A rethink has been demanded over controversial plans to close a Rochford nursing home. Furious district councillors have unanimously condemned the decision to shut Albert Jones Court in Doggetts Close. They are urging Essex County Council's social services
David Webb made promotion a priority on his return to Third Division Southend United as manager. The 54-year-old begins his third stint in the Roots Hall hot seat today (Tuesday) and he immediately set his sights on making the step up to the Second Division
Detectives from a national crime-busting unit arrested three men and seized half a tonne of drugs in Basildon - with an estimated street value of £1 million. In a joint operation with HM Customs and Excise, detectives from the National Crime Squad, swooped
A new £5 million catering centre is to be developed at the Colchester Institute to improve facilities for students. Work on the scheme for the Colchester site will begin in November after the cash was approved by its corporation board. But a spokeswoman
A newchest pain clinic will be up and running at Clacton Hospital by the spring. A successful bid was made for Government funding in an effort to speed up diagnosis and treatment for patients with suspected heart problems on a more local level. Clacton
A survey of a Southend beach turned up a disturbing amount of untreated sewage and disposable toiletries, it was has been claimed. The search was carried out on a quarter mile section between the town's marine activity centre and the old jetty on Saturday
Fireifighters, shopworkers, journalists and other keen swimmers all turned charity fundraisers and took the plunge in the 24-hour Colchester fire swim. The swimmers covered more than 200 miles between them and raised an estimated total of £17,000 through
Children might have been to blame for two farm fires which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage. About 300 tons of baled straw was destroyed in a blaze at Great Holland. Firemen from Frinton were on the scene for 20 hours throughout the night. About
Reports that a 52-year-old man from Basildon was killed in a hang-glider accident in France remain unconfirmed by the Foreign Office. According to international news agencies the man died after crashing his hang-glider in the village of Passy near Chamonix
Elderly residents at Southend's last remaining Jewish hotel will soon be forced to leave as it closes its doors for the final time. The Riverside Hotel in Cobham Road, has provided a home to five Jewish residents, some in their 90s, who lived there on
A funfair engineer has spoken of his relief after being cleared of any wrongdoing by an industry watchdog. Barry Ramsey's Wickford-based company Inspection and Testing escaped being struck off the list of registered examiners following complaints about
Has your family got royal blood or a famous explorer in its past? The Essex Society for Family History could be the place to find out, learns NICOLA TAYLOR Tracing a family tree is one of those things that many people talk about doing but are put off
A terrorism expert today backed Stansted as a secure airport despite a gun and a fake bomb being smuggled past security staff. A Department of Transport inspector walked through a metal detector and was in a position to board an aircraft with a handgun
A vet has carried out an extraordinary operation to save one of Britain's rarest birds of prey. But unless a way can be found to fly the young falcon 3,500 miles out to Africa it still faces death because it has missed its annual migration to a warmer
A Chelmsford woman will want to get her feet firmly back on the ground, when she takes part in a charity abseil. Claire Ruse, 28, from Springfield, will be abseiling 120ft down Sainsbury's head office in Blackfriars, London, next Sunday, (October 22),
Urgent action is needed to avoid a crisis among over-worked GPs in Tendring, it has been revealed. Dr Gary Sweeney, a Clacton GP, says up to eight new doctors are needed in Tendring to stop the growing problem of too many patients and too few doctors.
Pupils at a Westcliff school were decked out in their finest blue and pink clothes to raise money for a cause close to their hearts. The children of Westborough Primary School in MacDonald Avenue were allowed to choose between wearing pink or blue instead
The headteacher of a failing primary school has been suspended because of weak management and leadership skills, it has emerged. A letter has been sent to parents of Doggetts Primary and Nursery School to inform them Mark Waudby has been suspended from
Youths causing trouble around Gibraltar House in Warley are to be targeted by a new £3,000 extension to its CCTV system. The move follows concern by residents and police over an increase in crime and disorder around Gibraltar House and The Keys on the
Jason Rowland has been called up to challenge for the vacant WBU light welterweight title at the Wembley Conference Centre on October 21. Rowland's opponent has yet to be announced, although Sports Network spokesman Richard Maynard said a top world-ranked
Chelmsford borough councillors are set to fight without the help of their professional planning officers to prevent Beaulieu Park growing by another 150 properties. Development control committee members decided to override officers' advice and stick to
An increasing number of road traffic accidents on the B1007 between Galleywood and Stock is concerning those living and working beside Stock Road. Resident Janet Elnaugh has been campaigning since the summer for the 60mph speed limit to be reduced, traffic
Alan Little's reign as Southend United manager is over after just 17 months in the Roots Hall hotseat. The Shrimpers' owner Ron Martin sacked Little, 45, on Thursday afternoon, just 48 hours before Blues' trip to Third Division high-flyers Rochdale on
Two students, who are also brothers, from The Sandon School, Chelmsford, have sailed to success this summer, by returning with two World Cadet Championship medals for Great Britain. Harry Harris, 12, achieved second place in the World Challenge Fleet
Southend United were yesterday (Monday) expected to officially unveil David Webb as their new manager within 24 hours. The 54-year-old resigned from his post as manager of Conference League high-flyers Yeovil Town at the weekend, ready to take over the
The fight to stop controversial plans to build houses on land outside Wickham Bishops - to finance a new village hall - looks set to go on. Maldon district councillors have approved the application - which is a departure from the local development plan
The state of rural bus services has prompted Maldon's MP to call for high-level meetings with transport bosses. John Whittingdale , MP for Maldon and East Chelmsford, has arranged a meeting with David Whiteside, Essex County Council's group transportation
A clean-up operation is to start after a site was vacated by a group of travellers. Eviction notices were served on the convoy of travellers next to the Spinnaker pub in the Hythe, Colchester, on Wednesday. They moved off the area at the deadline of noon
Our Price record shop in Southend is closing down, it was revealed today (Tuesday). However, the site in the High Street will not be converted into a high-tech Virgin internet store, unlike other stores across the county. Customers at Our Price have been
Redundancies are on the cards after a Maldon car dealership announced it is to close. Workers at Dovercourt Ford have been given less than two weeks' notice that the business is being axed. The sales showroom shut last night (Monday) - just hours after
Defeated decathlete Dean Macey has vowed to bounce back from his Olympic medal disappointment to be the force to be reckoned with at the next Games. Canvey-based Macey set a new personal best with 8567 points - 11 up on his total at the world championships
Chelmsford Chieftains have moved to fill the defensive slot vacated by Carl Greenhous's move to Romford by signing the experienced Lee Cowmeadow. Cowmeadow, who now lives in Cardiff has previously played for Cardiff Devils, Blackburn Hawks, Kingston Hawks
Drugs baron Shane "Pacman" Bennett was officially branded the ringleader of a Basildon gang which plotted to supply crack cocaine and heroin. Bennett, one of 11 convicted drug dealers, denied being the brains behind the conspiracy so a special hearing
Two men underwent surgery following a road accident in which nine people were injured. One of the passengers in a red Ford Escort XR3 had to be cut free by firefighters and was taken to Colchester General Hospital by the Essex Air Ambulance following
A woman fled for her life after her bed caught fire. It is believed the woman - who has not been named - was smoking and dropped the cigarette into the bedding. She realised the danger almost immediately and escaped from her third floor flat in Thoroughgood
Residents and a Danbury primary school are set to fight plans to add new receiver dishes to what they believe is the most congested mobile phone mast in any special landscape area in the UK. They fear the possible, but unproven, health effects of having
A Southend business is set to rise from the ashes as it prepares to reopen following a devastating fire. Wholesale food and drink business boss, Philip Walters, has revealed how he plans to relaunch Montines Food Company after securing new premises. It
Vetinary surgeon, Andrew Scott who has practices at Maldon and Purleigh has been installed as President-Elect of the British Veterinary Association. A ceremony took place at the AGM of the BVA in Chester recently. Five years ago Mr Scott appeared on a
A badly-injured heron is back on the flightpath to recovery thanks to two caring Tiptree vets. The heron was discovered in a Tiptree back garden in a emaciated condition and with a badly injured leg. But after a few days of tender, loving care and some
First Great Eastern is increasing daily travelling seats on its trains in Essex by 1,000 for the winter and Braintree and Ingatestone are to be among the big gainers. The 5.20pm train to Braintree is to become a 12-coach supertrain to Witham and off peak
Essex needs more money to meet high-level targets for waste recycling and recovery. That is the message being taken to the government minister responsible for waste management, Chris Mullen, by a delegation representing councils in Essex on October 31
A terrorism expert has backed Stansted as a secure airport despite a gun and a fake bomb being smuggled past security staff. Government inspectors got the weapons past security checks at the airport without any sophisticated attempt to conceal them, it
Colchester-based assurance giant Royal London has succeeded in a £1.1 billion takeover bid for a fellow insurance firm. It comes just two months after the company axed more than 750 jobs in the town. No new jobs are expected to be created in Colchester
The headteacher of a failing primary school has been suspended because of weak management and leadership skills. A letter has been sent to parents of Doggetts Primary and Nursery School to inform them Mark Waudby has been suspended from his post with
A man was battling for his life today (Tuesday) following a collision with a crane just before the Pitsea slip road on the A13. Police said the man, trapped inside a Ford Transit van, was bleeding heavily from a serious head injury as ambulances arrived
The first-ever carnival on Colchester's Greenstead estate proved to be a day of fun for all the family. The event, which took place on the Magnolia Field on Saturday, attracted visitors not just from the estate but from across the area. Although there
Colchester's first free street festival brought music, dance and entertainment for all to the town centre. Shoppers paused for a moment at around 11am when the day of entertainment was heralded with a parade through the town by Boadicea and her men, followed
Bride and groom Catherine Wayland and Martin Larkin are stepping back in time for their forthcoming wedding. They will be putting on costumes from the mid-18th century for their wedding at the Moot Hall in Colchester on Saturday. Catherine, 30, said she
The former lawyer of Reggie Kray today described the former gangster, who died on Sunday, as a "fun guy". Harwich-based solicitor Trevor Linn, 35, said: "He (Reggie) was a fun guy, he had a very good sense of humour. He was a nice bloke, an ordinary bloke
Children and young people are most at risk from meningitis at this time of the year, the mother of a Southend teenager who died from the disease warned. Gwen Pepper, whose son Matthew died seven years ago, said yesterday (Monday) she gave her full backing
SOUTHEND 32 SHELFORD 15 Southend moved up to third place in London Three Northeast with a dominating victory over winless Shelford at Warners Park. Captain James Shearing and player-coach Kevin Harman led by example, inspiring the seaside club's other
George Burley is rumoured to have increased his offer for FC Brugge star Gert Verheyen to £1.8 million. The Ipswich Town boss - who has refused to comment on the speculation because the attacking midfielder is under contract - had a £1 million bid rejected
Despite disappointment at having to switch the game from its original date, Billericay Town will make certain that Division Three opponents Wingate and Finchley get a big welcome for tonight's (Tuesday's) FA Cup tie at New Lodge. The second qualifying
If Canvey Island are able to overcome First Division hosts Braintree in tonight's FA Cup replay, the next qualifying round will recall memories of Gulls' greatest ever season in the competition. For the winners of tonight's encounter will host Dr Martens
Heybridge, Braintree and Chelmsford all face tough FA Cup replays tonight (Tuesday) as they bid for a place in the third qualifying round of the prestigious competition. Swifts face a tricky trip to Jewson League favourites AFC Sudbury, after battling
An athletics coach has claimed victory in his fight to give his teenage running team fair time for training in the swimming pool. Geoffrey Heys was originally told by staff at the Gloucester Park pool in Basildon that his team of 14 to 16-year-olds was
Pub landlord Keith Frost is saddling up for a gruelling charity African bike ride. Mr Frost, who owns the Royal Marine, in Old Pier Street, Walton, is calling on his regulars to chip in and help him out. He needs to raise £3,000 for disabled charity Scope
West Horndon could soon have its own parish council if the village's borough councillor, Roy Boggis, has his way. Cllr Boggis has contacted the electoral officer for Brentwood Borough Council and is now asking residents to sign the necessary petition.
Thousands of Essex commuters could face chaos after a rail union announced a ban on overtime work. Trains could be delayed or even cancelled after the Rail Maritime and Transport union announced its members at Balfour Beatty would stop working overtime
A community group has called for an urgent law to combat gangs of underage drinkers turning Canvey seafront into a "no-go" area. Up to 150 teenagers gather along Eastern Esplanade every Friday night. Some youngsters have been seen staggering around clutching
South East Essex College is undecided over whether it will put in a bid to merge with Basildon College. New Basildon College chiefs announced it hoped to merge with another education institution within a 12-mile radius in the next year. The troubled college
An Essex town is launching a proof-of-age scheme aimed at cracking down on illegal sales of cigarettes and alcohol in response to a concern by young people. It is hoped the new identity card will help retailers not to break the law by selling to youngsters
Brave youngster James Duller has lost his fight against a rare form of cancer. James, four, of Greenway, Great Clacton, died after being diagnosed with pulmonaryblastoma cancer, one of only four cases ever reported in the UK. His father Paul, 41, said
A near-record number of children in Essex desperately need adoptive families, new figures have shown. Research carried out by Essex County Council show there are currently 75 children, aged between four months and 13 years, who need adoptive homes in
A paedophile who whipped a boy and subjected him to a series of indecent assaults has been warned to expect a jail sentence. A jury at Chelmsford Crown Court found Jonathan Morris, 46, of no fixed address, guilty of committing three indecent assaults
The possibility of a community green in Feering has finally been dashed after a landowner's wishes to obtain planning permission for a site in Kelvedon were refused. Great Leighs willow merchant J S Wright wanted the village envelope in Kelvedon extended
Ramblers in Brentwood and Ongar are hopeful that a decision by Essex County Council next month will see a long-running dispute over a North Weald footpath resolved in their favour. The Rambler's Association claims that since taking over the railway line
Our Price record shop in Southend is closing down, it was revealed today (Tuesday). However, the site in the High Street will not be converted into a high-tech Virgin internet store - unlike other stores across the county. Customers at Our Price have
Detectives from a national crime-busting unit arrested three men and seized half a tonne of drugs in Basildon - with an estimated street value of £1 million. In joint operation with HM Customs and Excise, detectives from the National Crime Squad, swooped
Security staff at Stansted Airport failed to detect a gun and a fake bomb planted in a test by Government officials, a national newspaper has claimed. The Sun reported today that security guards at Stansted were duped by Department of Transport inspectors
One of Canvey's new £4,000 stainless steel signs was dented by accident while being installed. Castle Point Council confirmed the blunder when residents claimed one of the 12ft-high signs in the shape of a sail had already been vandalised. The sails sit
A prized pooch has scooped first place in a sponsored dogathon. The aptly named Lucky Lady, owned by Maria Ingram, of Bertrum Avenue, Little Clacton, won the event by collecting the most sponsorship money. The canine challenge was run by Headway Essex
Sammy Ace lived up to her name when she won five of the nine golds picked up by Borough of Southend swimmers at the Harlow Open. She collected her victories in the 11 years age group in three 100m events - backstroke (1m.20.83), butterfly (1.22.42) and
Steve Whitton has vowed to leave no stone unturned as he continues to run into a wall in his bid to strengthen Colchester United's Division Two squad. Norwich City's Northern Ireland international stiker Adrian Coote is the latest player to turn down
Two local Schweppes Essex Senior League clubs stage entertaining County Cup second round games this evening. Southend Manor take on Burnham Ramblers at Southchurch Park, while Concord Rangers are in action against East Ham. Visitors to Thames Road will
A row has developed over new furniture for Tendring's cramped council chamber. Despite calls to spend the money on residents rather than comfort, it was decided to spend £15,000 on the replacement chairs and tables. A report to Tendring Council's resources
A former games arcade in the centre of Colchester could be transformed into a bar or restaurant. The 1,000 sq ft site in Head Street has already aroused a lot of interest from people wanting to set up a bar or restaurant in the town. Surveyors Whybrow
More than 1,000 homes went without mail after staff shortages and sickness took their toll on postal deliveries, it has been revealed. Royal Mail has issued an apology to the homeowners who did not get a delivery of mail on Saturday. The company provides
Newsagents in Brentwood are backing a crackdown on solvent sales. The reaction follows a warning issued by Essex Trading Standards to stop selling cigarette lighter refills to youngsters under 18, amid solvent abuse fears. Offending shops have been told
You could say that last season's Southend District League Premier Division runners-up Rochford Town had a ball when the new Southend District League season got underway. For C Ball scored two of the goals as they triumphed 5-4 over AFC Hadleigh in a nine-goal
Strollers continued their 100 per cent start to the Southend Borough Combination Veterans League season with a 3-0 win at Chapel United, Clapton, Banyard and Waters netting the goals. Maltby kept up the pressure with a fine 2-1 win at Canvey Island, a
A sparkling hat-trick from Gibbs ensured that Crouch marked their return to the South-East Essex Sunday League with an emphatic 7-1 demolition of previously unbeaten ISIS. Runwell registered their first points with a 2-1 win at Wickbeech, O'Leary and
Relatives of a Brightlingsea couple who died in a coach crash in South Africa said today (Tuesday) they would not be attending an Essex memorial service for victims and survivors. John and Marian Clifford, of Red Barn Road, were among 26 Britons who died
Shock figures show Basildon wallops major cities like Manchester when it comes to dumped vehicles. Basildon was rated sixth in the country for abandoned cars removed and scrapped by the council in a national poll of English, Scottish and Welsh local authorities
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott helped launch a new £50 million ferry in Harwich which is set to provide a huge boost to the port town. Mr Prescott and his wife Pauline launched the Stena Britannica, which was built in Spain and owned by Swedish shipping
Following the sacking of manager Alan Little, Southend United club have appointed former boss David Webb to take over - his third spell in the hot seat. Echosport asked Blues fans in Southend High Street their views on the appointment of the man who took
Southend United owner Ron Martin revealed that Blues should have a new chairman in place within a month. Former Shrimpers supremo John Main was removed from the board at an extraordinary general meeting on August 30. "A new chairman should be in place
Southend United's Supporters Club Trust has hailed David Webb's return as manager of the Blues as "the return of the Messiah". Fans' spokesman Paul FitzGerald said: "The whole of Southend is excited by the news of Webb's return. "He has a fabulous track
Former Southend United striker David Crown has hailed David Webb's appointment as Blues manager as a masterstroke. Crown played under Webb at Roots Hall and was an integral part of the Shrimpers' 1989-90 Fourth Division promotion winning side, cracking
