An 85-year-old Colchester man used walking sticks to cut power to his cooker after a chip pan fire started. Then Alfred Nickoll, whose Oaklands Avenue home was smoke and fire-damaged by the blaze, used damp towels to smother the flaming pan before neighbours
Essex Police have scotched a terrorism scare story doing the rounds across the county. The tale involves a good Samaritan who returns a dropped wallet stuffed with money to a middle-eastern man. As a reward, the man warns him to stay out of London on
Building work is about to begin on the first Helen Rollason Cancer Care Centre. A four-bedroom detached house in Springfield, Chelmsford, will form the base of the cancer care centre, which will offer complementary therapies, counselling and drop-in facilities
Pupils at Chelmsford's New Hall School had a devil of a time when authoress Fay Weldon came to visit. Weldon, best known for her feminist classic The Lives and Loves of a She Devil, was at the school on Wednesday, to talk to pupils and sign books as part
City were indebted to Kris Lee's injury time strike which kept their FA Cup dreams alive, having squandered a hatful of chances against Ryman League Division One side Harlow Town. Paul Parker's men remain in the draw for the 4th Qualifying Round, though
Stevenage Borough winger Adrian Clarke is eagerly awaiting Southend United's visit to Broadhall Way for this evening's (Monday's) LDV Vans Trophy first round clash. The former Shrimpers wideman is looking forward to facing his old team and is hoping the
Rescuers smashed a hole through a brick wall to free a cat which had been trapped for three days. Skippy, the black and white long-haired moggy, used up one of its nine lives when it became wedged in a narrow cavity between two houses. The fortunate feline
Essex Police and road safety officers from Uttlesford District Council were in Saffron Walden this week, reminding paper shop owners and teenagers delivering papers about the need for lights on their bikes. The officers visited shop owners and talked
Shoppers were evacuated while a bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion on a briefcase. Police were called to Basildon town centre after a plastic briefcase was seen lying on a slope outside the Marks and Spencer's store. A police spokesman
Tendring's two maternity units are celebrating a major cash windfall of more than £500,000 to modernise facilities. Harwich Maternity Unit, at Harwich Hospital, will receive £461,036 while the unit at Clacton Hospital will get £96,100, it was announced
Further redundancies have been made at one of Clacton's longest-established firms. Less than a month after the first set of redundancies, Pickering Electronics on the Gorse Lane Industrial Estate has axed another group of workers. For the first time in
Maternity facilities in north Essex are to undergo major improvements following a £1m funding boost announced on Thursday. The money is from the Department of Health's modernisation fund, secured by North Essex Health Authority on behalf of three Essex
The end of the college deal was the second blow in a fortnight to hit developers Martin Dawn. Students at South East Essex College expressed their disappointment at the setback. Sam Hopkins, 17, said: "It's disappointing because it's not going to give
The breakdown of the two-pronged deal to regenerate Southend's town centre and boost higher education has been branded "a major blow". However, civic bosses have vowed to help the college resurrect the plan. Southend Council's deputy leader Roger Weaver
A new multi-million pound fitness club will bring 25 new jobs to Colchester. Health club operator Bannatyne Fitness has bought the former BT call centre, which closed earlier this year, on Whitehall Industrial Estate. And work, which is expected to cost
A former Colchester Royal Grammar School pupil is filming relief work in Pakistan as an aid agency helps Afghan refugees from the conflict in Afghanistan. Keith Lynch, 37, from the Colchester area, is working with Christian Aid's broadcasting and digital
Mid-Essex has been put on unofficial flood alert in fear that really heavy autumn rains could lead to even worse flooding than last year. Residents in vulnerable areas of the Chelmer Valley have been advised to make preparations and prepare sandbags and
A motorist had a lucky escape after ploughing through a fuel pump at a filling station, as a fuel tanker was unloading next to it. The man, a 35-year-old care worker from Romford, was driving a Renault 18 along the A12. He came off the road into the Rivenhall
An armed robber held up a bank with a handgun in front of terrified customers. The masked raider struck at Barclays Bank in Brightlingsea at about 10.30am on Friday. He threatened staff with the gun and handed a cream-coloured bag over the counter, which
Essex business is being offered an £85m chance to privatise significant parts of the education sector, by taking up a 'shared ownership' deal with County Hall. The county has been selected by the Department for Education and Skills to develop a private
George Burley believes points will start flowing if his side maintain the level of performance which saw them draw with Everton. The Ipswich Town boss said: "We were disappointed not to win because we pushed up in the second half, passed the ball better
Ian Clemson, owner of Chelmsford's FASTSIGNS, is now boasting the latest digital and e-commerce technology developed at its international headquarters in America. The company has developed a 'sign buyers guide' to help businesses choose the most cost
The Maldon Swans group has been saved thanks to the generosity of people in the town. The Evening Gazette highlighted the organisation's desperate plight last month as it was in urgent need of funds to stop it from going under. The Swans (Sometimes We
Fierce debate is once more splitting town residents over plans for a new bypass for Halstead. Discussions about a Halstead bypass were re-ignited at the Halstead Area Forum, the first time the meeting of town residents, councillors and traders has been
A £76,235 windfall will be spent on new facilities in the maternity ward at Colchester General Hospital. The money, part of £100 million of funding for more than 200 units countrywide, will be spent on refurbishing rooms and buying new equipment. Other
A £15m marina development has begun to take shape in Chelmsford. The first of its kind in the town, the development at Chelmer Waterside, when completed, will comprise 106 residential properties with a 12-berth marina as its centrepiece. The project is
A leading vending machine operator is set to open a new £500,000 national call centre in Colchester. Bunzl Vending Services will employ 20 people on the Severalls Industrial Estate. They will co-ordinate the 100,000 trips that 450 field-based staff make
Thieves stole a Swiss army knife, model cars and cash with a total value of £70 from a car in Whitmore Court, Basildon. Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
The south Essex footballer left fighting for his life after being stabbed should be home by the weekend. Andy Douglas has amazed doctors with his speedy recovery after he was knifed in the chest during an attempted burglary at a fellow footballer's home
Funds to provide a new skateboard park in Wickford have been blocked, despite an earlier council pledge of £6,000. It had been hoped new ramps for skateboarders could fill a gap in the town's facilities and prompt a cut in petty crime. Cash was earmarked
Witham Sports Development Group might be split in two in an attempt to encourage more clubs to join. The group has failed to attract many members in Witham while other groups in the district have encountered more success. Many of the current members want
It may have been a bad year for injuries and rain affected meetings but after reaching the Knock Out Cup final on Tuesday there is still much to race for this season for the Ipswich Witches. The fixture congestion has led to a shortage of available dates
Clacton's new secondary school is back on track. Schools adjudicator Sir Peter Newsam has backed Essex County Council's proposal for a community school and given the all-clear to proceed. The county council wants to have a new temporary site ready for
While many students leave the sixth form college to settle into university life, 17-year-old Sam Barton is starting five months of farm life on the remote Falkland Islands. After completing his AS levels studies in maths and physics, Sam, who stands 6ft
Westwood Karate Club saw its members win two national championship titles and one bronze in the English Karate Governing Body children's championships at Crystal Palace. Gold medal winners were Craig Suckling (boys 13-15 years brown belt) and Kimberley
Canvey Island Swimming Club amassed 73 medals, including 14 gold, 14 silver and nine bronze, at the Harlow Open. They eventually finished second behind a strong Romford squad, but ahead of hosts Harlow and Borough of Southend. Paul Barauskas claimed six
Two bogus callers posing as council workmen made off with £70 from the home of a brother and sister in their 80s. The pair - who live in Madeira Road, Holland-on-Sea - were left shocked and distressed by the incident but were unhurt. The incident took
Shoppers were evacuated from Basildon town centre while a bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion on a briefcase. Police were called after a plastic briefcase was seen lying on a slope outside the Marks and Spencer's store in Town Square
Pervert Michael Styles, 36, of River Court, Purfleet, who molested a nine-year-old girl, has been jailed for three years at Basildon Crown Court. His name will be added to the national sex offenders' list for ten years. Converted for the new archive on
Ongar's Christmas Capers event is once more set to prove a big hit after it was confirmed that former world heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno is to switch on the Manor Square tree lights. A spokesman for Ongar Town Partnership, which is organising
The boss of Ford Motor Company Ian McAllister is to be the main speaker at Essex's key annual public examination of its future prosperity, the Essex Business Debate. At the meeting on Tuesday October 30 Mr McAllister is to describe Ford's five year plan
Six men were today (Monday) due to appear at a south Essex court after £2.3m of cannabis was seized from a Basildon industrial estate. Officers from the National Crime Squad squad swooped on six homes in Essex, south London, Kent and Cornwall following
Union bosses at Marconi in Chelmsford are hopeful the "tide was turning" for the embattled company. Trading conditions remain "tough" as it reported second quarter figures in line with previous estimates. The group said in its much-anticipated trading
Fresh plans to build a 60-bedroom hotel on Southend's derelict gasworks site on the seafront have been drawn up. Barratt Eastern Counties has stepped in with the plan for the land, at Eastern Esplanade, after after two failed attempts to build a new hotel
Two bogus callers posing as council workmen made off with £70 from the home of an 88-year-old brother and sister. The pair - who live in Madeira Road, Holland-on-Sea - were left shocked and distressed by the incident but were unhurt. Det Sgt Martin Brough
Trained negotiators had to be called in after a husband barricaded himself into the family home armed with a knife. John Wreford, of Coppins Lane, Clacton, had been drinking heavily and after a row was asked to leave and hand in his keys. But he later
A heroin addict who beat up a young girl has been jailed. Alex Barraclough, of Twelve Acres, Braintree, admitted cruelty and ill treatment and was sentenced to four years in prison. He received another 18 months for burglary, attempted burglary and shoplifting
Investigations are under way after a man died in a fall from scaffolding on Canvey. The man, aged 31, was working at the Wilcon Homes site, in Thorney Bay Road, when the accident happened on Friday. The man, who is believed to be from Kent, was taken
The latest Essex firm to be recognised for its commitment to training, is Chelmsford solicitors Wollastons, which has just been recognised as an Investor in People company. Richard Wollaston, Senior Partner, said the Investors in People standard was about
Detectives are hunting two men and a woman who robbed a building society in Rayleigh of thousands of pounds. The gang leapt over the counter of the Bristol and West Building Society, in Rayleigh's High Street, and forced the female members of staff to
Feminist Germaine Greer was among more than 500 people at the Red Cross's Annual Plant sale. The sale at Cressing Temple Barns near Witham featured plants from more than 36 nurseries throughout the county and should raise more than £2,000 towards the
A £30m deal for a college campus in the heart of Southend has collapsed, it was announced on Friday. South East Essex College is unable to agree a contract with property developer Martin Dawn and has been forced to put the scheme on hold. College chief
Mid-Essex has been put on unofficial flood alert in fear that really heavy autumn rains could lead to even worse flooding than last year. Residents in vulnerable areas of the Chelmer Valley have been advised to make preparations and prepare sandbags and
Mid-Essex has been put on unofficial flood alert in fear that really heavy autumn rains could lead to even worse flooding than last year. Residents in vulnerable areas of the Chelmer Valley have been advised to make preparations and prepare sandbags and
Top pub bosses Geraldine and Graham Evans have pulled an industry Oscar for lifetime achievement. But hapless Graham missed his moment of glitzy celebration - because he packed his son's tuxedo, ten sizes too small! The stocky 55-year-old publican, from
Concerned councillors have stepped into a dispute over eyesore containers. Residents in Fernlea Road, Harwich, have complained they are being overshadowed by giant containers, which have been left in a yard there. A Smith and Sons is using its yard to
Pink and silver ribbons will be on show at Colchester's first-ever tea party for breast cancer patients. Tomorrow's (Tuesday's) event at the Moot Hall will see more than 200 people celebrating life after the disease and marking October as breast cancer
A well-known Southend restaurateur, who unwittingly fed the Great Train Robbers, is backing a campaign to free Ronnie Biggs. Betty Singleton, who once owned the Continental Cafe on Westcliff seafront, is helping distribute a petition for the release of
Electronics company Marconi has reported a £5m profit for the last quarter - but is still under pressure to clear debts of more than £4bn. The company, with workers in Basildon and Chelmsford, announced job losses during the summer on the back of a £230m
Damage estimated at £200 was caused by youths throwing stones at a blue Ford Fiesta. The incident occurred outside the Texaco service station, Southend-bound, on the A127 near Basildon. Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and
Chelmsford Borough Council's executive will, for the first time, meet at South Woodham Ferrers Town Council offices at Oaklands House, Reeves Way, on November 7. Items to be discussed will include the proposed swimming pool for the new town, recycling
A heroin addict burgled his grandmother's home while she was in it to help pay for his drug habit. Andrew Ricks, 23, of Spring Lane, Colchester, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court for sentencing having earlier admitted the offence, and asked for three
Colchester were denied a draw as Brett Ormerod struck twice for Blackpool, giving the home side a 2-1 victory in Division Two. But there was better news for Southend as they found their scoring form in fine style beating Swansea City 4-2. The U's thought
Seeing images of war-torn Afghanistan is like seeing similar chaos in Essex for Ted Crunden, who worked in the country for several years. The former Essex county councillor helped the Afghan people when he was posted there in 1977. Having previously been
Another football pitch for the town is being called for by a Maldon councillor. Paul Rew (Lab, Maldon East) has said a central piece of land must be handed over to the community, as outlined by the draft local plan from Maldon District Council. Primrose
FabianWilnis has spoken of his disappointment at being left on the bench for Ipswich Town's Worthington Cup success at Crewe Alexandra. Blues boss George Burley rung the changes at Gresty Road on Tuesday, resting his international quartet and handing
Worried workers at travel agencies in Brentwood were this week facing an uncertain future after holiday giant Airtours announced job losses in the aftermath of the terror in America. Staff at Going Places in Chapel High and the High Street were waiting
Thousands of people flocked to the seaside on one of the hottest October days ever recorded. Temperatures soared to around 75 degrees Fahrenheit in London and 70 on the south coast on Saturday, which was good news for businesses in Southend. A spokesman
When you get to 104 years old you are entitled to something a little bit different on your birthday. And staff at Longleat Residential Home in Carnarvon Road, Clacton came up with just that for Chrissy Buchanan's special day. Miss Buchanan, who is originally
Police and Dunmow town council have joined forces to tackle the continuing problem of vandalism at recreational areas. In the latest incidents nuts have been loosened on the children's play equipment including seats on swings designed for the disabled
Eight of Colchester Council's most experienced officers are leaving in a major shake-up. The "efficiency drive" is not aimed at cutting costs, the council has insisted. Labour group leader Tim Young said it supported the move, but added: "I'm disappointed
A Chelmsford woman was rushed to hospital by helicopter after falling 20ft from cliffs in Cornwall. Jackie Rowlands, of Chelmsford, was walking on a cliff path at Lamorna, east of Land's End at 12.25pm yesterday (Sunday), when the accident happened. She
Braintree Leos Club showed its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Week with a charity event. The group's members raised money for the Cancer Research campaign by using 2,400 bras to make a chain nearly two miles long on Saturday. More than 25 people,
Southend councillors have refused to back plans for a multi-million pound David Lloyd leisure centre in Eastwood. The town's Tory cabinet believes the site near Cockethurst Farm in Snakes Lane, would be "unsuitable" for the complex. Talks are now to be
A Southend couple were today celebrating after winning a £200,000 dream cottage. Karen and David Ross, from Branksome Road, scooped the home in a Daily Mail competition. Karen, 38, said: "It has not sunk in yet. I have not slept since being told that
PEOPLE in Essex were today paying their respects following the USA terrorist attacks. Shops and offices came to a standstill for a three-minute silence at 11am. And the moments were particularly poignant for workers at a Witham insurance office, who were
Special needs pupils at Beauchamps School, Wickford, are benefiting from a £250 cash injection for books, thanks to school governor Geoff Flowers. He was awarded the cash by his employers the Royal Bank of Scotland in recognition of his work in the community
Police and firefighters are investigating a car fire on the Globe Industrial Estate at Grays. The vehicle was destroyed in the blaze which spread to a nearby disused industrial unit. Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading past the unit's door
One lane of the new A130 by-pass is now complete. Good progress is being made on the by-pass construction, following delays which were caused earlier by the bad weather. Once completed, the new by-pass will run from Chelmsford down to the A130 just south
A £500 reward is being offered by the Sunshine Valley Mountain Board Centre, Woodham Walter, following the theft of a vital awning over the weekend. The pagoda-style white waterproof cotton awning - worth £200 - had protected mountain boards from the
A mother-of-three found her dog collapsed on the pavement outside Clacton Library after it had been viciously attacked. Annette Yates, of St Marys Road, Clacton, said she had left the Cairn terrier outside the building in Station Road for just a few minutes
A lottery cash injection into Maldon has been announced. The Plume School, in Fambridge Road, has benefited from a £5,000 award to bring in professional coaches to aid pupils and other young people. The award was given to get more people participating
Kevin Maher backed Rob Newman to become Southend United's next manager after the caretaker boss steered Blues to a 4-2 Roots Hall win over Swansea City on Saturday. Central midfielder Maher converted two penalties as the Shrimpers netted four second-half
Cold, hard facts just do not lie. Colchester United are going to have to tighten up at the back or they face the danger of losing every match. The slipshod U's defence simply threw this game away by gifting Blackpool's two-goal hero Brett Ormerod a vital
Church leaders behind Basildon's beleaguered belltower project have re-submitted a bid for lottery cash from the Millennium Commission. St Martin's Parochial Church Council (PCC) has made contact with the commission in a desperate effort to gain financial
A well-known Southend restaurateur, who unwittingly fed the Great Train Robbers, is backing a campaign to free Ronnie Biggs. Betty Singleton, who once owned the Continental Cafe on Westcliff seafront, is helping distribute a petition for the release of
Police are investigating the death of a man whose body was discovered at his home in Dovercourt. Scenes of crime officers spent several hours at the property in Main Road. The 49-year-old man, who has not been named by police, was found in the kitchen
A Chelmsford woman has called overflowing dog-waste bins in Admirals Park a "disgrace". Hayley Light, who lives in Beeches Road with her husband Tim and three children Jamie, nine, Dominic, seven and Eloise, five, said some of the bins near the children's
Detectives are hunting two men and a woman who "terrified" customers and staff as they robbed thousands of pounds from a building society. The gang leapt over the counter of the Bristol and West Building Society in Rayleigh High Street, and forced the
Six men were today (Monday) due to appear at a south Essex court after £2.3m of cannabis was seized from a Basildon industrial estate. Officers from the National Crime Squad squad swooped on six homes in Essex, south London, Kent and Cornwall following
A brave newsagent tackled two suspected tricksters - but had to wait more than half-an-hour for police to arrive after dialling 999. Ricky Callender grappled with two youths after they were suspected of posing as paperboys to get money from the elderly
Sunday was Finals Day at Channels Golf Club and the weather could have been better - wind in the morning and then wind in the afternoon - but some exciting golf was played. Two 'young guns' played their Scratch Final on Saturday as they both had County
Colchester United manager Whitton has revealed that he will take another look at Welsh Under-19 international triallist Lewis Summers. Summers, a 19-year-old striker from Newport County, did enough to catch the manager's eye on Wednesday in a 3-2 reserve
A pensioner has told how she is desperate to move after a suspicious fire gutted her car and the garage it was parked in. Margaret May, 68, said: "I have got to get out of this area. I just cannot handle it any more." Mrs May was woken up at about 12.45am
Chelmsford's Rainsford High School could become the first comprehensive school in the county to be Voluntary Aided by the Church of England. The governing body has written to parents and guardians of 850 pupils asking for their response to a recommendation
