Maldon golfer Fiona Smith is celebrating after being crowned the Essex County Ladies' Champion. Playing at Chigwell, Fiona, 19, beat Jean Johnson 7 & 6, Karen Griffiths 4 & 3, Jodie Dartford 2 & 1 and last years champion Liz Gibson 2 &
Former Colchester United boss Steve Wignall was at the centre of a row following his controversial move to Doncaster Rovers from fellow Nationwide Conference club Stevenage Borough. Wignall, who started his Football League career with Doncaster as a centre-half
DIVISION ONE Intersports suffered just their second defeat of the season on Sunday, Selcombe Athletic winning 2-1. Despite the loss however Intersports are league champions. Th e sides were level at 1-1 at half-time, Mark Bardwell netting for Selcombe
Tickets for Chelmsford City's prestigious friendly against a Manchester United XI at New Lodge, Billericay, on August 5 will be on sale during City's home match against Raunds Town on Saturday. The tickets, which cost £8 for adults and £5 for juniors/
PREMIER DIVISION The race for the league championship will go to the final games after Marconi completed their fixtures with two victories and became the new leaders. In midweek a visit to Braintree & Bocking United saw Marconi win 4-1, Wilkinson,
Essex are currently engaged in their opening County Championship match of the season against Nottinghamshire at Chelmsford, the match having started on Wednesday. On Sunday, the two sides meet in the National Cricket League with Essex looking to follow-up
A strike at an award-winning Basildon firm was averted after workers and bosses agreed a new pay deal. More than 250 shopfloor workers at York International had threatened to down tools for four days from Friday as part of a wage dispute. On Tuesday union
A controversial GM crops trial at St Osyth is off - but there may be a further attempt later in the year. SCIMAC - the cross-industry body responsible for providing sufficient sites to meet the scientific criteria for the Government's research programme
Up to 20 interpreters are working with police investigating the murder of a Kosovan Albanian in Southend, it has been revealed. An update on the progress of the painstaking inquiries is expected soon. Language difficulties have hampered the identification
Parts of Basildon are at risk of becoming ghettos because of youth crime and neighbours from hell. That was the stark warning from would-be Basildon MP Dominic Schofield today. Some estates are being overrun by gangs of youths hellbent on making misery
City traders are hanging up the traditional multi-coloured jackets of the London trading floors to work closer to home. With new technology sweeping the industry, the hustle and bustle of the City markets is set to become a thing of the past as more and
Bless him, he's only four-years-old and can hardly be expected to know any better. When young Manchester City fan Michael Wrathall and his parents moved to Colchester they didn't realise they would have a bearing on the First Division promotion race.
Rayleigh driver Paul Hughes turned in a magnificent performance to regain lost ground in the latest round of the MGF Cup series at Oulton Park. Paul suffered an early setback when he was forced to start from the back of the grid following a mechanical
SENIOR DIVISION ONE Essex Police entertained Kelvedon Hatch and dented their hopes of a top three finish when goals by Pitt (2) and Pike brought the home side much needed points. Rayleigh Town hosted Hatfield Peverel and moved into a title chasing position
A drama revival was today unveiled for Southend Pier with the launch of an all-weather theatre. Francis McGinty, manager of the Pier Pavilion, has teamed up with Southend-based Pinpoint Productions to bring a season of tragedy and comedy to the open-air
A doorstep caller, this time posing as a water worker, has again tricked an elderly woman in mid-Essex. This time, the victim was a 90-year-old and the bogus official escaped with £145. Pensioners are now regularly becoming victims of con men. In the
A human chain is to be formed along Chelmsford High Street to demonstrate support for the Jubilee 2000 campaign for western countries to drop the world debt liabilities of impoverished countries. The event, to be staged on May 14, will start in Central
This is the police e-fit picture of a woman who last week pretended to be an Essex social worker when she attempted to see a sick baby at a house in Churchill Rise, North Springfield, Chelmsford. The child's mother refused her entry and, when asked for
Thinking of sending an Essex Girl joke by e-mail? Think again. The joke may be on you. An increasing number of companies are clamping down on the age old jokes in a bid to stop workers e-mailing offensive material. Computer consultants have listed the
Two teenage sweethearts who went missing from their Chelmsford homes have been found safe and well. Stephen Moore, of Roland Close, and Samantha Davidson, of Thames Avenue, both aged 14, disappeared at lunchtime on Monday. Police refused to say exactly
Custom-car cruisers have claimed they should be given their own venue to hold mass rallies. More than 1,000 cars were cleared from Basildon's Mayflower retail park by police after an impromptu rally spiralled out of control. Word of the rally spread within
Every household in the Braintree district is being given the opportunity to learn more about Jesus, through a free video called the Man Behind the Millennium. This is part of a nationwide operation currently involving more than 1,000 churches throughout
Essex got their National Cricket League Division Two campaign off to a perfect start on Sunday when they demolished Middlesex to win by 60 runs. The team could not have given skipper Ronnie Irani a better start in his first official match as team captain
Colchester United manager Steve Whitton has scotched speculation that he was set to sign Plymouth Argyle central defender Adam Barrett. Dagenham-born Barrett, a former Leyton Orient trainee, is believed to be keen to return to the Essex area, but Whitton
Springfield Striders had a successful Bank Holiday with three winners and two third placings on a busy weekend for running. Most successful was Julie Hurst-Smith who won both of her races. On Sunday, she strode to victory in the Halstead 10K, and followed
British light welterweight champion Jason Rowland, from Rettendon, will be fighting for world title glory on Saturday, June 24. Rowland, 29, will be up against unbeaten IBF champion Zab Judah in the chief support contest on the Mike Tyson versus Lou Saverese
PREMIER DIVISION CUP FINAL There was a tentative start to Sunday's final between Little Waltham and Woodham Town, Waltham's Andy Dunsmuir striking a shot over the bar. Woodham goalkeeper Antony Davis then flapped at a Rob Jaggard free kick but the danger
Much rumour is circulating about Chelmsford Chieftains set up for next season, including players, coach and as to which league they will be playing in. Chieftains spokesman, John Blundell, said: ''At this moment in time it is all rumour. Like nearly everyone
In the East Region Women's Veterans Tournament, reigning champions Chelmsford Highway were unable to hang onto their title as they finished runners-up to Ipswich at their Tuddenham Road ground on Sunday. Despite having lost three key players in the week
Two Essex sailors are set to compete in a 1,000-mile race up the Atlantic coast of the USA. Mark Self, from Harwich, and William Sunnucks, of Earls Colne, will be competing in the Worrell 1000 from Monday, until Saturday, May 20. This is the first time
Billericay racing driver Matt Davies cannot wait until this weekend's Formula Three round at Donington after a successful run at Oulton Park. Matt drove his Renault Elf Promatecme car to fourth place on Monday as he went from strength to strength at the
Stuart Law came roaring back to form to dominate the Essex innings on the opening day of their Championship clash against Notts at Chelmsford. The Australian star, whose name has been recently removed from the list of his country's contracted players,
The Prince of Wales has been in Colchester - to have his tie reknotted. A portrait of Prince Charles, by West Bergholt artist Richard Stone, hit the headlines after its regimental neckwear was revealed as incorrectly tied. The painting shows the former
A bid to build the world's first cardboard classroom was being backed by councillors. Westborough Primary School in MacDonald Avenue, Westcliff, can now press ahead with its pioneering building, made solely of recycled cardboard and paper with a waterproof
Police are renewing an appeal for witnesses to an accident in which a South Ockendon man was hit by a car. George Haekins, 60, of Broxborn Drive, died in Basildon General Hospital on Friday, a month after the accident. Mr Haekins was walking along Daiglen
While most four-year-olds are still singing nursery rhymes, this talented youngster has just cut his first CD. Rising star Ben Franklin spent the day in the famous Abbey Road Studios in London recording the first-ever Toddle Song. Ben was chosen from
Up to 48 trees could face the axe at Never Never Land if councillors give approval at a meeting tonight. An application has been submitted to Southend Council to chop down 48 trees and carry out work on 15 others in the conservation area by Southend seafront
Billericay High Street could be transformed into a bustling Sunday market, if plans being developed by its Town Council are realised. Town Council representatives have already met with potential market organisers to discuss the scheme and have met with
A pensioner's bungalow complex hit by burglaries before Christmas is now the constant target of vandals, claims the warden. Several shed burglaries at Darlington Gardens, Harold Hill prompted residents to petition Havering Council for security improvements
The Recoil Trampoline Club, who train at the Brentwood Centre, Markhams Chase Sports Centre in Laindon and the Shenfield Sports Centre returned some fine results at a competition in Harlow. Members as young as five were entered in the competition. The
The latest in a long line of lacklustre Southend United displays helped Torquay keep their last gasp Third Division promotion dream alive at Roots Hall on Tuesday. A second-half brace from Gulls captain Brian Healy kept the Devon outfit on the edge of
Sam Pedder from Cranston Park won two singles titles when the 'Wilson' Whitehall Junior Open tournament was played in Chingford. Sam captured the boys 18 singles title last week with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Peter French from Billericay. He added the 16 singles
Stanway kept alive their dream of promotion from Jewson League division one with a 2-1 win at a much improved Norwich United. It was a good comeback from Rovers, who are now relying on Ely and Downham to slip up in their last games of the season to achieve
WALTON & HERSHAM 0 BILLERICAY TOWN 1 (Ryman League Premier Division) Town turned executioners on Bank Holiday Monday as their win consigned hosts Walton to relegation. They left the blow until late though, with only time added on remaining when the
A headteacher today called for double yellow lines to protect children outside her school if parking charges are brought in at a nearby car park. Linda Obersteller, headteacher at Thundersley Infants in Dark Lane, said children risk serious injury if
A crunch meeting next month will decide the fate of South East Essex College's £55 million relocation plans, it emerged today. The Further Education Funding Council will look in detail at the ambitious bid to build a new state-of-the-art base in the heart
An incredible turnout of 172 riders competed at Round Two of the Regional Summer Series meeting at Milton Keynes on Sunday attracting 42 newcomers to the sport. It was also another good afternoon's racing from the 15 Braintree BMX Club's riders with Chloe
T. RIPPON MID-ESSEX CRICKET LEAGUE Over a thousand pairs of eyes will be turned to the heavens as the weekend beckons, praying for clear skies as the T.Rippon Mid-Essex Cricket League season starts on Saturday. This is the 25th season of a league which
Clacton water polo player Ivan Drinkwater represented Great Britain in the four-nation tournament in Prague over the weekend. In their opening match Britain faced Finland, and gained a 13-1 victory. Drinkwater started in the first seven, and by scoring
Concerned Harold parents giving their youngsters mobile phones in a bid to ensure their safety could actually be exposing them to attack from callous thieves. The explosion in the number of teenagers carrying the expensive devices is providing rich pickings
Hospitals in north east Essex are short of 13 consultants due to newly-created positions and a national shortage of specialists in certain medical fields. Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust has not been able to find two new accident and emergency consultants
Confrontations between planners and eco-warriors could become a thing of the past if top level talks take off, it has emerged. Officials from Rochford District Council are meeting members of leading wildlife trust English Nature today in a bid to stave
