Archive

  • Southend, Chelmsford: Weather map feud

    Southend has claimed a partial victory in a stormy feud with Chelmsford - over which town should appear on a BBC weather map. Newsroom South East has always featured Chelmsford on the forecaster's diagram. TV chiefs dismissed complaints from Southend,

  • Havering: Helpline busy as fears grow over body parts

    More than 100 anxious relatives have called a helpline set up by Havering Hospitals NHS Trust to deal with enquiries about the storage of dead patients' organs. The Trust, which includes Oldchurch and Harold Wood hospitals, admitted last week that organs

  • Tiptree: Firm's capital card showcase

    Essex firm the Cardboard Furniture Company will be showcasing its innovative chairs and other products at a specialist trade show in London next month. The Tiptree-based business - which is about to move closer to Colchester - will be showing how its

  • Angling round-up: Pike are splash hits at Aquatels...

    Pike are still the dominant species being targeted by anglers at Basildon's Aquatels fishery. Season ticket holder Dean Robertson has taken numerous predators throughout the week culminating with fish of 12lb 8oz and 13lb 4oz. Dean has been fishing the

  • Colchester: Council wins green award

    Colchester Council's pledge to be green and clean has won it a prestigious Government award. It received Beacon Council status for the quality of its environmental services for the year 2001/2. It is one of just five councils in the country to be given

  • Maldon: Youths quizzed over hoax bomb

    Police are quizzing two youths over a hoax bomb found in Maldon. The device - containing nuts and bolts - was found outside Maldon Court School by a passer-by who took it home and raised the alarm. Police and bomb disposal experts were called to the private

  • Colchester: Golf ball vandals caught on camera

    Vandals who fired golf balls at the windows of a school were caught on a security camera. Police are now examining the film of the attack on Hazelmere Junior School, Greenstead, Colchester, which happened on Sunday night. The vandals caused about £700

  • Jaywick: Community bus for elderly

    Angry bus passengers in Jaywick look set to win their battle to retain part of their service which was taken away by First Eastern National. Changes came into effect last month which meant people in Clacton, Jaywick, Frinton and Walton all had to put

  • Colchester: Cast away to help save coral reefs

    Living in a hut on a tropical island while coming up with a plan to save coral reefs from being ripped apart by "dynamite fishing" - will be part of the trip of a lifetime for James Fowler. James, 17, of Firstore Drive, Lexden, has just been selected

  • Braintree: Parents rally to save school

    It was standing room only as 100 angry parents gave Essex education chiefs a two-hour grilling over the fate of a primary school facing the axe. Emotions have run high since Essex County Council revealed Chapel Hill County School in Braintree could be

  • Pitsea: Veteran blood donor is honoured

    Thomas Bysouth may have saved the lives of 225 people he has never even met. Thomas, 63, of Wythefield, Pitsea, a regular blood donor for 44 years, has now given his 75th pint. To honour him, the National Blood Service presented him with a crystal plate

  • Essex: Householders count cost of floods

    Householders are picking up the pieces after flooding caused thousands of pounds of damage. Firefighters were called to pump out several homes across north Essex on Tuesday afternoon including two in East Road, East Mersea, and Wig Cottage in Wig Lane

  • Basildon: Council doing well

    Basildon Council is celebrating after national performance tables have shown that its services are above the county average in more than half the areas measured. The Audit Commission makes almost 100 separate measures to assess the performance of councils

  • Witham: Bored youths lead to a rise in crime

    Fears about the rise in crime following the closure of Witham's cyber cafe have been realised. At a meeting of Witham Town Council's community services committee last night, Sgt David Bauckley, of Witham police, revealed an increase in calls to the Humber

  • South Essex: Search for volunteers to help addicts

    Volunteers are being sought to help people struggling to recover from drug and alcohol abuse. South Essex Mental Health and Community Care NHS Trust runs three treatment centres across south east Essex at Rochford Hospital, Grays and Pitsea. The services

  • Soccer: U's stadium plans to be unveiled

    Plans for a 10,000-seater community football stadium in Colchester are set to be unveiled. Months of speculation have surrounded how Colchester United's new stadium might look. Drawings by architects Kirlees Stadia Consultancy will be part of the presentation

  • Soccer: Clapham tips Town to take point

    Jamie Clapham has tipped Ipswich Town to claim at least a point from their trip to Arsenal on Saturday - if they can reproduce their form of last weekend. The Blues crashed to a 2-1 defeat against Leeds United at Portman Road but midfielder Clapham was

  • Boxing: Delaneys champing at the bit

    Frustrations continue to pile up for Brentwood cruiserweight Garry Delaney. He has been left kicking his heels again after last week's contest at the Caf Royal, London turned out to be a non-event, the contest being cancelled just hours beforehand after

  • Billericay: Llydia goes for a colourful career

    Llydia Bannocks, deputy manager at the Colour Studio at Headlines, the Billericay hair salon, has been presented with a L'Oreal Colour Specialist Degree - one of only twenty to be presented across the UK. She is the third one in the Headlines team - her

  • Soccer: Burley's mystery bid rejected

    George Burley has failed in his bid to land a mystery seven-figure Premiership player. The Ipswich Town boss confirmed his offer - thought to be for Manchester United starlet Mark Wilson - had been rejected. Another player thought to have caught Burley's

  • Essex: Wildlife picture could win you top award

    If you track wildlife with a camera, whether as an amateur or professional, you could win fame and fortune by entering the BBC Wildlife Magazine and Natural History Museum backed Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, sponsored by BG, the gas-based

  • South Essex: Interesting Steve’s back on air

    Six-time world snooker champion Steve Davis will be baring his soul on radio now Phoenix FM is back on the airwaves. Steve, who lives in Stondon Massey, hosts a twice-weekly show of soul sounds on the station, on 87.7FM. The 43-year-old snooker star has

  • Colchester: Hague set for flying visit?

    Tory leader William Hague may visit Colchester in the next two weeks. A Conservative source said plans are being drawn up for the opposition leader to come to the town on February 16, as speculation about a General Election mounts. "There is a possibility

  • Essex: EU funding seminar

    A county-council backed seminar to help small and medium sized businesses find out more about some Euro funding is being held at County Hall this month. The Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) makes cash available for research and technological development

  • South Essex: Graphic appeal over crime project

    Police are looking for budding designers to help them the launch of a new campaign against hate crime. They want an eye-catching logo for the 'Hate Crime - A Menace in Society 2001' campaign which is being launched this summer in south Essex. The campaign

  • Ongar: Parents step up phone mast fight

    Concerned Ongar parents have stepped up their fight to have a mobile phone mast removed from the corner of Chipping Ongar Primary School's field by forming an action group. Following an informal meeting in St James church hall called by campaigning Woodland

  • Essex: Youngsters make political history

    Essex youngsters took part in a historic election when they voted for who they wanted to represent them at the first UK Youth Parliament. During the election, held at County Hall in Chelmsford, young people were able to raise the issues which really mattered

  • Chelmsford: Tragic death of remand prisoner

    A remand prisoner at Chelmsford prison died as a result of "a planned hoax hanging that went tragically wrong". An inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death on Lee Adams who died at Colchester General Hospital on November 1, 1999 - the day after

  • Chelmsford: Police hunt for gunman

    Police launched a manhunt for a gunman who terrorised four people in Chelmsford. Twenty police officers - including the police helicopter and dog handlers - hunted for the robber who demanded cash from two teenage girls and stole £80 from a Chinese takeaway

  • Basildon: Armed robberies are linked say police

    Detectives have been linking three terrifying gun robberies at shops in Basildon. Officers investigating the raids in which staff had guns and wooden bats pointed at them believe the same people are responsible. There is also strong evidence to suggest

  • Mid-Essex: Bagpiper is dead

    A well-known man has been found dead in a freezing cold mid Essex canal. Folk music-loving Rodney Wright, 59, was dragged from the water from underneath the boat in which he lived at Heybridge Basin. Mr Wright, a diabetic, had been reported missing on

  • Castle Point: Elderly residents fight for wardens

    More than 200 campaigners - twice as many as before - were planning to picket a crucial meeting last night (Tuesday) to decide the future of Castle Point's sheltered housing wardens. The borough's council chamber in Kiln Road, Thundersley, was due to

  • Harwich: Port on motorway signs

    Long-awaited signs to direct motorists from the M25 to Harwich will be installed in the next few months. Tendring Council has been calling for the signs since 1998 when businesses operating out of Harwich International Port raised the issue. The council

  • Braintree: TV fame for the Morris minors

    Meet Essex's answer to the Redgraves. With the amount of experience they already have between them Sam, Liberty and Carita Morris could be the next in a long line of theatrical siblings to dominate both stage and screen. Sam, 13, was the first to hit

  • Clacton, Jaywick: Support grows for return of GP

    Support is growing for a suspended GP whose future is hanging in the balance. About 100 people have signed a petition in just two days calling for Dr Salah Garas's return to his surgeries in Golf Green Road, Jaywick, and Nayland Drive, Clacton. It is

  • Thorpe: Heroic hound saves homeowners

    A dog is believed to have saved its master's life by raising the alarm when a fire broke out at a house in Thorpe. The Jack Russell started barking after candles on top of a television started to burn down, sparking the blaze at about 11.40pm on Monday

  • Tendring: Firm register call

    A list of approved builders and tradesmen could be available in Tendring - if a national pilot scheme proves successful. Disabled Peter Hayns, 51, who lives in Clacton, called for a register to be set up after twice being caught out with work at his home

  • Soccer: Waiting game over for U's

    The long wait is over - Colchester United have played a League game at Layer Road for the first time in 46 days. But even this one was placed in jeopardy by a torrential cloudburst just over half-an-hour before kick-off. The aptly-named referee Tony Leake

  • Soccer: Brave U's fail to tame Lions

    Table-topping manager Mark McGhee was the most relieved man in the ground after watching his title-chasing Millwall squad chalk-up a League double over plucky Colchester United. "We've never been put under so much pressure this season as Colchester made

  • Soccer: Mud suits Posh better than Blues

    Southend United's reserve team crashed to defeat against ten-man Peterborough United at Roots Hall in the Avon Insurance Combination League. On a muddy quagmire of a pitch, Blues fell behind after 13 minutes yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon when Posh midfielder

  • Harold Hill: Date set for this year’s summer extravaganza

    A date has been set for this year's Summer Fun Day at Central Park, Harold Hill. The repeat event will go ahead on Saturday July 21 at the playground on Gooshays Drive, behind the swimming pool, with organisers vowing that this year's extravaganza will

  • Colchester: All tied up to raise earthquake funds

    Two teenagers proved how binding their friendship was - by tying themselves together for 48 hours to raise money for charity. Kelly Oakley and Angela Conway, of St Benedict's College, Colchester, joined themselves at the wrist for two days to make cash

  • Colchester: Tourist attraction idea for hospital

    A man who would "hate to see" St Mary's Hospital "flattened" has called for the building to be listed and turned into a unique tourist attraction for Colchester. Last October, the former hospital site, off Balkerne Hill, Colchester, was finally sold by

  • South Essex: Railmen grapple with landslip

    Work is continuing to restore normal rail services after a landslip caused severe delays to trains running between Southend Victoria and Liverpool Street. Problems arose after the earth slipped onto the rail line between Billericay stations prompting

  • Braintree: Man stole pensions from dead

    A sub-postmaster is facing jail after admitting using pension books from dead people to claim the money himself. Kerry Peck, 48, who runs Tye Green Post Office Stores in Braintree, stole £2,804.32. Magistrates heard how Peck, who also lives at the post

  • Essex: Anti-bullying scheme

    Bullying in schools is a persistent problem for both pupils and staff alike. A new scheme based in Essex aims to combat the difficulties faced on a daily basis. The scheme uses a workshop delivered in each school, which is run by the London Bus Theatre

  • South Essex: Landslip hits rail services

    A landslip has plunged commuter rail services from Southend to Liverpool Street into chaos and will cause disruption for the next two days. Commuters, who faced a second day of travel chaos after Monday's tube strikes and flooding on the roads, were told

  • Southend: Praise for Straw's asylum seeker plan

    Southend council leader Charles Latham has given firm backing to "get tough" tactics proposed for asylum seekers. Under a scheme announced by Home Secretary Jack Straw yesterday (Tuesday), refugees would be restricted to claiming asylum in the first safe

  • Clacton: Asbestos find at bingo hall

    Bosses at a major entertainment complex in Clacton have reassured customers and neighbours about safety after asbestos was discovered in the building. The Gala Club, which operates the bingo hall and Flicks cinema in Pier Avenue, made the find when work

  • Southend: Tip pay plan 'unfair'

    A decision by Southend Council to charge non-residents to dump waste at the borough's tips has sparked anger from neighbouring councils. Southend has decided to replace the barriers at the tips, which stop commercial trucks dumping rubbish, with a free

  • Brentwood, Ongar: Schools 'let down' over funding

    Brentwood schools which believed they were to get an extra £30,000 each from the Government will know better next time, says Brentwood and Ongar MP Eric Pickles. He claims that the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, indicated that each secondary school would be

  • Harold Hill: Officers commended in nuisance neighbour case

    Two Harold Hill police officers have been commended for their efforts, which led to the arrest and conviction of a man who caused misery to his neighbours for nearly a decade. PC Mark Cleal and PC Trevor White were honored last week and awarded the Borough

  • Woodham Walter: Hunt charge acquittal

    A woman has been cleared of deliberately driving at horses at a hunt meeting. The prosecution at Chelmsford Crown Court had alleged Diane Allen hit a horse called Percy as she drove down a narrow lane in Woodham Walter on March 11 last year. She was charged

  • Colchester: Fresh bid to move market back

    A fresh bid is being launched to move Colchester's market back to the High Street. The market has been in Vineyard Street for about seven years, but traders want to see it returned to its former site. They are taking Colchester councillor Christopher

  • Brentwood: Distribution firm knows how to deliver

    Brentwood distribution centre Railstore has come in for praise from one of the leading IT cable network equipment companies, and new contracts from a number of new customers. P&I Data Services Ltd (PANDI) has handed its contract for the storage and

  • Brentwood: Olympic champ backs fundraiser

    The Brentwood Centre will be teaming up with sports centres across the county next month to support Comic Relief. Five-time Olympic champion Steve Redgrave is supporting the sponsored rowing events at the sports halls, encouraging people to raise money

  • Clacton: Motorist's stand over parking

    An angry resident has refused to pay two parking tickets slapped on his car in the road where he lives Mark Boyden, of St Andrew's Road, Clacton, said that he was prepared to go to court, rather than cough up the £60 for the fixed penalty fines incurred

  • Essex: Bid to reduce county’s new housing targets

    The amount of housebuilding the county could be forced to accommodate over the next 15 years continues to be resisted by Essex County Council. The county's executive board has agreed to tell the Government that it strongly objects to the new regional

  • Soccer: City sign Ipswich defender

    Chelmsford City have strengthened their squad by signing promising young Ipswich Town Reserve defender Steven Moffatt. Scottish-born Moffatt, 19, a product of the Portman Road academy set-up, went straight into the left-back position for Saturday's tough

  • Cricket: Essex vs Australia likely to be sell-out

    Tickets for the Essex versus Australia three day match on June 29, June 30 and July 1, to be played at the County Ground, Chelmsford go on sale today. The friendly fixture, despite being more than five months away, is already attracting a lot of enquiries

  • Soccer: Valiant Colchester denied point

    Colchester may have lost to Millwall but they won the hearts of their fans in their first home game in 46 days at Layer Road. A succession of bad weather had prevented home matches but the game against league leaders Millwall was given the green light

  • Hockey: Flynn cracks home leveller

    Mark Flynn came to Old Southendian's rescue as they salvaged a 1-1 draw with Dereham in their Crowe Insurance Premier B match. Old Boys opened with a display of flowing hockey, but it was Dereham who took the lead after a neat breakaway. However, Flynn

  • Brentwood: Boom time brings challenges

    Booming Brentwood is riding high in the UK's prosperity league, with high incomes and low unemployment, according to a new report, but this is creating new challenges for the town. The Wealth of the Nation Report 2001, based on summer 2000 figures collated

  • Essex: Farmers fighting back against residential takeover

    More agricultural land is coming onto the market, but Essex farmers are fighting back against a tide of non-agricultural wealth buying up homes and land in the county, it was reported this week. "With more and more of these non-agricultural buyers, often

  • West Bergholt: Parents' fight for education

    The parents of an eight-year-old boy with severe learning difficulties are locked in a battle with Essex County Council over his education. They have said they are so concerned about him going to a suitable school, they say they are prepared to move house

  • Braintree: Cyclist attacks young mum

    Police are looking for a cyclist who attacked a young mum in Braintree. The attack happened yesterday (Tuesday) at 11.45am when the 21-year-old mum was robbed by a teenage cyclist, who made off with about £70. She had just collected the money from a post

  • Benfleet: Teacher crisis deepens

    A Benfleet secondary school has been forced to appoint a former primary school teacher to its staff as the growing recruitment crisis bites. While the teacher concerned is fully qualified and extremely able to do the job, Appleton School headteacher Guy

  • Mid-Essex: Teenager stole bus and called police

    A teenager who stole a bus and led police in a three-hour, 14-car chase has been sent to a young offender's institution for five months. At Witham Youth Court the 17-year-old was sentenced to five months' detention, five months' training on his release

  • North Essex: New deadline on Bradwell waste plans

    Campaigners were celebrating today after the consultation period for British Nuclear Fuel's plans to burn low-level radioactive waste at Bradwell Power Station was extended. The Environment Agency decided to make the move after pleas from a large number

  • Chelmsford: Masked raiders in armed robbery bid

    Two men - one wearing a horror mask - held a schoolboy at knifepoint in a bid to raid a mid-Essex petrol station. They burst into Jones of Chelmsford in Baddow Road carrying long kitchen knives. One was wearing a balaclava while the other had on a horror

  • South Essex: News shorts: £70,000 haul...

    A truck and its cargo worth nearly £70,000 were stolen from a Basildon industrial estate. The white Mercedes lorry, registration M405 EPV, was driven from the Basildon Business Centre in Bentalls Road with its cargo of tiles, light meters and volt meters

  • Canvey: Takeaway 'step closer'

    Plans to turn the old Canvey Market into a drive-through takeaway are a step closer to becoming a reality. Councillors have met Bryan Watts, owner of the market site in Canvey High Street, to discuss the restaurant's future and allay locals' fears. Worried

  • Essex: Sweeteners to woo teachers

    Private health care, special mortgage deals and childcare centres will act as incentives in a bid to solve Essex's teacher shortage. The scale and depth of the current crisis was outlined at a meeting of Essex County Council's learning services select