A former Chelmsford College student has tragically died on the day of his grandfather's funeral. James Cook, 24, died on Thursday morning on the way to his temporary job at Chelmsford Prison. His green MGF car left High Easter Road, High Easter, on a
A convoy of cyclists have saddled up to say a special thank you to a vital charity that helped to save the life of one of their members. A team from Ford Cycling Club are undertaking the ultimate challenge of pedalling from Lands End to John O'Groats
A swimming coach is starting an eight-year jail sentence after an "utterly depraved" and "manipulative" series of sexual attacks on teenage boys. Michael Drew, of Copperfields, Laindon admitted ten counts of indecent assault spanning 25 years while he
Police are baffled after thieves stole 13 chicks - including one with wonky feet. Lorraine Crayden, discovered almost half of her ten-week-old chicks had been stolen in the night. he 41-year-old only started breeding them a few short months ago for eggs
A woman escaped from her burning living room after the television exploded into flames. Rita Stocks had just got up and left the room when an electrical fault caused the TV to blow up, setting light to furniture and fittings. She rushed out of her ground
Stones were hurled by "mindless idiots" at three trains travelling at 80mph, smashing windows and putting lives at risk. One driver was left with shock after two windscreens and a side window were damaged in the incidents. Both of them happened within
Rochford Bowling Club battled to a 102-89 draw against South Benfleet BC in a friendly match involving three rinks for the men and two for the ladies. Club Captain John Horrex's rink had a four-shot success and the rink skipped by Joyce Edwards put up
Stuart Law launched an astonishing attack on the Essex management and his team-mates to fuel speculation that this might be his last season with the county. The overseas player hinted on Friday that he might not be playing for Essex once his contract
Two players were missing when Colchester United's footballers reported back to Layer Road for pre-season training today (Monday). Striker Steve McGavin and midfielder-cum-defender Aaron Skelton were both absent. But there was better news concerning the
A glowing report praising the work of staff at Leverton Hall secure unit for young people has been welcomed by Brentwood South county councillor Lionel Lee, who led the fight against it opening four years ago. He joined in the praise, saying: "It's very
Tributes have been paid to two young motorcyclists who died when they collided head-on, on the A120 at Wix. And police on Friday revealed they believe the two riders were pulling "wheelies" when they collided The front wheels of the Suzuki bikes, being
Teams wanting to play on Armada Sports five-a-side football tournament had better get their skates on. The club still has a couple of places open for the event on July 15 at the Post Office Sports and Social Club in Gardiners Way, Basildon. Armada are
The fact Wivenhoe Town are facing a "meaningless" season in the Ryman League next year is already having an impact on the division two club. Former co-managers Julian Hazel and Joff March have already left. Both were offered the vacant manager's job following
Medical-grade gas could go on sale in vending machines at some of Colchester's premier nightspots. The idea of selling pure filtered oxygen in nightclubs is now being looked at by the Hippodrome and Chicago Rock Cafe owners Luminar Leisure. Inhaling the
Seven protesters were arrested after a carnival and demonstration against genetically modified crops near Wivenhoe. But organisers of the carnival against the crop on Saturday say the event was an otherwise peaceful affair aimed at reminding people they
A £150,000-backed campaign could be launched to wage war on vandals in Maldon. A Government grant of more than £150,000 awarded to combat drugs in the district may be used to target yobs who have been making life a misery for residents, said Insp Kevin
A man has died in a head on collision in Maldon. Police were called at 12.20pm on Friday to the accident which took place in Limebrook Road, near the Safeway's roundabout. The man, who was driving a Mazda, and a woman, driving a Renault Clio, collided
More than 40 firefighters tackled a fierce timber yard fire which covered the equivalent of one-and-half football fields in Hawkwell on Sunday morning. Seven appliances, from Southend, Rochford, Leigh, Hadleigh and Rayleigh raced to the blaze which sent
Celebrations for the Harwich Festival have kicked off with a host of events. This year's festival organisers tried to get more young people involved, which was reflected in many of the events. Chairman of the festival committee Anna Rendell Knights, said
The days of merry olde England came to life as crowds flocked to Witham medieval fair. The fair, held at St Nicholas Church, Chipping Hill, Witham, on Saturday, raised funds for the upkeep of the church including installation of a pipe organ and redecoration
Northampton Town's Republic of Ireland international Dave Savage is the latest target for Colchester United boss Steve Whitton. With talks already lined up next week with out-of-contract Port Vale midfielder Tommy Widdrington, Whitton revealed on Thursday
Teenager Jenny Smith is jumping for joy after becoming the youngest trampoline coach in the country. But at 17, she is still too young to use her qualification and take her own classes. To do that she must wait another five months until she is 18. Jenny
A man needed hospital treatment after an incident outside a nightclub. The man, believed to be in his 60s, was involved in a fracas outside the Reflections nightclub in Dovercourt. He suffered facial injuries during the incident on Friday night and was
Westcliff Ladies 105-5 NE Essex 106-7 (NE Essex won by 3 wickets) Emily Tindell's brave all-round display failed to save Westcliff from defeat when NE Essex hit the winning runs with five balls to spare. Tindell, not normally renowned for her batting
A mother has told how she "got goosepimples" after seeing her son "hit" by a car in a shocking Government commercial designed to cut speed on Britain's roads. Lee Henry, of Church Street, Grays, appears in the new advertisement which shows graphically
Mid-Essex Horsewatch is gearing up for its country show. The event on Sunday September 9 will take place at the old race course, Rectory Lane, Woodham Mortimer. Last year the event raised £1,200 which was split between local charities and this year the
The Brentwood and Billericay group of the essex Wildlife Trust will be holding its ninth annual art exhibition in which Essex artists exhibit and sell their work in aid of the Trust this month. This year the exhibition spans two weekends, running from
Are you entering a non-smoking pub? You may soon be able to find out as Maldon district pubs are being urged to display signs stating whether they have non-smoking facilities. With it being illegal to smoke in public places in some parts of America, landlords
Biker John Churn died after his machine crashed in Little Wakering on Saturday. The 27-year-old, of The Woodlands, Shoebury, lost control of his Kawasaki along Barrows Hall Lane. There were no other vehicles involved. Meanwhile a family travelling on
One man died and two were seriously injured in a spate of accidents on mid-Essex roads. An 18-year-old man from Braintree was taken to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, after he fell from his bicycle early on Sunday morning. The accident happened as three
A group of Essex Special Constables failed to beat a bizarre world record. They had set themselves the task of printing postcodes on as many bicycles as possible within four hours. They were trying to beat the current record of 841, held by Lancashire
The parents of a teenager killed in an A120 crash have spoken out after a lorry driver was jailed for causing death by dangerous driving. Trucker John Purkiss was jailed for three years on Thursday. His vehicle had ploughed into a Ford Fiesta on Braintree
A 27-year-old woman had to be raced to a London hospital by air ambulance after the car in which she was a passenger was involved in a collision with a van at an Aveley road junction. The accident occurred at around 1.30pm on Saturday when a white Renault
An entire family travelling on the A13 in Basildon had to be taken to hospital after their vehicle careered off the road, crashed through a barrier and ended up in a field. Traffic police believe the Ford Mondeo, which was on the road between the Five
More than £1,000 has been raised for Harold's Saint Francis Hospice through the brave efforts of an eight-year-old girl. Paige Walsh, from Cranham, became a star for the day when she had her hair, which reached past her knees, cut off to raise money for
Organisers at a carnival have been overwhelmed by the public's response. There was a huge turnout for the Great Bentley carnival on Saturday, which took place on the village's famous green. Processions, stalls and events of all kinds went on throughout
A ground-breaking identity card scheme is being launched this week by a group to combat under-age drinking. More than 30 pubs and clubs are part of Colchester's Pubwatch scheme, most of them in the town centre. Pubwatch will start issuing its own identity
A soldier is set to be kicked out of the Army for hitting a woman with a bottle. Benjamin Rhodes did not realise he was holding the bottle at the time he hit the woman, and a court heardhow he would be dismissed from the services if he was jailed. But
Police have issued a warning against a hoax letter, which is being circulated around Havering. The letter, which has been received by a number of schools and individuals, claims there are stick on tattoos in circulation, which have been impregnated with
Westwood Karate Club returned with four first places, a second and two thirds when they sent a team to Ferrara in Italy to take on worldwide opposition in an under-15 kata event sponsored by the Disney Corporation. Opponents came from Israel, Cyprus,
Have-a-go heroes, one a 77-year-old woman, stood up to criminals in three separate incidents. A pensioner was shopping in Sainsbury's at Tollgate, Stanway, when one of two females, thought to be in their teens, tried to snatch her handbag. But the woman
Police have seized cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £250,000 after a raid on a house in Bradwell, near Braintree. Officers from the tactical team at Braintree went to the house on Thursday evening and found 350 of the plants and a variety
Parts of one of the main roads in and out of Southend could remain closed for up to two months. Police revealed that one of the north-bound lanes on Victoria Avenue could be closed for eight weeks after an inferno gutted two derelict buildings on Thursday
Southend was victorious on Friday after a £5.4million Euro cash injection was finally agreed. Civic chiefs had waited at least 18 months for definite news of the European Union's Objective Two funding which will change the face of Southend. It means the
A gas explosion shot twisted metal hundreds of feet through the air and set a car yard ablaze. The force of the blast rocked the Hythe area of Colchester shortly after 1pm on Thursday and dense black smoke from the ensuing fire engulfed surrounding roads
Tough new targets, including cuts in waiting lists, have been set by Mid Essex Hospitals Trust in its business plan for 2001/2. Details of the plan were revealed this week, setting out how the trust is responding to the directives in the Government's
Wimbledon has ended in disappointment for Basildon's Helen Crook after she and partner Victoria Davies lost in straight sets in the first round. Crook and Davies were on Court 19 on Wednesday facing tenth seeds Alexandra Fusai and Rita Grande. Helen and
Rayleigh swimmer Nathalie Brown is relishing the challenge of her first major event after being selected to compete for Britain at the World Championships in Japan. The 17-year-old has represented the country at junior events and grand prix meetings since
A total of 2,500 homes and businesses in Chelmsford were left without electricity on Thursday, when an underground cable fault caused a power cut. The fault occurred in an 11,000 volt underground cable between Widford sub station and the Widford Industrial
A bomb-type device was left in a Colchester art gallery. The burglar alarm went off at the Minories gallery on East Hill at 12.17am on Friday. Police investigating found an incendiary device in the main gallery. Officers also found fireworks on the floor
The number of deliberately started fires in south Essex has now reached 18 in just a few weeks. Fire and police chiefs on Friday joined in condemning arsonists after firefighters risked their own lives searching the flats for youngsters possibly trapped
Chart-topping band Steps on Friday made an high-profile appeal for Danielle Jones to come home. It came as police revealed a mobile phone message had been sent from Danielle's mobile phone after she vanished. The five-member band - the 15-year-old's favourite
Colchester Council is investigating a money-spinning efficiency drive to sell off some or all of its many offices and move under one roof - possibly at the Royal London building. Steve Clarke, of the council's estates department, said he thought the sprawling
More than £100,000 has been spent on a new learning block at a village school near Colchester. An extra teacher will be appointed next year when the new £105,000 wing at St Lawrence Primary, Rowhedge, opens. The new block includes a giant classroom, which
Police and publicans in Colchester are joining forces to combat the date-rape drug menace. The Essex force is already training specialist officers countywide after a woman was attacked in Chelmsford after a tranquilising drug was slipped into her drink
A teenager had his ear nearly bitten off and his friend was beaten unconscious in what police are describing as a violent and unprovoked attack outside a Basildon nightclub. Three young men - aged between 17 and 21 - had just left the Ikon nightclub on
Children and parents in Jaywick and West Clacton are to benefit from a new initiative which will see more than £1.5 million pumped into the community. The Government has accepted a bid by the area to join its Sure Start programme aimed at giving youngsters
Colchester United manager Steve Whitton has confirmed the U's will be hosting attractive pre-season friendlies against Charlton Athletic, Norwich City and Wimbledon. Premiership Charlton, captained by former U's favourite Mark Kinsella will be coming
Visitors are invited to Hopefield Animal Sanctuary for its annual open day this Sunday. Admission to the event on Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, which runs from 1 to 5pm, is £2 for adults and 50p for children under 14. As well as meeting the animals who
Maldon Tourist Information Centre may not be moving to the King's Head Centre after all. Earlier this year councillors had given the go-ahead to move the centre from its current position in Coach Lane. But chief executive Steve Packham said a report will
The future of a troubled Colchester playground could be discussed as an emergency item at a council meeting. Members of St Anne's Consultative Forum agreed to write to Colchester Council asking for the Cabinet to discuss the matter urgently when it met
Colchester United boss Steve Whitton is expecting his out-of-contract stars Gavin Johnson and Joe Keith to return to Layer Road for pre-season training today (Monday). But the U's chief confessed on Friday he had no idea whether Aaron Skelton or Steve
Essex spent the day in the field yesterday (Sunday) as Australia settled for a draw to get in batting practice ahead of the First Test. There had been expectation the visitors to the County Ground would declare at lunch giving Essex a second innings.
PREMIER DIVISION Colchester & East Essex 166 Saffron Walden 167-2 (S Walden won by eight wickets) Fives & Heronians 247-4 dec Gidea Park & Romford 210-9 (Match drawn) Horndon on the Hill 156 Hadleigh & Thundersley 160-5 (Hadleigh won by
For more information about the Shepherd Neame Essex League, click here PREMIER DIVISION Fives &Heronians v Loughton Hainault &Clayhall v Colchester Horndon v Wanstead Saffron Walden v Gidea Pk & Rom Shenfield v Hadleigh FIRST DIVISION Billericay
Witham post office is moving 100 yards up the road to new premises. At the moment the single counter operation is at 70 Newland Street, but on July 19 it is set to move in to the back of McColl's Newsagent at 76 Newland Street and it will reopen on July
The widow of millionaire Tony Fetherston has said she was "very pleased" to hear reports a man had been charged in connection with her husband's death. Tony Fetherston, 67, was shot at his luxury home on the West Indian island of St Kitts by a gunman
Hundreds of letters have been sent out to villagers resurrecting divides over a controversial housing development that was axed months ago. Wickham Bishops Parish Council submitted a planning application for 26 homes for the village but in August, 2000
Time is running out to design your poster to raise awareness of an issue that is all too often hidden behind net curtains. The Brentwood Domestic Violence Forum has organised a poster competition to promote understanding and awareness of domestic violence
Roger Osborne will always be remembered as the man who scored the winning goal at Wembley to bring the FA Cup to Ipswich Town. He also boasts legendary Dutch ace Johan Cruyff's Barcelona shirt among his many souvenirs. But one thing that will surprise
A pensioner has died from injuries he suffered after an accident on his bike. Harold Hart, 70, of Mason Road, Clacton, was riding his green bicycle on Bromley Road towards Ardleigh, on June 20, when the incident happened. Police are appealing for witnesses
The Raj Restaurant, Mill Road, Maldon is preparing for a mammoth fundraising task - of creating 8,000 chicken biriyani and vegetable curries for charity. The attempt on Sunday starts at 12pm and runs until 8pm and is aiming to raise cash for Essex Air
Rail bosses on the First Great Eastern line have been ordered to crack down on the number of drivers jumping red lights. Safety chiefs wrote to the company ordering it to take urgent action following revelations that more red lights were passed from April
The vicar of a cash-starved Chelmsford church may have to put up her own money for vital work to be done there. After Moulsham Lodge's St Luke's pays its annual quota of around £28,000 for clergy and running costs through the collection plate, there is
A woman-hating iguana is on the loose after disappearing from its home. The public were warned not to approach the reptile, which is three-and-a-half feet long with claws and a long tail which it may use to whip people, especially anyone trying to pick
Police have appealed for help after a man suffered a punctured lung in a suspected stabbing at a Clacton nightclub. The 20-year-old man from Clacton suffered two puncture wounds to his lower back at the Rumours Two nightclub in Rosemary Road, Clacton,
More than 40 firefighters braved exploding gas cylinders and sparking electrical cables to tackle a huge timber fire. Seven engines from Southend, Rochford, Leigh, Hadleigh and Rayleigh, raced to the blaze in Hawkwell, which sent 100ft flames and huge
A five-year-old girl walked miles alone along a beach after getting lost. The girl had been on an outing with her Sunday school on Hipkins Beach at Walton when she went missing, just after 1.30pm on Saturday. A group including her mother and wheelchair-bound
Holes were dug and shrubs planted as youngsters from Noak Bridge Primary School showed their community spirit. The children met members of the Noak Bridge Community Association and helped renovate the marshy land around a pond near their school in Coppice
Arsonists were believed to have started an inferno which ripped through two derelict flats and a shop in the centre of Southend. Victoria Avenue remained shut on Friday after 50 firefighters on eight fire engines from across south Essex spent most of
Two terrified 16-year-olds were attacked by robbers who beat them about the heads with a table leg and threatened them with a dog. One of the boys was bitten by the animal, described as a pit-bull, during the assault near Colchester Arts Centre on Thursday
Horndon-on-the-Hill 156 Hadleigh &Thundersley 160-5 (Hadleigh won by five wickets) Hadleigh completed a comprehensive Premier League double over Horndon with this latest scalp. The bowling exploits of Steve Brown (5-50) and Andy Mayers (2-23) helped
A worried mother has issued a warning after her seven-year-old daughter's potentially dangerous medical pen loaded with adrenaline was lost. Mary Turner, of Rochester Way, Basildon, told how the Epi-Pen has been lost in the Craylands area near her home
