Unlucky birthday boy Ryan Sears has had his birthday cash pinched for the second year in a row. The nine-year-old woke up this morning to rip open a stack of cards but the one from his aunt, Sally Hemmings, had already been opened by a heartless thief
Farewell to true Blues' stalwart It saddened me to hear of the death last week of true Southend United stalwart John Woodcock. John was one of the all too few people to climb from holding office in the supporters club to a seat on the board and then club
Three days lazing on the sun-kissed beaches of Spain might be just what the doctor ordered for Ipswich Town. Because this defeat - the Blues' fourth in a row - suggests their season is in serious danger of careering off the rails. At least, that's what
Southend United finally clocked up their first home league win of 2001 on Saturday with a 1-0 victory over perennial away-day strugglers Lincoln City. Ben Abbey headed the all important match winner, maintaining his phenomenal strike-rate for the Shrimpers
Canvey moved confidently into the last 16 of the FA Umbro Trophy on Saturday - but they needed a superb late save from goalkeeper Ashley Harrison to make sure. Despite dominating their Black Country hosts throughout Gulls had only Steve Parmenter's 32nd-minute
Southend United boss David Webb was left counting a catalogue of missed chances from his promotion chasers, following Saturday's 1-0 Roots Hall victory against Lincoln City. Ben Abbey notched his tenth goal of the season during the first-half to give
So much for the argument that putting former professional footballers on the fast-track up the refereeing ladder improves the standard of officials in the Football League. Colchester were leading this game 2-0 with more than an hour of the game gone when
A conman tricked his way into a 93-year-old wheelchair-bound woman's Manningtree home and stole £50. The pensioner, who lives at Ironside Walk next to Foundry Court, let the man in after he told her he worked for the water board. But when he left her
British Transport Police today praised quick-thinking railway staff who tackled a blaze after someone set fire to an evening train. As the 10.45pm Ipswich to Colchester train pulled out of Kelvedon station yesterday, the fire alarm went off and the driver
The national fund-raising centre for UNICEF based in mid-Essex was last week clearing the decks ready to take in cash for its India earthquake disaster appeal. Up to fifty volunteers are expected to be needed to process donations over the coming weeks
A consultant who stepped in to resuscitate his lifeless newborn baby is suing his former hospital for more than £50,000 damages. Gerard Lane, who until last year was head of Southend Hospital's Accident and Emergency department, stepped in when his daughter
You've heard of the Naked Chef. Now meet the naked taxi driver. Chris Parsons, 48, was forced to drive 40 miles through busy streets, naked from the waist down after falling into a pit of sewage. "It was the most embarrassing experience of my life," said
A man has been jailed for eight years after he used his pick-up truck in a revenge attack. Matthew Green was left with horrific injuries when the truck was used to attack him and his friend, Robert Carter, in a road in Mayland, near Maldon. At one point
A doctor who was struck off for having a "lunchtime affair" with a patient has failed in his bid to be reinstated. Former GP Dr Tim Pringle appeared before the General Medical Council in London on Thursday in a second bid to return to the profession.
Police are stepping up their controversial war on speed with the start of a new month-long offensive. Essex Police say the campaign, which started on Thursday will involve 200 officers from the road policing units across the county targeting speeding
The body of Ashley Fricker has been found - 56 days after the Aveley man disappeared. Police recovered his body from a 40ft deep gully in Crutched Friars in the City of London. A post mortem examination revealed that 21-year-old Ashley's injuries were
Government minister Alistair Darling is to extend his visit to Clacton by dropping in on youngsters and parents at a pilot project. The Secretary of State for Social Security had already agreed to meet up to 800 pensioners in a question and answer session
A Basildon firefighter who risked his life to save two children was among many honoured by fire service chiefs at a special ceremony in Brentwood. Alex Cullen, 33, part of the team who rescued children trapped in a blazing house in Woodland Avenue, Hutton
Detectives have attempted to prick the conscience of a murderer who has avoided capture for six years. Julie Norman, 32, was found bludgeoned to death in her Southend home six years ago on Friday but her killer has never been found. It is hoped a fresh
A plan to build a 25-acre reservoir at Cressing is, in reality, a 'gravel pit in disguise,' it has been claimed. The claim came as Witham town council backed a fight by residents in Cressing Road against a planning application by Strutt and Parker Farms
A conman tricked his way into a 93-year-old wheelchair-bound woman's Manningtree home and stole £50. The pensioner, who lives at Ironside Walk next to Foundry Court, let the man in after he told her he worked for the water board. But when he left her
Homesick midfielder Stuart Thurgood was more than happy to swap the land of the rising sun for a bitterly cold English winter with Southend United. The 19-year-old joined the Shrimpers on a free transfer last week, signing an 18 month contract at Roots
Anxious residents in Jaywick are joining a fight against plans to burn low-level radioactive waste at Bradwell Power Station. They have called for a meeting to be staged in Tendring to let people know exactly what is going on. Jaywick and Tudor Residents
On Saturday, Braintree & Bocking Swimming Club hosted an Essex Swimming League gala at the Harold Hill pool in Romford. Teams from Barking, Canvey Island, Eltham, Newham and Southend-on-Sea were also competing. In the first event, the girls' U11 4
Parents go face to face with Essex education chiefs for the first time tonight at a showdown meeting over the fate of an axe-threatened primary school. The county council announced shock proposals to shut Chapel Hill County School in Braintree more than
Ousted Southend United chairman John Main has published a 35-page document cataloguing his turbulent 21-month reign at Roots Hall. The former Shrimpers supremo was controversially kicked-off the Third Division club's board at an extraordinary meeting
Good things come in twos! A second contender for the world's longest legs title has emerged from Heybridge. Lisa Hall was the first to bid for the world record when she revealed last month she had 49 inch pins. But now there's some new legs on the block
Essex and England captain Nasser Hussain and the England party flew out from Heathrow this week to embark on a tour of Sri Lanka where they will play 11 matches that include three Tests and three One-day internationals. Certainly the credibility of the
Five Lakes took an experienced team to Toothill Golf Club in this years Daily Mail knockout tournament. The early morning frost made putting on the first nine greens something of a lottery although this did not stop Five Lakes star performer Darren Hall
One of the most prestigious cross-country events of the year ended in farce and almost certainly robbed Southend Athletic Club of team and individual gold medals at London's Parliament Hill Fields. Just five minutes after setting out on a three-kilometre
Police are putting extra officers on patrol and drawing up tactics for possible flash-point football matches in Colchester. Plans are being made to boost police presence at Colchester United's home matches against Millwall on Tuesday, Luton on March 31
A man died after a fire broke out in his Clacton home just yards from the town's fire station. Four firefighters dragged the 64-year-old from his one-bedroom sheltered accommodation flat at Howard Vyse Court, in St John's Road, after the blaze broke out
Ben Abbey's tenth goal of the season ended Southend United's barren run of form at Roots Hall against visitors Lincoln City. The 22-year-old headed home after 38 minutes, meeting a left-wing cross from Damon Searle at the near-post, giving Blues their
Housebuilding which the county could be forced to accommodate over the next 15 years is being resisted by Essex County Council. The county's executive board agreed last week to tell the government its strong objections to regional housing plans which
SATURDAY FA UMBRO TROPHY Round 4: Bilston Town 0, Canvey Island 1. RYMAN LEAGUE Premier Division: Farnborough Town 3, Grays Athletic 0. HADLEIGH CARPORT SOUTHEND BOROUGH COMBINATION Reserve Division: Sibar Sports 3 (Sexton, Jones, Webb), White Ensign
Waterlogged pitches again brought havoc to the local soccer programme with Billericay Town again being the major victims. The New Lodge side discovered early on Saturday morning that their FA Umbro Trophy fourth round tie at Dr Martens League Eastern
A 100-acre woodland at Hanningfield Reservoir has been enhanced by the planting of several hundred trees. The native species - including hawthorn, field maple, cherry, ash and oak - have come from Essex and Suffolk Water's works at Langford, near Maldon
Two thieves made their escape in the pitch black across muddy fields after their car crashed in Weeley following a till snatch in Colchester. The men's Vauxhall Astra had been spotted by traffic police and followed into the Tendring district. It ended
A diving club faces an uncertain future after being stopped from using Maldon's Blackwater Leisure Centre pool. Scuba 65, which instructs would-be divers and snorkellers in the pool between 6pm and 7pm on Saturdays, must find an alternative pool for six
Greed took over heavy-drinker Peter Abby when he latched on to a wealthy elderly man in ill health. In just over two years Abby fleeced more than £19,000 out of the man's various bank and building society accounts. Most of the money went on booze. Sometimes
Colchester United have been fined £10,000 by the Football Association for their part in an on-the-pitch brawl. The U's have been handed the hefty fine following the reckless tackle by Tony Lock on Wycombe Wanderers' Alan Beeton 12 minutes from the end
Essex Police's new campaign to target speeding drivers comes after a month which saw 11 people killed on Essex roads - and more than 50 accidents which resulted in serious injuries. The campaign will last for a month and involve more than 200 officers
Devastated restaurant owners watched helplessly as fire ripped through their business. North Hill in Colchester was sealed off to traffic and pedestrians as between 40 and 50 firefighters tackled the blaze at Monty's Restaurant on Saturday evening. The
Grieving parents have taken back organ tissue removed from their stillborn son for a post mortem examination. Robin and Roula Bray, of Shrub End Road, Colchester, discovered this week that 20 one-inch blocks of organ tissue were still being kept at Basildon
Colchester-based soldiers who served in war-torn Sierra Leone welcomed top MPs to their garrison. Members of the House of Commons defence select committee chatted to about 30 paras who flew to the west African state last May, at the height of the troubles
Proposals by Essex University to set up a research park in Colchester have been given a boost. A group set up by Colchester Council to promote the regeneration of east Colchester has offered its support to the plans for the park at the university's Wivenhoe
Colchester-based soldiers who served in war-torn Sierra Leone welcomed top MPs to their garrison. Members of the House of Commons defence select committee chatted to about 30 paras who flew to the west African state last May, at the height of the troubles
Proposals by Essex University to set up a research park in Colchester have been given a boost. A group set up by Colchester Council to promote the regeneration of east Colchester has offered its support to the plans for the park at the university's Wivenhoe
Thurrock Council has agreed to secure the short to medium term future of the Tilbury Ferry. Next Thursday's meeting of the cabinet is expected to approve the scheme. Cabinet member Nigel Barron confirmed that cash from the Government's Integrated Transport
A gang of "brazen" burglars searched a pensioner's house as she lay terrified in bed. The 76-year-old woman was asleep at her home in Laburnum Grove, Colchester, when three men came in through her bedroom window. The gang told the woman they were police
A 44-year-old man from Feering has admitted driving more than 100 miles an hour on the A12. Roy Wiggins, of The Street, appeared in front of Chelmsford magistrates on Thursday for driving faster than 70 mph. The court heard he was recorded by an officer
Mark Venus believes Ipswich Town should hold their heads up high - despite crashing to their fourth straight defeat against Leeds United. The Blues tumbled to a 2-1 reverse at Portman Road on Saturday and Venus had the dubious honour of scoring at both
World number seven Rod Harrington reached the semi-finals of the Eastbourne International Darts Open. But yesterday (Sunday) he bowed out to Steve Beaton in a shock 3-0 defeat, who then beat Roland Scholten in the final. The "Prince of Style" had a tough
Thousands of people have pledged their support for practice nurses across Tendring in their fight to secure fair pay and conditions. More than a dozen nurses who work at GP surgeries took to the streets of Clacton on Saturday with a petition which will
A fundraising drive to build a skate park is to be launched by South Woodham skateboarders and the town's youth council. As numbers of youngsters pursuing the sport increase in the area, parts of the town centre have been favoured for skating. But complaints
Council bosses have sensationally admitted the curtain will stay closed on Basildon's Towngate Theatre. Basildon Council leader, John Potter, and the authority's community and leisure committee chairman, Nigel Smith, stunned a press conference on Thursday
Green-minded Colchester councillors have backed a controversial proposal which may lead to the most polluting cars being banned from parts of the town. The idea of low emission zones - where only clean-fuelled vehicles could be driven - was one of four
An old building has been given a new look - with graffiti. But the colourful designs are all above board and the work of a team of youngsters, who have been helping brighten up the cafe in Central Park, Chelmsford. Chelmsford Youth Service Year 11 Scheme
Nightlife in Braintree is set to take off with the opening of a revamped bar and nightclub and the possibility of another new nightspot in the town centre. Flacks Inn is to be turned into a nightclub called H2O by Bishop's Stortford company Courtmead
Colchester residents have joined the fight against plans to burn low-level radioactive waste at Bradwell Power Station. More than 200 concerned residents signed a petition in just two days to support the town's campaign. That figure now totals nearly
In the match between Hunters CBC and their visitors, Chelmer Village, 12 games were played. At the halfway stage it was evenly matched at 3-3 but after the third session, Chelmer were leading 5-4. The last three saw an exciting finish, two games had been
Two carloads of 60mph boy racers are being sought after a crash which left a mother and her two children injured. Community leaders called it a reflection of life for residents of Chelmsford's Melbourne area, hit by youth crime and vandalism -- but pinpointed
High Street traders in Maldon are hoping shoppers will return to the town as new measures came into force to minimise the impact of roadworks. Part of the town's High Street was due to be closed during the day for two months but now it has been decided
Colchester residents have joined the fight against plans to burn low-level radioactive waste at Bradwell Power Station. More than 200 concerned residents signed a petition in just two days to support the town's campaign. That figure now totals nearly
The body of Ashley Fricker has been found - 56 days after the Aveley man disappeared. Police recovered his body from a 40ft deep gully in Crutched Friars in the City of London. A post mortem examination revealed that 21-year-old Ashley's injuries were
Security for residents on two estates has been given a cash boost. Chelmsford borough housing committee has pledged £6,000 - 15 per cent of the money needed - for security cameras to be installed at Meadgate and Melbourne Farm estates. This is a commitment
A year of achievements is being celebrated by Chelmsford Agency for Volunteering. Alison Semmence, the agency's director said: "New projects have got off to a flying start and volunteers from all walks of life continue to come and see us for information
Judging by the Barons' recent form, Saturday's League Cup encounter at Riverside should have been a tight affair, instead it ended as a romp for a much-improved Chieftains outfit. It was to prove a nightmarish night for Barons' goalkeepers Tom Ayres and
The mother of a young man killed trying to cross a dangerous stretch of the A127 in Basildon has called for greater protection for pedestrians. The plea came as it was revealed that proposals to erect safety barriers opposite the Mayflower Retail Park
Ousted Southend United chairman John Main has published a 35-page document cataloguing his turbulent 21-month reign at Roots Hall. The former Shrimpers supremo was controversially kicked-off the Third Division club's board at an extraordinary meeting
Judging by the Barons' recent form, Saturday's League Cup encounter at Riverside should have been a tight affair, instead it ended as a romp for a much-improved Chieftains outfit. It was to prove a nightmarish night for Barons' goalkeepers Tom Ayres and
Police are hunting brutal thugs who dragged a Grays taxi driver from his vehicle and beat him to the ground before stealing his cab. It happened at 2.15am yesterday (Sunday) as the cabbie waited for a fare on a garage forecourt near the Circus Tavern
Does Angling club have now agreed terms for a new five acre lake next season near to Maldon. At the moment it is being stocked with fish and plants, and this lake is an addition to six other well stocked lakes with a selection of different species of
A mum and her three children have been left homeless after a untended candle spakred a blaze which burned down their house. Two fire engines were called to the blaze in the front bedroom of a terraced house in Rowenhall, Basildon. The flames were quickly
An articulated lorry ploughed into the back of a coach carrying 46 Southend schoolchildren in dangerously foggy conditions on the M25. The coach was bringing Southend High School for Boys students and three teachers home from Kew Gardens, in west London
Wakering enjoys the distinction of being the driest spot in England and it was in the village that the majority of the seven Hadleigh Carport Southend Borough Combination games to beat the wet weather went ahead. The Reserve Division clash battle of the
Things have certainly tightened up in the Basildon and Thurrock district badminton association American League after Waterside A claimed four wins in the latest round of matches. For their latest clean sweep saw them close the gap on fourth placed East
Officials of the Schweppes Essex Senior League are hoping that the wet weather will relent to allow at least part of their full midweek programme to take place. Six League games and an Ancient Order of Foresters League Cup group match are due tomorrow
Members of the Ballards Gore Club are on course to achieve the dream of every golfer - by owning their own course at a cost of more than £2m. Brothers David and Geoff Caton, owners of the Canewdon complex which they built on farmland some 20 years ago
Westcliff GP Dr Nanjit Siani is anxiously waiting to hear from his wife who flew to Gujarat, India, only days before the devastating earthquake left up to 100,000 people dead. Nita Siani, 45, a community physiotherapist with Southend Healthcare Trust,
A high-profile crime-busting campaign has been launched by Essex Police. Operation Resolve will target hardened criminals and offences which most concern the public such as burglary, car theft and violence. The two-month initiative follows on from a similar
Detectives are hunting a man and woman who staged an armed raid on a motel. The couple, armed with a gun and a knife, attacked a middle-aged porter at Ye Olde Plough House Motel, in Bulphan. The victim handed over £200 after a gun was put to his ear.
More than 100 staff at a Basildon courier firm have lost their jobs. Workers at freight forwarding company Ontime Logistics in Hovefields Avenue were stunned when parent company Fastrack made the announcement. The news is the second blow to the district's
Flooded roads across the county brought an extra challenge to commuters travelling through Essex. The A127 was flooded with around six inches of water on both lanes of the London-bound track near Rayleigh Weir, causing long tailbacks. In peak rush-hour
A young woman was indecently assaulted by a man as they waited for a bus at a village stop. The 21-year-old victim, who has not been named by police, was groped by her attacker as they sat on a seat on the main B1035 road through Tendring. The woman ran
Staff at a leading Southend company are celebrating after it was named as one of the top 50 businesses for people to work at in the UK. The listing puts KeyMed at number 37 just as the firm begins a major expansion programme, taking turnover past the
Talented Taz of Popstars fame has hit the big time - despite being kicked out of the cult TV show. Taz Hassan, from Shoebury, entered LWT's unique competition to create a new pop band but narrowly lost out when the number of finalists were cut from 22
Various projects in Chelmsford and other parts of Essex have benefited from a £350,000 grant payout by the Essex Environment Trust. Among major beneficiaries is Chelmsford Community Recycling Programme, which receives nearly £55,000. Mill Race IT, currently
Headteachers from Southend have voiced their fears over staff shortages in south Essex. New figures show Southend has almost double the teacher shortage rate than the rest of Essex and more than three times that of parts of London. Although Essex has
