Women have voted for Graham Norton over David Beckham in a poll to find the celebrity they would most like to find in their stocking this Christmas - according to a Lakeside poll. Around 1,000 shoppers were asked which celebrity they would most like Santa
Detectives were today looking for witnesses to a serious assault in Benfleet which left two men in hospital. A gang are thought to be responsible for the violence which erupted in Woodburn Close. A police spokesman said: "It is believed that members of
Schools and churches have reacted angrily to proposed laws which would force them to apply for licences to stage live music. People holding live performances will need to apply for a licence or face stiff penalties under the Licensing Act 2003, awaiting
A groom-to-be had to make a cross-country dash to get to his wedding just an hour after appearing in court in Colchester. Anthony Reynolds, 42, of Great Brays, Harlow, was due to attend his wedding in Harlow as he appeared before magistrates in Colchester
Wayne Brown wants to sort out his future before the end of this week - with the most likely outcome to be a move to Gillingham. The defender has been told he can leave Ipswich Town on a free transfer after more than six years' service at Portman Road.
Mini call centres based in the home could soon be springing up across Essex. They are the latest development in the growth of homeworking which links employees to their office by computer. The image of vast call centres with hundreds of staff is already
A cheating son, who turned to drink "with a vengeance", stole nearly £5,000 from his father's bank account. Paul Burns, 34, went downhill fast when he lost his £40,000-a-year job and began to drink heavily. He was reduced to living on £50 a week with
Sir Teddy Taylor and David Amess have voted in favour of a Bill to restrict foxhunting. Sir Teddy, MP for Rochford and Southend East and Mr Amess, MP for Southend West, voted for the Government's Hunting Bill, which proposes to outlaw staghunting and
Southend United boss Rob Newman believes his side can storm Bournemouth's Dean Court fortress during this evening's FA Cup second round replay. The Cherries are aiming for an impressive 10th successive league and cup triumph on home soil with victory
Colchester ended the year with their 29th successive league victory. The All Blacks opened the scoring in the ninth minute through winger Matt Harwood who raced over the line. Dan Howson kicked the conversion. A few minutes later, Harwood scored for Colchester
A former Harwich resident has said coastal areas have been forgotten in plans to commemorate disastrous flooding in 1953. Former Colchester councillor Bob Richardson said a decision to hold a service at Chelmsford Cathedral in January, which will be attended
A charity for the mentally handicapped is set to lose vital income - due to the closure of a shop which raises money for it. The lease on the Mencap charity shop in Rayne Road, Braintree, is set to run out on Friday, January 31 - and the current owner
Police are hunting a gun-wielding robber who threatened staff in an off-licence and demanded cash from the till. A man wearing dark clothing entered Unwins store, in Ongar Road, Pilgrims Hatch, on Sunday, snatched money from the till and made off. He
A policeman was attacked by a teenage girl as he tried to handcuff her friend, a court heard. The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was among a group of youngsters outside Lexden Primary School in Colchester, Harwich magistrates heard
Council tax bills across Essex may rise by 15 per cent next year, a leading councillor has claimed. Because Essex has lost out under a new formula to determine how Government funding is divided up across the country, there could be more big tax rises
A man is recovering after burglars subjected him to a brutal attack in his home The 30-year-old victim was confronted by two men when he answered the doorbell to his house in Peggott Close, on the Newland Springs Estate, Chelmsford. As he opened the front
A community nurse has won substantial damages from a national newspaper after it had reported an ongoing police inquiry into the deaths of 18 children. The Sun had published, in June 2000, serious allegations about the way Elaine Chase, from Benfleet,
The future of a controversial scheme to build a fishing lake in Benfleet was due to be decided tonight by Castle Point's planning committee. The project was the brainchild of Alan Foster of Rushbottom Lane, who wanted to create a fishery in Coombe Wood
A wheelchair-user with spina bifida has hit out at bus company First over news there are currently no buses with wheelchair access in Braintree. Elaine Shuttlewood wanted to know why there are not any buses with wheelchair access in Braintree when there
A new Prince's Trust Volunteers scheme is being launched in Thurrock next month and leaders are appealing for help. The programme - which is run three times a year and is open to unemployed 16-to 25-year-olds - has not run for a year while new leaders
Former Southend United favourite Dean Austin will meet Shrimpers boss Rob Newman to discuss a possible Roots Hall return tomorrow. The right-back made 109 appearances for Blues, scoring three goals, before moving to North London giants Tottenham Hotspur
The High Court is to be the scene of a battle which could have long-term implications for the green belt, it was revealed today. Basildon Council is to take legal action in a bid to overturn a ruling that travellers can stay on a greenfield site at Sadlers
Homeowners were furious today after knife-wielding yobs slashed tyres on more than 30 cars in a spree of destruction in Southend. Residents in Chestnut Grove, Sycamore Grove and Byron Avenue discovered their tyres had been slashed overnight. Another group
James Morgan continued his purple patch of scoring for Southend as he helped the first team to a share of the spoils with a last-minute equaliser at home against Colchester. The visitors went 2-0 ahead in the first period but Southend, sporting a brand
The votes are in and counted to the name of Colchester Zoo's young bull elephant. After 20,003 people clicked on their mice to chose their favourite name on the Zoo's website, Kit emerged as the winner. The name, which means precious, was one of seven
Members of Billericay Choral Society will be out entertaining some of the town's older residents tonight with some seasonal music. The group will be carol singing in Norsey Court, off London Road, from 7.30pm onwards. And on Saturday, members of the society
Billericay Town will have home advantage for tonight's Bryco Cup third round tie with Ryman Premier rivals Ford United (7.45pm). The tie was due to have gone ahead at Ford's Barkingside home, but the pitch is unfit so New Lodge will now stage the clash
Louise Raybold and Fiona Hopkins rubbed shoulders with top British swimmers when they attended a top awards event. The 10-year-olds represented Southend's Temple Sutton primary school at the Amateur Swimming Asso-ciation's national awards gala in Northampton
Jobless people from Witham face a 20-mile journey when their local job centre closes for refurbishment The centre at Iceni House, Newland Street, Witham, will close for about four weeks on January 6, to allow the work to take place. A spokeswoman for
The egg and spoon race is difficult - but just try it underwater! That's what five swimmers did and raised an estimated £600 for St Luke's Hospice, Basildon. They were Martin Maher, Martin O'Keefe, Mick Fleet, Paul Holcombe and Adam Scofield. They made
Thundersley's SEEVIC girls are through to the national finals of the British Colleges Basketball Championship after a great display in the Eastern Region competition. The tournament is played in a round robin format with games 12 minutes long. SEEVIC's
Essex rail firm First Great Eastern has been named as the most punctual train operator in the South East, for the third successive quarter by the Strategic Rail Authority. And apart from the Isle of Wight Railway , and Arriva Liverpool, FGER is most punctual
Proud parents in Essex are still able to take recordings of their children's school productions. This is despite moves in other areas to ban camcorders and cameras from events. Some schools have blocked parents from videoing or photographing school plays
A landmark pub dubbed the lifeblood of a village has shut as its licensees faced bankruptcy proceedings. Regulars spoke of their dismay at the closure of the historic Royal Oak pub in Great Stambridge. Licensees Robert and Melba Hume had bankruptcy orders
Parents have been told they must wait two months before councillors will consider safety measures for their children's journey to school. Heavy traffic and illegal parking on the pavement in the Maltings Lane development, Witham, have been causing problems
Arena Essex have signed Dutch long-course ace Maik Groen to their 2003 and squad. Meanwhile popular Aussie Lee Herne is due to return on a permanent basis after a successful loan from Trelawny. Groen was an intended signing last season, but the club had
Table-topping Westcliff kept up their unbeaten run after coming from behind to complete the double over Dagenham. The hosts drew first blood when their kicker slotted a penalty goal before Westcliff backsides took over. The skipper, James Argentieri got
A landmark pub dubbed the lifeblood of a community shut down as its bosses faced petitions for bankruptcy. Regulars today spoke of their dismay at the closure of the historic Royal Oak pub in Great Stambridge, which leaves the village with no facilities
A market trader caught selling pirated films and music has walked free from court. Essex County Council's Trading Standards unit swooped on Gavin Koten, 23, at the Barleylands boot sale in Billericay on May 12. Earlier, the council sent a letter to Koten
A terrified father was brutally attacked by an angry cyclist he told to stop riding on the pavement. Francois Butler, 54, was headbutted and suffered two broken ribs after being wrestled by the attacker, as his children looked on in horror. Battered -
A plea has gone out to the people of South Essex to pound the streets of the capital and help raise money for charity. Headway Essex, which cares for the survivors of brain injury and their families, is looking for volunteers to run the London Marathon
Police were today hunting armed raiders who threatened staff at a village post office with baseball bats before making off with a haul of cash. Three men burst into Kirby Cross Post Office and Stores in Thorpe Road just after it had opened up for business
Health services in Thurrock will be given a major boost thanks to an injection of cash, says a health chief. The Essex Health Authority is to get around £400million extra over the next three years towards achieving tough Government targets - with Basildon
Great Wakering Rovers face one of their toughest home tasks tonight. For the visitors to Burroughs Park tonight are Ryman Division One North leaders Northwood. Apart from topping the table, having won 14 of their 22 matches and lost just five, Northwood
Use local shops or lose them. That was the reaction today after a new report warned of businesses collapsing like a pack of cards. The decline in neighbourhood shops and services is set to produce a catastrophic downward economic spiral, according to
Tolkien fans are in for a treat this week as the UCI Cinema in Basildon launches its Lord of the Rings competition to celebrate the opening of the new movie. Fingers crossed - Lord of the Rings fan Mike Marsh, of Chesnut Avenue, Billericay, tries the
Rochford Hundred showed their true potential as they avenged an earlier defeat to West Norfolk in an exciting game. An early try for the visitors was only a brief inconvenience for the Magnolia Road outfit as winger Jon Baker showed how well he is fitting
It's the best Christmas present the Day family will ever get. Little Megan - who was born three months premature and weighed in at just 1lb 6oz - is home in time for the festive period. There was a point when it was doubtful she would survive the first
The High Court is to be the scene of a battle which could have long-term implications for the green belt, it was revealed today. Basildon Council is to take legal action in a bid to overturn a ruling that travellers can stay on a greenfield site at Sadlers
Essex Trading Standards officers are warning households not to be conned by bogus charity collectors this Christmas. Some unscrupulous businesses have been targeting residents with leaflets implying they are collecting for charity, and asking people to
Old Heath residents were in jubilant mood after the council's decision not to choose Place Farm as a travellers' site. But now Colchester could get a transient site, rather than a permanent one. And it looks likely an outside agency could now be brought
