A new centre for hi-tech industry could be set up on Canvey if Castle Point councillors have their way. The idea is to set up a forum to give the borough's business leaders, academics and residents the opportunity to discuss ways of improving and modernising
The cameras are rolling in Essex for a new prime time drama. Alibi Productions is filming The Safe House using locations in Kirby and Walton for the programme, due to be screened next year. Cameramen, sound recorders and actors have been battling the
Multi-million pound investment in a decomissioned Second World War fort could see a unique museum coming to Harwich. A group called the East England Tank Museum is hoping to take the decaying hulk of the Beacon Hill Fort in Dovercourt and completely renovate
One of television's new screen hunks has some extra-dedicated fans in Colchester - it's his home town. Heart-throb actor Jeremy Sheffield has joined BBC1's medical drama Holby City and been billed as the UK's answer to George Clooney. He plays heart surgeon
Friends, family and councillors this week paid tribute to the man known as 'The Father' of South Woodham Ferrers. Devoted husband, father and grandfather Ray Wilkinson, 69, who died on Sunday, was the first leader of South Woodham's Town Council and was
A charity is celebrating a massive cash windfall which will keep it going for the next three years. The Maldon and District Neighbour Mediation Service aims to settle disputes between neighbours and has been awarded £155,800, it was announced yesterday
Ram raiders escaped with thousands of pounds worth of camera equipment after smashing their way into a photographic warehouse. They cut through wire perimeter fencing of CPW, a photographic wholesalers, in Brunel Way, Severalls Business Park, shortly
Austin was really motoring against Wilburn Wanderers when he scored five for Ltd Stars. His nap hand was boosted by hat-tricks from Cranfield and Sambridge plus a single strike from Vaughan as Wanderers ran out 12-0 winners. Dunton Dynamos pulled off
One of Colchester's most powerful councillors has quit the borough's cabinet - citing pressure of the job. And Liberal Democrat Terry Sutton hopes lessons will be learnt by his resignation. Announcing his decision at a full meeting of the council on Wednesday
A serial arsonist could be on the loose in Brentwood and police are appealing for information before he strikes again, with potentially far more serious consequences. The two latest incidents took place in Warley Hill between Friday evening and the early
Building incinerators to burn household waste could put recycling campaigns in Castle Point back by years, Christine Butler MP warned. Nearly 20 per cent of all household waste is recycled in the borough at the moment while five years ago it was just
Could it be Stan-henge? A new display on a sponsored roundabout at Stanway has been causing a stir - and some motorists claim the striking monument is a hazard. The roundabout near Sainsbury's Tollgate store, Stanway, is being sponsored by Colchester
The storms which swept across Essex earlier this week left properties in Witham suffering minor flooding and damage. A dozen homes in Sauls Bridge Close had flood water and sewage in their gardens and garages as pumping equipment at a nearby Essex Water
Police are linking two burglaries in Fortinbras Way, Chelmsford. when £400 Sterling and US Dollars were stolen and in the second raid jewellery worth between £500 and £600 was taken. A thief who walked into an office at Robjohns House, Navigation Road
A permanent headteacher has been appointed to a Colchester school successfully battling to improve. Sharon Sciachettano will be the new headteacher at Old Heath Community Primary School from the start of the summer term 2001. The school has been without
Pupils from a Witham school who endured a 14-hour nightmare Channel ferry crossing during the height of the gales which swept across the country have told of their ordeal. The 24 youngsters, aged 14 to 19 years, from John Bramston school were returning
Controversial plans for a home at historic Taylor's Yard on the Hythe have been refused by Maldon councillors, but a floating jetty can go-ahead. About 130 letters of objection were received against the home scheme, compared to 13 in support. Maldon Town
A ground-breaking scheme to pay for youngsters on a Witham housing estate to use the internet has got the go-ahead. The decision follows months of discussion between Witham Town Council, the Cyber Caf in Spa Road and the Humber Road Resid-ents and Tenants
Essex Police have drafted plans for emergency headquarters in Harwich and Thurrock to cope with any problems with fuel protesters. Officers in Essex are being put on alert and placed on 12-hour shifts. The cost of the whole operation to the taxpayer could
Maldon Rugby Club have issued an SOS call for more players after they were forced to call off their latest league match against Old Edwardians. Maldon, whose first XV play in Eastern Counties division one, are particularly short of prop forwards, the
Yeovil Town have issued a hands-off warning to Southend United boss David Webb over their star striker Barrington Belgrave. The Shrimpers chief recently revealed his admiration for the 20-year-old forward, admitting he would bring the former Norwich City
Concord Rangers beat Hull-bridge 5-0 at home in the Essex Senior League on Tuesday night with goals from Keith Pullen (2), David Jenkins (2) and Gary Martin. Southend Manor drew 2-2 at home with Basildon United. Simon Hicks and Keith Smith scored for
Essex schoolboy Andrew Ridout, 15, will represent the Northern Home Counties in the Junior National Individual Judo Championships at Crystal Palace on Saturday. He qualified after finishing second in the under 60kg category for his age group in a hard-fought
Deaneswood Youth, who had previously scored 39 goals in five games, continued their good form with four more against Island Boys in a thrilling East Anglian Cup under-12 tie between two good teams. The match was very even until Deaneswood manager John
New homes planned for a riverside village could be vulnerable to floods, councillors fear. Councillors looked at plans to build 31 homes at Marsh Crescent, Rowhedge, at a Colchester planning meeting last night (Thursday). Fears were raised that because
With a three-goal burst in 11 minutes, Chelmsford swept aside Indian Gymkhana on Sunday. After a fairly even start, the game swung dramatically in Chelmsford's favour in the 16th minute when Will Rogers finished off Adam Hunter's looping reverse-stick
Phoenix Karate Club can look forward to the world championships in Portugal with confidence following success in the national championships. Fourth Dan Cheri Stokes - the chief instructor at the Basildon-based club - was pipped in the final to the national
Southend United were fortunate to scrape through against non-league minnows Potters Bar Town during Tuesday's FA Youth Cup First Round at Roots Hall. Blues' babes were outplayed by their Spartan League hosts for long periods and the part-timers could
Essex County Cricket Club are rumoured to be facing a six-figure loss this year, with some opinions suggesting a figure of £300,000. Essex's Chief Executive David East stated earlier this week, "We cannot quote an exact figure because we have not yet
Southend United's loan goalkeeper Andy Woodman goes into Saturday's Roots Hall meeting with Macclesfield Town admitting he faces an uncertain future. The Brentford custodian has been an ever present for Blues this season. He has played 18 league and cup
Pat and Nick Elmore's Twist and Shout, involved in a minor rescue last week, was at the centre of a more serious incident during Sunday's wind-lashed fifth race of Crouch Yacht Club's Autumn series. Twist and Shout's season came to an abrupt end after
Two of the men suspected of murdering black teenager Steven Lawrence stole kegs of beer from the Bakers Arms pub in Stock, a court heard. David Norris, 24, of Bromley, Kent, and Gary Dobson, 25, of Eltham, London, admitted stealing 14 kegs of beer worth
Workers at Dagenham are to be balloted on strike action after the company confirmed the ending of vehicle assembly at the plant. Unions will hold mass meetings at the site on November 15 before workers will be asked to vote on whether to take industrial
Lake Meadows regular Simon Webb has added another big fish to his list by taking a 21lb 4oz mirror carp from the grass bank. A regular at the Lake for 20 years, Simon has landed most of the Lake Meadows carp - some many times. However his latest capture
Stuck fast! This lorry caused chaos for drivers on the A127 after it jack-knifed - and took more than eight hours to be removed. The artic, carrying a load of glue, came unstuck on the London-bound track near Alton Garden Centre yesterday (Thursday) after
A FORMER quarry should be turned into open land for water sports, Colchester Council has agreed. At a planning meeting members considered an application by Inworth Grange Quarry at Tiptree to extend its excavation of gravel and sand. Tiptree Parish Council
The widow of a murder victim is still anxiously waiting the results of DNA tests which could pinpoint his murderer. Margaret Fetherston, 62, whose husband was gunned down at their Caribbean holiday home, is convinced the identity of the killer is known
Homeowners in rural areas of mid Essex have been warned to clearly identify their houses - police say it could save their lives in an emergency. Braintree police have issued the warning after a series of incidents where emergency services were called
Don't panic! A rush to stock up with petrol before the fuel deadline caused some stations in north Essex to run dry. Worried motorists caused a boom day for services as they filled up their cars and canisters in a bid to beat the fuel problems that brought
The future of Maldon's Boxing Day hunt remains undecided. Members of the district council's leisure services and community development select committee voted on Tuesday to leave the decision whether to close the High Street, which would allow the hunt
WHEN Harwich MP Ivan Henderson handed out the degrees at the Clacton Campus of the Colchester Institute he must have thought he was seeing double. For after Leana Moorhouse collected her qualification she was immediately followed by her identical twin
Colchester United renew their long standing association with old rivals Northampton Town at Layer Road tomorrow after a break of two seasons. Relegation for the Cobblers has kept the two clubs apart since then. While the U's were enjoying their first
Maldon Town will be hoping to bounce back to form on Saturday when they entertain Great Yarmouth Town. Yarmouth are two places above Maldon in the Jewson League premier division, but are just one point better off having played one game more, so a victory
Heybridge Swifts manager Liam Cutbush welcomes back top-scorer Kris Lee for Saturday's visit to Southern League giants Crawley Town in the FA Umbro Trophy first round. Lee has just completed a three match ban following a sending off, and is joined in
Three goals in a superb first half performance saw Chelmsford secure a win in their opening home game of the season. The victory means it's six points out of six for the Essex side who have made an encouraging start to this year's campaign. With the Chelmer
Six beds have been closed in a hospital ward and re-opened at a specialist unit for elderly patients. Bed capacity on Nayland ward in the main building at Colchester General Hospital has now been reduced to 28. The replacement beds have been opened on
A tough line on fireworks has been hammered out by police. A joint strategy has been developed with district councils and Essex Fire Service to make sure shops know they should not sell fireworks to anyone under 18. The initiative also aims to highlight
A three-year project to provide psychotherapy to vulnerable young people has been awarded a £51,256 lottery grant. The Lapis Trust, located on North Hill, Colchester, has been awarded the money from the National Lottery Charities Board for the scheme,
Fuel protesters in south Essex have warned the Government that blockades of oil refineries and ports were still "in the melting pot". The comments came following a meeting of the People's Fuel Lobby in Kent attended by hauliers, drivers and members of
Police this week launched a crackdown on law-breaking cyclists in South Woodham Ferrers. Prompted by increasing complaints from residents, the town council and Neighbourhood Watch, police are vowing to take a tough stance, which could include prosecution
Six soldiers from Colchester are setting out on a testing 20,000-ft challenge in Nepal. The team, from 10 Transport Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, aim to trek 160 miles across the mountainous Annapurna region in Nepal before climbing Mount Pisang. The
Plans for an extension to Dunmow Junior School were given the go-ahead by Essex County Council's development control and regulation committee last Friday. The approval came despite objections from the town council and Uttlesford District Council, mainly
Witham's Mayfest, the town's annual spring fun event could be bigger and better than ever before. But the event needs cash support to make it go with a bang and to beat the worst the weather can throw at it. Witham Events Association has asked the town
A new green heart is being created in one of Maldon's busiest areas. The two acre Maldon Wycke Meadow nature reserve, just yards from the town's Safeway and Great Mills stores, will include woodland, open meadow area, a large pond, walks and rides. This
A boy aged about 10 was driving a car involved in a crash in Chelmsford on Saturday - with three passengers aged about 10 or 12. The car was involved in a collision with another, driven by a 32-year-old Chelmsford woman. The incident happened in Rutland
South Essex bus drivers are working in such fear of physical abuse, police could be asked to travel with them for protection. Incidents of vandalism and criminal damage are increasing on night time routes in Castle Point which has even prompted bus company
With 38 seconds remaining in Sunday's tense quarter final the Leopards stood on the brink of defeat. Having held the lead for most of the game the Leopards had conceded a vital basket to the Eagles' TJ Walker who had given the team from the north-east
Canvey Island will go into their FA Cup first round proper tie against Port Vale with real belief that they can emerge victorious. This was made clear by both manager Jeff King and skipper Steve Tilson on Tuesday as Gulls won through to take on Football
Families have been warned to follow the firework code or risk serious injuries. Southend trading standards has already put in place controls to try to ensure only registered outlets sell fireworks all of which must also reach the British safety standard
Wickford Cricket Club held their annual presentation dinner and dance at Basildon Golf Club on Saturday. In his address, club chairman Colin Speller, welcomed the club president, Alan Goddard and gave thanks to Datacomm Networks and Prime Cut Butchers
Chelmsford City could be playing top non-league football at Basildon in their planned all-new £3 million stadium if they fail to secure reasonably quick approval for a return to the county town on the proposed site alongside the A12 road at Boreham. City
Although Saturday's game at Coronation Park, did not end in a win for Chelmsford, it was certainly not a poor performance by the home side who are improving with every match. The match was, however, uninspiring as a spectacle, due to both sides using
A surgeon whose patient bled to death after routine surgery, was criticised by a colleague for ignoring advice to stop the operation earlier. It was obvious the operation to remove a kidney stone was impossible to finish in one go, a hearing was told.
The Youth Scholarship Scheme introduced at Cannons Health Club, Riverside Retail Park Chelmsford in January has been a tremendous success. Chelmsford Athletic Club's Jordan Lau has benefited from his complimentary membership, which has allowed him maximum
Ollie Berquez, City's leading goal scorer last season, is out for at least two months with a broken right leg sustained during the first half of Sunday's home match with Spalding United. The 20-year-old was injured in an innocuous first half challenge
Olympic champion Jonathan Edwards was one of a group of track and field stars who shared their experience and training techniques with south Essex athletics coaches. They were attending a seminar at Palmer's College in Chadwell Road, Grays, yesterday
Budget supermarket giant Lidl is set to open a new store in Hadleigh, it has been revealed. The German-owned chain, famed for selling cut-price food and merchandise, has purchased a site on London Road, Hadleigh, which was formerly home to a Lookers Renault
Breeze AM has been bought by Classic Gold Digital- which is part owned by new Essex FM owner GWR. The deal, officially rubber-stamped yesterday (Thursday), included the purchase of a Breeze station in Sussex. Classic Gold Digital was recently formed to
An anxious father has issued a warning after his young son was struck in the chest by a stray firework and set alight. Dominic Morgan, 29, of Carisbrooke Avenue, Great Clacton, said he had a low-key display in the garden after a friend had come round
As Essex police more than double the number of speed cameras available from 68 to 178, they are also hoping to dramatically reduce the number of speed-related crashes. By 2002, there should be nearly 200 cameras in the county, funded by cash from fines
George Burley is preparing to pit his wits against the manager who launched his career in football. The Ipswich Town boss takes his side to Newcastle United tomorrow for his first ever head-to-head with Bobby Robson. Burley won FA and UEFA Cup medals
Former Southend United boss Peter Taylor has backed England's new Swedish manager Sven Goran Eriksson to be a success. The 52-year-old coach of Italian giants Lazio has agreed a five-year deal to take over the national team next summer - the first non-Englishman
A pub in Witham with a new look may have a new and novel name but it is still in touch with the past. The Norman Jarmyn Olde Ale House, in Newland Street has been named after the man who used to run it 20 years ago. Mr Jarmyn, 69, worked behind the pumps
Police are hunting bogus gasmen who wormed their way into the home of an elderly blind man and his wife. And, in all, conmen tricked their way in to three houses in Colchester yesterday (Thursday). Detectives are linking the burglaries to a spate in the
Despite having their FA Carlsberg Vase first round tie switched from their Pitsea home to the Northampton ground of opponents Cogenhoe United, Bowers United pulled off a fabulous 4-2 win on Tuesday night. Goals came from Paul King, Glenn Hobden (2) and
A rare vase fetched £3,500 at auction in Dovercourt - after its owner thought it was worth next to nothing Bids from all over the country came in for the Clarice Cliff globe vase with Idyll pattern when it went under the hammer yesterday (Thursday). But
Fed-up shop owners in Benfleet have joined forces in an effort to combat the ever-increasing threat of vandalism in the area. In recent months, windows have been smashed and skips have been set on fire along Church Road. Now worried store owners have
Southend girl band On-Q is hoping to hit the big time when it plays at top venues across the country. The girls will be supporting boy band A1, which won chart success with a version of A-Ha's 1980s hit Take on Me. On-Q will perform two songs and an acappella
A Braintree man believes he has found more evidence that big cats such as pumas are roaming the Essex countryside. John Hancock, of the Essex Big Cat Research Project, is excited by the discovery of muntjac deer remains at Earls Colne. A woman contacted
Rotarians from Colchester have been lending a hand in transporting books donated to support teaching and learning in developing countries. Earlier this year a scheme was launched for every member of the Guide movement to contribute just one book to BookAid
The cost of parking in Maldon looks set to rise from April. Increased charges to be levied at all main car parks are being recommended to Maldon District Council as part of a town centre car park review. The proposed new charges were considered this week
The body of a man was found in mud by the River Crouch on Wednesday morning. Two men discovered the body on the Battlesbridge side of Hayes Farm Caravan Park at around 8am. Police, who are waiting to speak to the next of kin, say they believe the man
Witham Town's Ron Macey has resigned as chairman of the Ryman League division three outfit. He has been replaced by vice chairman Dave Knott. Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion
Billericay sports coach Christopher Garbitt, 19, met Olympic gold medal boxing hero Audley Harrison and former Arsenal and England footballer Ian Wright after scooping a runners-up place in a new award scheme. Christopher, of Chancery Estate, is an avid
Colchester boss Steve Whitton will discover the full extent of striker Keith Scott's injury at the end of this week. The U's frontrunner injured his knee in the weekend defeat at Peterbrough but, at the moment, it is uncertain how long he will be on the
Brentwood, still looking for a league win, entertained Braintree who are also struggling at the foot of the League. The visitors who won their first match last week have since lost their points for fielding an unregistered player. Brentwood had problems
New Southend United striker Ben Abbey wants to prove his potential to the Roots Hall faithful when the Shrimpers tackle Macclesfield Town. The 22-year-old made his Blues debut as a second-half substitute at Mansfield last Saturday, just 24 hours after
Micky Cook's Colchester United youngsters are on the march again in the AXA FA Youth Cup. The competition that has taken the young Layer Road prospects to such illustrious places as Aston Villa and Leeds United in previous seasons opened up before them
Athletic success has been achieved by Chelmsford County High School. The inter and junior teams headed to West Hatch where they each picked up top three places. With 29 points, the inter team took first place - a performance that ensures them a place
City did on Sunday what they had been threatening to do for weeks and that was record a fine victory to book a place in the second round of the FA Cup. From the kick off, Chelmsford pressurised their Southern League Premier Division hosts and nearly took
A quick-fire goal from Mark Hampshire set Rovers on the road to victory in Tuesday night's Ryman Second Division clash at Burroughs Park. The game was barely a minute old when the midfielder outpaced the shellshocked Chertsey rearguard and slotted home
Tuesday saw four members of the Hunters Carpet Bowls Club attend the Sunsport-Banana Group Awards for Great Sporting Achievement. They had been nominated for the Sporting Support for Charity category for the tournament which they hold to raise money for
Chelmsford Chieftains reaffirmed their determination to emulate last season's successes as they made it nine games withour defeat in thumping league leaders Phoenix at Swindon on Saturday. Chieftains, with new boys Ian Cooper and Mike Galati on display
City became league leaders after deservedly coming back from a goal down and giving a tremendous fighting second half display at windswept Occupation Road on Wednesday to beat a strong and determined home side to collect all three points. A penalty from
Steve Whitton has moved to bring York City target man and former Southend United striker Barry Conlon to Colchester United. The U's boss has spoken to the struggling Nationwide League Third Division club about signing the out-of-favour striker either
Police believe a mystery man found dead beside the A414 in Writtle, could have been lying unseen for over 12 hours. The body was spotted by a passing driver about 7.45am on Friday, half a mile from Hylands Park, near the Ladygrove caravan site. Police
Chelmsford Partners put up a good display against last year's beaten cup finalists, Tonbridge in the EVA Cup, but it was not enough to stop the visitors progressing 25-19, 25-17, 25-18. Partners knew they were in for a hard time when the draw pulled out
Despite a traumatic season, Arena Essex supporters will have been encouraged by the news that the club's promoting triumvirate are fully expecting to continue operations at the Purfleet Raceway next season. The signs are positive and despite the difficulties
A 35-YEAR-OLD man is in a critical condition after his car smashed into trees on the A12 at Witham in the early hours of today. The motorist, from Braintree, is being treated for serious head injuries at Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital after the crash
Flash-flooding hit Wickford and Billericay as further rainstorms swept across south Essex. Parts of Halls Corner in Wickford High Street and stretches of the A129 were washed out yesterday (Thursday) in torrential downpours, blocking roads and pavements
Environmental campaigners will demonstrate against the incineration of waste in Chelmsford tomorrow (Saturday). Their rally will be held in front of County Hall. Essex County Council is currently finalising its new waste plan. Friends of the Earth, supported
Braintree manager Ben Embery believes his side will have their work cut out when they play Romford in the FA Umbro Trophy. Embery said: "They're a physical side and they'll make it difficult for us. But I'm still confident we can get a result." But Embery
ALL THE WEEKEND'S LOCAL SOCCER FIXTURES SATURDAY RYMAN LEAGUE Division Two: East Thurrock United v Great Wakering Rovers. FA UMBRO TROPHY Round 1: Billericay Town v Farnborough Town. SCHWEPPES ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE Barkingside v Woodford; Brentwood v Stansted
Billericay Town could hardly have a better game to pick themselves up after seeing their FA Cup dreams come to an end at Nationwide Conference side Hednesford in midweek. For tomorrow (Saturday) they start their FA Umbro Trophy campaign with a home first
