A 14-year-old boy suffered head injuries after tumbling from a Mr Whippy ice-cream van as it swerved from side to side, a court heard. Driver Raymond Davis, 56, was not aware of the 14-year-old boy being thrown from the rear bumper in St Agnes Drive,
The former king and queen of morning television drew an enormous crowd when they visited a Chelmsford bookshop. Hundreds queued for a glimpse of Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan and to get a signed copy of the couple's autobiography. Author Joyce P Fitch
Traffic police today appealed for witnesses after an elderly man died from the injuries he suffered in a road smash. The 88-year-old was in collision with a motorbike in Luncies Road, Basildon, near its junction with Beech Road, at 4.50pm yesterday. The
A century from Michael Gough has aided Durham's innings at Castle Park against Essex in their Division Two County Championship match. By tea today the visitors were on 224-8 after winning the toss and electing to bat. Gough had made an undefeated 101
A retired businessman today urged Castle Point to get serious with its rubbish and build a revolutionary recycling plant that turns refuse into compost. Bill Bunting, of Manor Road, Benfleet, spoke after seeing the success of a similar scheme in Kentucky
After a year which held little more than uncertainty and anxiety for its employees, a Basildon company is looking at last to a brighter future. Gilbarco's parent company Marconi has been forced to lay off thousands of people worldwide in a bid to make
Families fighting a housing development on their doorstep are up in arms over yet another planning application. Plans have already been lodged for 40 homes on the former woodyard site in Fairfax Drive, Westcliff. Now another scheme for 19 flats and two
Youngsters who stumbled on a body while playing in a Basildon wood were today praised for their cool reaction to the horrific discovery. The boys, all in their early teens, were said by police to be "very shaken" and were recovering at their homes as
A student from Writtle College is helping test an innovative new brand of organic plant food. Chris Bonnett, a business management student, read about HumaTech and its products on the internet. He was so interested by its Earthworks range, he decided
Former Seasiders boss Mick Potter was banished from the touchline as his new charges hit the goal trail at Rush Green Bowl. Sam Banya was the hero with a well-taken brace - one of his strikes a hotly contested penalty - before Scott Witney sealed victory
Southend police want to trace three people who may hold vital information about an assault on two young men in the High Street near the Post Office at 1.20am on Saturday. The 23-year-old victims were punched in the face by two men who stole a mobile phone
Two new bus services are to begin in South Woodham Ferrers from next month. Demand from students living in the town needing to get to college in Southend has prompted First Buses to extend one of its existing routes from Southend while people wanting
Essex are banking on Joseph Grant to step up his performances after the crushing loss of Ronnie Irani and Ashley Cowan for the county's Second Division promotion clash against Durham at Colchester today. Grant has chosen the right time to produce the
Furious residents in Leigh today hit out at plans for a phone mast within 500 metres of a school. The mast is planned for 1043 London Road, near Recreation Avenue, in the middle a dense residential area, and close to Darlinghurst Primary School. Earlier
Rochford Rugby Club are targeting a big season in London Three North-east after appointing new coach Dave Wheeler. Dave replaces Darryl Edwards, who has stepped down to concentrate on his role as Director of Youth Rugby at the Magnolia Road club. The
Police are looking for a youth in connection with an incident in Sonters Down, Rettendon, during which a car windscreen was broken. The suspect is described as being a 14-15 year-old white man, of medium build, six feet tall and with brushed back blond
Dozens of homes were cordoned off after a man found a Second World War shell while digging in his garden. Residents in Eastcote Grove, Southend, were given the option of moving out after Ian Goodfellow, 53, made his discovery. Ian said: "I was surprised
News that Ryanair is bringing forward delivery of new aircraft has been welcomed by Stansted Airport. The new Boeing 737 800s will enable the budget airline to withdraw its older and noisier aircraft more quickly. Chief executive Michael O'Leary has announced
A brother has paid tribute to his sister after her tragic death. Gordon Robinson, 40, said he was very close to his sister Loraine Roberts, who died at Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital hours after falling from the ninth floor ledge of the multi-storey
Village side Wakering started their Ryman Division One North away campaign in great style with victory in this tempestuous affair in Middlesex. While Rovers had three players cautioned, Yeading saw six names go into the referee's notebook and, in an incident
A baffled father has received a letter more than four months after it was posted. Andrew Redmond, 73, of The Avenue, Great Clacton, picked up his morning mail yesterday to discover a long-forgotten letter from his son in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Mr Redmond's
A book of condolence has been opened at Chelmsford Cathedral in response to requests following the deaths of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. Tony Allen, press spokesman for the cathedral, said they had received quite a number of calls asking for a book
Trinidad and Tobago international Avery John will not be signing for Colchester United. U's boss Steve Whitton was dealt the crushing early season blow today when he was told the 25-year-old left-sided player has been denied a work permit to play in this
Former Charlton Athletic striker Bradley Allen is training with Southend United. The 30-year-old hitman was released by Grimsby Town during the summer after finding the net four times in 28 First Division games last term. An ex-England under-21 international
A woman smashed the windows of her Southend home and struck a police officer at the scene, Southend Magistrates' Court heard. Police called to Alison Cook's home in Manners Way, found her aggressive and she started striking an officer on the arms. Cook
An 11-year-old girl is recovering after she was shot at with an airgun and hit on the ear. Police said the youngster was at a school in School Road, Monkwick, Colchester, when the shooting happened at just before 9pm yesterday. The girl suffered bruising
Braintree went down to one of the softest goals to come away from Bedford with a 1-0 defeat last night. Manager Ben Embery called the goal 'terrible' that put the Iron behind with five minutes to go before half-time. From a Bedford corner, the ball was
No-one could deny that she's fit - but now Michaela Knighton is out to prove herself the sexiest fitness instructor in the country Michaela, 26, from Thorpe Bay, is to compete against other fitness fanatics for the prestigious title in a new ITV show
Purfleet maintained their 100% record in the Ryman League Premier with a comprehensive win at Heybridge Swifts on Tuesday night. Fleet, continuing the late season form that saw them steadily climb the table towards the end of last season, looked asssured
Seventy-one-year-old Dolly Good doesn't plan to take the stairs or lift next time she visits this high-rise block of flats. She has volunteered to take part in a charity abseil down the side of the 14-storey block of flats to raise money for St Luke's
A litter hotline is set to clear rubbish-strewn Castle Point streets. It was announced by Castle Point Council leader Dave Wells as part of a ground-breaking clean-up campaign. Residents are fed up with litter and the council wants to clear the mess fast
A young woman today said she was left in a casualty department to deliver her premature baby alone. Toni Malseed has criticised staff at Colchester General Hospital who she said failed to spot she was in labour. She said it meant she was left alone to
Trained police negotiators spent three hours persuading a woman to leave someone else's flat after she barricaded herself inside with a kitchen knife. Officers wasted no time in sending in the experts as they feared for the woman's personal safety. She
Police were today trying to find a burglar before he strikes again. He entered a house in Whitmore Way, Basildon, through an open patio door while the owner - an elderly woman - slept. Detectives say the burglar crept past her towards a medicine cabinet
Former Southend United winger Julian Hails today backed his old team-mate, Shrimpers manager Rob Newman, to get it right at Roots Hall. The Seasiders have made a poor start to the new Third Division season, taking just one point from their three opening
A security guard was today recovering in Basildon Hospital after he was shot by hooded men in a lunchtime supermarket robbery. The guard was hit in the leg as the raiders snatched "a substantial amount of cash" after jumping from the store roof. The robbers
Former Billericay MP Teresa Gorman has vowed to continue the fight for a consortium to buy the Orsett Hospital site for a "friendly" development. Mrs Gorman, who lives in Orsett, is coordinating the village's efforts for a more community development at
Committed volunteers are needed to help start a youth club in Rivenhall. Villagers expressed interest in improving facilities and increasing activities for young people at a recent parish council meeting, and it was suggested a youth club be formed. Parish
Plans to introduce charges at five car parks across Tendring look set to go ahead despite objections to the scheme. Up until now the two sites in Brightlingsea, two in Harwich and one in Dovercourt have been free to use. But Tendring Council recently
A wide ranging action plan has been drawn up after Colchester Council admitted it has not done enough for the town's homeless people. Councillors last night pledged to stop using bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless people. The town has one of
Bus problems in southern Witham could be solved by improving an existing service, according to a public transport watchdog. Elderly and disabled residents around Maldon Road and Howbridge Road have complained they are marooned without public transport
A woman was today convinced that a ring found inside an apple is the same one she lost 27 years ago. On Monday, the Evening Gazette told how Jamie-Louisa Arnold, 12, discovered the piece of jewellery when she bit into the apple by the swimming pool at
A group of travellers have set up camp on a Clacton seafront car park, which is due to be used for visitors to the town's popular air show. The two-day show, which starts tomorrow, is expected to attract about 80,000 people. The arrival of about 15 caravans
Canvey Island plummeted to the bottom of the Ryman Premier last night, stunned by a four-goal super show by Bishop's Stortford at Park Lane. Last year's Isthmian runners-up had no answer to the newly promoted Essex outfit, grateful to new man Roy Essandoh
Residents in three roads on a housing estate say they are being intimidated and abused by children as young as ten. They claim they are being subjected to egg throwing, having balls constantly kicked against windows, swearing, shouting and verbal abuse
Burnham Week starts this weekend, when yachtsmen and windsurfers will be competing for a host of cups, trophies and prizes. Even those who do not have a boat can take part in Burnham Week on board a luxury yacht as part of an entertainment package supplied
Residents in Clacton are joining the battle to attempt to change the proposed site for a new cardiac centre for Essex. More than 100 householders have written in opposing plans to build the facility in Basildon because it will be too difficult to get
Tiptree have scored nine goals in their opening two games of the season - while dismal Harwich have conceded ten. The Shrimpers gave the ball away far too cheaply but had initially bounced back from a two-goal deficit. The visitors took the lead after
A mum who smacked her neighbour's head against the floor four times has escaped a jail sentence. Teresa Durrant, 39, of Silverpoint Marine, Canvey, pleaded guilty to assault at Southend Magistrates' Court. The attack happened when she and her partner
Junior anglers have been making their mark at Basildon's Gloucester Park lake. Eleven-year-old Reggie Buisson netted a superb 20lb common carp. Reggie was fishing the cockle bank with his father when he hooked the big carp on quivertip fed sweetcorn.
Pirate videos and DVDs are being openly sold at boot sales across south Essex - and the proceeds used to fund organised crime, an Evening Echo investigation has revealed. The fakes, including many which are not even on cinema release in this country,
Villagers could be waiting until 2004 for persistent sewage leaks to be plugged once and for all. That was the message from water watchdogs today after they admitted they had done all they could to persuade Anglian Water to deal with the problem in South
Police today described an attack by a gang on a transexual awaiting a sex-change operation as a "despicable hate crime". The victim went to the Jolly Friar pub , Basildon, dressed as a woman and was attacked by four men later in Bowers Lane. One grabbed
Ian Westlake is confident he can become the next star to jump off Ipswich Town's conveyor-belt of young talent. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder, who progressed through the ranks alongside Darren Bent and Darren Ambrose, hopes to be bidding for first-team
A woman driver suspected of being involved in a hit-and -run accident in which two children were injured did stop at the scene, police said today. A police spokeswoman said the motorist had stopped and tried to speak to the adult who was with the children
