Heavy rain forced the Premier Trophy match between Arena Essex and Newport to be abandoned after only two heats. The score stood at six points each when the drizzle at the Purfleet Raceway turned heavier and conditions worsened during heat three. Referee
Lee Farebrother and Chris Kelly will be rubbing shoulders with big-name stars after winning the Echo snooker competition. Chris took the junior title and Lee the senior one after triumphing at Wickford Snooker Club on Sunday. Now they will play TV's Big
Ronnie Irani knows what he wants from his Essex troops when he leads them into Championship action against Nottinghamshire at Chelmsford on Wednesday. "There is plenty of quality in the ranks but I want the players to display the hunger and desire to
Southend United manager Alan Little has promised his old team Torquay United no favours as their last gasp Third Division promotion quest hits Roots Hall tonight. The Gulls need to take at least a point from this evening's match, kick-off 7.45pm, and
David Greene hinted he could still be a Colchester United player next season. Greene, handed a free transfer by the U's earlier this year after failing to agree a new contract, is planning fresh talks with manager Steve Whitton this week. Whitton admitted
A child playing with his mum's cigarette lighter is believed to have started a fire which left his family homeless. The family, of Bartram Avenue, Braintree, have moved in with friends until safety experts complete their inspection of their house. The
This Is Essex's on-line auction service - FSauctions - is giving you the chance to fly on Concorde, perhaps for as little £1! FSauctions , the Freeserve auction channel, has secured an entire Concorde aircraft as the centrepiece for a major online promotion
Essex's second genetically-modified crop site has been revealed - and it is within two miles of key nature habitats. Residents and environmentalists responded in dismay at plans for a GM forage maize site in Wivenhoe. The planned trial crop - grid reference
A Second World War bomb was exploded off the Essex coast following its accidental discovery by a pair of fishermen. The 200lb mine was discovered last week at Orford Ness, off Aldeburgh, by two West Mersea fishermen, who hauled it up in their nets. The
By ROBCOLE Crisis talks have started to avert a four-day strike at award-winning Basildon company York International. More than 250 shopfloor workers have threatened to down tools on Friday in a pay dispute with the Gardiners Lane company. Union bosses
A leading councillor has called for an independent inquiry after it was revealed that low-level radioactive waste had been dumped at Shoebury. Jean Sibley, the Southend councillor with responsibility for Environmental Services said that the council had
Poppy the pig is looking for a new home after her pongy pen proved too much for neighbours at her home in Shoebury. But the eight-month-old Chinese Yakaton cross pot-bellied pig is in limbo after zoos and petting farms in the area refused to take her.
MP Sir Teddy Taylor believes the flying visit from William Hague is just the tonic Southend Tories needed. He is convinced it will help boost party candidates to victory in the town's council elections on Thursday. Sir Teddy, MP for Rochford and Southend
Parents are being urged to keep close tabs on their children as youth nuisance escalates in Pitsea. Police officers in the area are becoming overloaded with calls to deal with youngsters creating havoc. Residents are having to live with broken windows
The mother of a disabled youngster today said councillors had acted like "sewer rats" over her son's controversial hydrotherapy pool. Karen Newton spoke out after some members of Castle Point Council accused the family of misleading the authority over
Rainbow 2000, a Benfleet based drama group are producing their first play for three years. Lust is a musical comedy by the Heather Brothers, writers of the modern classic A Slice of Saturday Night. The show is based on William Wycherley's the Country
HEYBRIDGE ... 3, CANVEY ... 0 Heybridge deservedly secured their Ryman League premier division status with a magnificent 3-0 triumph over Essex rivals Canvey. Things started well when Sean Caton was brought down in the box and Colin Wall converted the
Police have launched a major air sea search for a sailor missing for nearly two days. Coastguard and police helicopters, Essex Police marine unit and the Burnham lifeboat crew have been busy scouring the waters around Paglesham creek for more than 24
Murder squad detectives hunting the killer of a mystery Kosovan Albanian in Southend have admitted they face a huge language problem. Police have yet to get a positive identification on the man which means his next of kin still have to be informed. Det
Two people have been killed after a minibus overturned at Ardleigh, near Colchester. The horrific accident happened at 11.30am on Friday just before the A120 turn-off near the Crown Inn at Ardleigh. Thirteen people - two adults and 11 children - were
Stanway Rovers pursue their outside chance of promotion from Jewson League division one with a trip to Norwich United tonight (Tuesday). Phil Bloss's team is relying on rivals Downham and Ely to slip if they are to go up. And a win is an absolute must
Lorry drivers can now prevent stowaways sneaking on board their trailers, thanks to a high-tech gadget invented by a security expert. Terry Rowe from Special Products & Systems in Rayleigh Road, Eastwood, has created a device which alerts a driver
Two people have been killed after a minibus overturned at Ardleigh, near Colchester. The horrific accident happened at 11.30am on Friday just before the A120 turn-off near the Crown Inn at Ardleigh. Thirteen people - two adults and 11 children - were
A 21-year old South Woodham Ferrers photographer was held at gunpoint by police in Zimbabwe while covering the country's crisis for a national newspaper. Rob Bodman was held in custody last week, together with journalist David Blair, after he photographed
By ALISTAIR WALTON Adventure Island in Southend has been rated the seventh top leisure park in Britain - but Southend Pier failed to make it into the top ten of visitor attractions. Adventure Island racked up 2,000,000 visits last year - half a million
This is the sad picture of youngsters asking why vandals have driven their school to the brink of closure. As a last-ditch effort, Nicky Brewerton, chairman of Stepping Stones Pre-School, Wickford, is thinking of enlisting a private security firm to stop
Hundreds of boy racers had to be cleared from a retail park by police on Saturday night as they staged an unofficial custom car rally. Police swooped on the rally involving around 400 vehicles being held in the Mayflower Retail Park, Basildon, close to
Essex thespians have got together to produce Jack in the Box, a musical based on Jack the Ripper. The idea for the show started several years ago when Basildon musician Michael Barron wrote a concept rock album based on the notorious murderer. Friends
Police are hunting three men who stole hundreds of pounds from the till of a DIY superstore in Benfleet. The trio, who are all in their late teens and early 20s, walked into the Do It All shop in Church Road, at around 5pm yesterday. Two of the men distracted
Two youths robbed an 11-year-old boy of £500 worth of Pokemon cards in a south Essex park on Saturday. He was left badly shaken by his ordeal after he was attacked, pushed to the ground and had 300 precious cards stolen in Southchurch Park, Southend.
