the home of the Braintree Shotokan Karate Club. The event, as usual, attracted a large number of competitors including other martial art styles
A fun night out at the theatre could be an ideal chance to raise funds for clubs and charities learns SALLY KING There's a charity chance at the best whorehouse in town, thanks to the Leigh Operatic and Dramatic Society. They are set to perform the Best
Two teenagers missing since the weekend are recovering at home after giving themselves up. The pair had been sleeping rough across south Essex after leaving their homes on Saturday with just £12 between them. Police launched a hunt for the pair but they
Ballet was brought to Basildon - thanks to a troupe of pirouetting ballerinas promoting their latest production. Shoppers had to look twice as they spotted the dancers, on points, making their way through the town's Eastgate shopping centre. The dancers
Chelmsford Swimming Club have been celebrating its best Essex county championships performance for many years. The club enjoyed some superb results and broke 20 club records on the way. A total of 15 swimmers took part in 65 swims, achieving top three
Wivenhoe Town have a full squad for tonight's (Thursday's) Ryman League division two visit of Tooting and Mitcham. Co-manager Steve Pitt said: "It will be a tough game, Tooting are a fairly solid side and we will have to be at out best. But we are gunning
As the local soccer season moved towards a close, rain ravaged the Southend Borough Combination programme with only ten of the scheduled 20 games being played on Saturday. Biggest casualty was the semi-final in the top knockout competition, the Walton
A man sent from his home in Bangladesh to find a wife has been sentenced to a total of two months in prison for indecently assaulting two women. Abdul Ahad, 27, of no fixed abode, admitted the charges and appeared before Colchester magistrates on Wednesday
Corrupt former taxman Michael Allcock has been made bankrupt by his ex-employers the Inland Revenue. Mr Allcock, of Acland Avenue, Lexden, Colchester, was made bankrupt in a court after a petition was filed in February. The amount of debt concerned has
A cat has used up most of its nine lives after living in a wall cavity - for a month! The mischievous moggy dived through a small hole behind the washing machine of her owner's flat at The Rookeries, Marks Tey, back in March. In the first few weeks it
The body of a woman washed up on a beach at Foulness Island could have drifted from as far away as the Suffolk or Norfolk coast. Now Ministry of Defence police are liaising with officers in East Anglia and Kent to discover the woman's identity. The partially-clothed
A teacher with a fetish for little girls in football shirts is behind bars at the start of a 10-month sentence. Patrick Dunphy, 46, assaulted girls, aged between eight and 11, at schools in Wickford, Hutton and Hornchurch. He made some youngsters change
DIVISION ONE Intersports took a giant leap towards becoming champions with Sunday's 6-0 victory over White Ursa. A dominant display saw Inter lead 3-0 at half-time, and they added two more goals after the break. Paul Knock led the charge by netting a
The weekend saw plenty of action for members of the Glendene C.C. in far from perfect conditions for cycling. No doubt, thoughts were on those riders who flew out to Majorca on Saturday morning, for two weeks of warm weather training! The first riders
A vicious gang ambushed a man on a Wickford industrial estate and attacked him with a machete, leaving him seriously injured. The victim almost lost the fingers of one hand and needed six hours of reconstructive surgery to repair damage to his legs. Police
A furious parent has claimed Government inspectors had blacklisted her children - because they were brought up in a council house. The Ofsted report into Eastwood Junior School in Rayleigh Road, Eastwood, praises staff and pupils' willingness to learn
A bride became a honeymoon heroine when she rescued a boy from drowning. Eilish Lee, 29, of Morant Road, Colchester, was sunbathing on a Cyprus beach when a father and his two children got caught up in a riptide. The father had gone into the sea to rescue
A 10-year-old boy enjoying a holiday treat flight died along with two pilots in a mid-air collision over Essex. They had not been identified today (Thursday) after the crash on Wednesday evening. This Is Essex at Easter During the two Bank Holidays this
Those looking for an action-packed Easter weekend will be well provided with activities in the Chelmsford area. The Procession of Witnesses, joining together churches from across Chelmsford will take place on Good Friday. The groups will be led up Chelmsford
With the property boom showing no signs of abating, the average price in Brentwood is now £150,000. JOSIE STEPHENSON takes a peek behind the curtains to see just what that means for home hunters in the area. Average house prices across Essex have, according
Parents at a Billericay infants school are so worried about the safety of their children they are raising money for the £11,000 zebra crossing Basildon District Council has refused to pay for. Buttsbury Infants School Parents Association (BISPA) has so
Two Somerfield stores up for sale in Canvey and Wickford are off the market, bosses have confirmed. The supermarkets, which between them employ 373 people, have been taken back because no-one was prepared to pay enough for them. A Somerfield spokeswoman
A top government minister came to see for himself a notorious blackspot two kilometre stretch of the A12 between Witham and Hatfield Peverel that has seen the deaths of five people and 50 serious accidents over three years. The visit of roads minister
Basildon Freestyle Kickboxing club's biggest-ever fight programme proved a huge hit as a 600-plus crowd witnessed an action-packed evening at the Eversley Centre. The highlight of the night was Basildon fighter Dave Jenkins' eagerly awaited title defence
Steve Whitton admitted he had been given a huge lift after watching Colchester United's reserves grind out a 1-1 draw against Fulham. The U's boss, still reeling from the 3-0 humiliation at Wycombe last weekend, saw Jack Wignall's goal earn the home side
SALLY KING meets the up-and-coming Southend boy band Skandal Young, good-looking and bursting with confidence, Southend-based band Skandal are the latest hopefuls on the road to chart stardom. Quiet Matt Baldwin, chatty Darren Keating, thoughtful James
Billericay launched their own version of The Simpson Show at New Lodge on Tuesday night - and had the last laugh on an Aldershot line-up still harbouring dreams of winning the Ryman League Premier Division. For attack leader Colin Simpson cracked a brilliant
A man who dodged more than £4,000 of duty on alcohol and tobacco has escaped jail. Robert John Self, 41, of Stagden Cross, Basildon, admitted two charges of dealing in smuggled alcohol and tobacco, supplied by a man he met through his CB radio. A further
Ashingdon Boys 2nd turned on the championship style when they scored two goals in the first 12 minutes on their way to a 5-2 win over Northleigh Colts in the Southend Junior League Under-14 B Division. The Ashingdon Boys took the title by winning 16 of
The first of this year's bi-annual matches between the two clubs sharing the Belfairs Park facilities saw Southend beat Belfairs Park 10-6 to take the Roger Foreman Shield. There were fears that the match might have to be cancelled when the appalling
Basildon town centre could at last get round-the-clock CCTV coverage after two years of glitches and technical problems. A study is being launched to find out whether the town's patchwork of private and council-owned cameras can be unified to give 24-
Bell Sports and Royal Bank of Scotland will meet in the final of the Southend Sunday League's Section D Cup. Both pulled off good semi-final successes yesterday in a Sunday programme which saw a number of games cancelled due to the torrential rain that
The fight for a new secondary school in Basildon is not over, MP Angela Smith has vowed . Devastated parents were told this week by county council education bosses that a feasibility study into the need for a new school will not be funded. Parents believe
Maturing rockers stampeded during a Shakin' Stevens concert at Westcliff's Cliffs Pavilion. Shocked audience members fled tearfully when fans surged towards the stage and blocked their view of the 70s idol. Bruised Gail Grindell, 57, of St Leonard's Road
Nathalie Brown continues to be the splash queen of the Borough of Southend Swimming and Training Club. She is just back from the third and final round of the Essex Open and Age Group Championships at the Fulwell Cross Pool, Barkingside, where she won
A mum-of-four has spoken of her heartbreak after she was given just a year to live because of an alleged hospital blunder. Tanya Montgomery, 36, broke down in tears as she told how her children had been "robbed of their mum" following the alleged mistake
One of the saddest ceremonies in Chelmsford's commercial history took place on Saturday when the family-run Bolingbroke and Wenley department store closed for the last time -- the final countdown on 150 years of tradition. Company chairman Richard Wenley
A church has refused money from an amateur dramatic society because of the risque nature of its new show, the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. A spokesman for Leigh Operatic and Dramatic Society said: "In the past the United Reformed Church sold tickets
Canvey is not one of the ambulance stations which are earmarked for closure, an official list has confirmed. Staff at the island's station had already been reassured by ambulance chiefs that the Canvey station would not be among those closing. Now an
Visteon has refused to confirm whether its new-found independence would mean a move is on the cards. Visteon, which makes car dashboard systems and other vehicle parts, has announced it is to separate from its parent company, Ford UK, later this year.
After contrasting fortunes in their four Benson & Hedges matches, Cup holders Essex now find themselves needing to beat Sussex on Easter Monday in their final zonal match that should see them through to a place in the quarter-final stages. After starting
Colchester United have revealed there could still be a future at the club for recently-retired former captain Richard Wilkins. The popular 34-year-old U's skipper was forced to hang up his boots as a player last month after failing to shrug off a recurring
The appointment of Ben Embery as their new manager was confirmed by Braintree Town and he took charge of the team for the first time for the visit to Worthing on Saturday. Once it had been announced that Iron were seeking a replacement for John Bennett
Essex cricket captain Ronnie Irani has admitted he has been interviewed by police over alleged match-fixing while playing for England - but stressed his innocence. The Essex skipper revealed he and his county colleague, England captain Nasser Hussain,
Glad all over - Leigh Ramblers seconds won the Gladwin Cup with a 4-2 victory over White Ensign seconds in last night's final at Southend Borough Combination's Eastwoodbury Lane headquarters Picture: STEPHEN LLOYD Converted for the new archive on 19 November
DAVE STRACHAN CUP SEMI-FINALS Southminster remain on course to complete a unique treble, after Saturday's 3-2 win over Braintree & Bocking United, the Saints having twice come from behind before sealing victory. Andy Johnson gave the home team the
Following two total abandonments, Essex started their Benson & Hedges Cup series of zonal matches at Canterbury in winning vein, claiming victory by two runs against Kent. Saturday's potentially attractive fixture between Essex, the current B &
More than 40 Warren Golf Club members, friends and work colleagues of the late Keith Ford, who died last year, recently participated in a Challenge match. Jan Ford, Keith's widow, presented a new trophy to President John Durham, to be called The Warren
The weapons testing base at Shoebury could be off-loaded to a private company under new proposals have revealed. Government minister Baroness Symons has announced plans to turn over around 75 per cent of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency to the
Seven goals from Taylor led the way as Weir Athletic celebrated being crowned Division Two champions with a 15-4 away win over Rayleigh Olympiads in section B of the Spring Cup. Athletic, who still have a game to play, won the Second Division title when
Chelmsford City Football Club is launching a unique young footballers' development programme this summer. It is aimed at attracting players who have the potential to become senior players at the club - and it is starting with boys aged nine and 10 through
Lomana Tresor Lua Lua was guest of honour at a soccer course at Colchester's Sir Charles Lucas School. Colchester United's teenage whizz-kid made an appearance to present certificates and prizes to more than 70 soccer-crazy kids. He attended the course
Is this election fever gone crazy ... or just a sign of the times? A Labour Party member asked for roadworks signs to be taken down in Colchester because they were yellow - the Liberal Democrat colour. With just weeks before the May 4 borough elections
Skate escape Rehearsals for Noel Coward's Volcano at the Palace theatre, London Road, Westcliff are entering their final phase. Coward's characters are endlessly fascinating, and there continues to be much lively debate about their interpretation for
A Tory councillor caused uproar and was blasted a racist after he demanded that "bogus" refugees be banned from Rochford. There were calls for Peter Webster to resign after he said the council should refuse to house asylum seekers who he believes do not
A man has admitted burning down his own home in Maldon. Neale Barter, 39, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to arson at his home in Fambridge Road on April 2 last year. Sentence was adjourned for reports and Barter was granted
Hospitals, care homes and police across Essex are being asked to check if the description of the body of a woman found on Foulness Sands matches anyone on the missing list. Essex Police have already carried out a check and a spokeswoman said the woman's
Princess Elettra Marconi, daughter of the radio pioneer, was in Chelmsford yesterday, backing a campaign for a memorial to him. Princess Elettra, who supported the 1998 campaign to stop the original Marconi museum collection being auctioned off, says
Police and fire crews are investigating a suspected arson attack on a family home. The four-bedroom detached house in Clayhall Road, Clacton, was severely damaged by the blaze at 11.50pm on Tuesday night. Neighbours Sara Sheavills and partner Gary raised
A refuge for abandoned dogs is desperately seeking homes for eight tiny pups. The dogs, which are part greyhound, are just two weeks old and manager Sue Biggs hopes to have found them permanent homes by the time they are eight weeks. She said: "The puppies
A loyal dog owner was in shock today after a callous thief snatched her loveable pup, Lennox. Laura Sanctuary, 31, from North Road, Westcliff, left her six-month-old Staffordshire and Jack Russell crossbreed, Lennox, tied to railings outside her local
RYMAN LEAGUE Division 3: Great Wakering Rovers 2, Corinthian Casuals 2. SOUTHEND BOROUGH COMBINATION SATURDAY Reserve Division: Leigh Ramblers 1 (Mason), Catholic United 1 (Hubbard); Sibar Sports 1 (Sexton), Earls Hall United 1 (Clark). Division 1: Thames
All of Witham Town's scheduled matches at the weekend, all being away from Spa Road, were postponed, due to waterlogged pitches. The matches that fell to the weather were the first team's Ryman League Division Two fixture at Edgware Town, the Reserves
Colchester wheelchair athlete Hadj Lahmarr suffered the ultimate frustration of every athlete when he was forced to pull out of the Flora London Marathon. An injury to his thumb caused his physio and coach to withdraw him from Sunday's race to avoid any
Follwoing the end of the league season Brentwood played their penultimate game against Thurrock, in a friendly at King Georges, on Saturday, a fixture dating back to the 1930s. Thurrock have had an uncomfortable ride in recent seasons and currently reside
With its picturesque views over the River Crouch, rail network and weatherboarded cottages, Burnham has a wealth of attractions on which to build. Amanda Brandon spoke to Terry Quinlan, who is involved in two organisations which are working on improving
Burnham Ramblers are on the verge of being expelled from this season's Eastern Floodlight Competition - at the semi-final stage! Ramblers officially announced they wouldn't be sending a team to Canvey Island's Park Lane ground for last night's (Wednesday's
Political correctness in the council chamber has spun out of control, a councillor claimed today. Castle Point member Enid Isaacs (Con, Victoria) was speaking after councillors insisted on calling anyone in charge of a committee a chair rather than a
An innovative partnership approach will ensure the very best start in life for youngsters at a new nursery. Jotmans Hall County Primary School, in High Road, Benfleet, has teamed up with Tender Years to open the new facility in its grounds. The pair will
There were mixed fortunes for Westcliff Hardcourt's ladies and men's teams in their opening National Singles League games. The men pulled off a 5-1 win over strong Essex rivals Frinton but the ladies suffered a 6-0 reverse at the hands of Newmarket. Hard
A pool professional is set to take a pot at becoming the fastest player in the world to clear two tables. As part of a televised Guiness World Record challenge, 29-year-old Colchester man Steve Daking will test his shooting skills against the current
The weather was the real winner in the Southend Borough Combination Veterans League this weekend with only four matches surviving the deluge. In Division Three, Haydon Manor secured the title without kicking a ball as their only challengers, Old Southendian
Murder squad detectives are investigating the possibility that transsexual Bryan Hooley, 28, was killed in Chelmsford. Detective Superintendent Adrian Braddy, who is leading inquiries, said on Wednesday: "We can't rule out that he was murdered in Chelmsford
Ambulance bosses have moved swiftly to quash allegations that Canvey ambulance station may not get round-the-clock cover. Staff at the station had claimed the building would be locked and unmanned except between 11pm and 7am, when drivers could use its
A teenager was "critical" after collapsing while competing in a golf tournament. The 15-year-old was taken to Colchester Hospital by air ambulance. He is understood to have "died" and his parents were told of his death. But an air ambulance spokesman
Five Southend policemen who confronted a suicidal man brandishing a replica sub-machine gun have been nominated for a national bravery award. The officers have already received commendations from the Chief Constable after tackling the man at an address
There's plenty to do and see in and around south Essex this Easter weekend, from baby animals and sport to musicals and circuses, says SALLY KING Easter holidays are a great time for getting out with the family and enjoying the spring sunshine. All over
Forty years after British seaside resorts were turned upside down by youthful mods and rockers, Southend can expect up to 5,000 bikers to drive in from the North Circular on the Easter Shakedown run. GARY MAC reports Bikers, up to 5,000 of them, will
Bad driving and crazy pedestrian behaviour has always made good TV. But footage shot from a police car driving round Colchester in 1947 used in Colchester Hospital Television's Millenium video has proved such a success that more is to be added. The special
Maldon district councillors have decided not to look at security cameras for the town. The community and leisure services committee received a letter from town centre manager, Marion Wells, asking members to reconsider the scheme which they decided not
