Police have appealed for witnesses after a man was attacked by thugs using a hammer and a baseball bat. The 37-year-old victim, who has not been named by police, was lucky to escape with just cuts and bruises to his head after the attack. Officers investigating
It's a case of tapes up for massive New Year celebrations at the home of Arena Essex speedway star Kelvin Tatum. For the 38-year-old has become a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to the sport in the New Year's Honours list
Clacton's award-winning tourist information centre (TIC) is set to move - but the service will continue without any cutbacks. That's the promise from Tendring Council chiefs, who are considering a number of options for a relocation as part of efforts
Plans to give all councillors the right to take part in the local government pension scheme were today given the thumbs up. Reg Copley, Labour councillor for St Luke's ward and longest serving member of Southend Council, said: "I am sure I speak for all
A group of students from Palmer's College in Grays have returned from a week-long tour of France, Germany and Switzerland. The group of 31 was made up of law, languages and government and politics students. In Strasbourg they visited the European Court
Designer clothes worth more than £35,000 were stolen from a High Street shop in Halstead. Burglars broke into the No 19 shop in the High Street, via a rear sash window on Saturday night. They used a clothes rail to screen the shop front while they took
Campaigners have vowed to protect Leigh's heritage after two shops face being forced to rip out their modern shopfronts. Fast food shop Chick-Stop in the Broadway, has been told by Southend Council to remove the whole of its frontage because it does not
Chelmsford West MP Simon Burns has branded a government view of housing need for mid-Essex as "unsatisfactory" and likely to lead to the destruction of communities like Boreham. But the Government says it is not interfering with an insistence in Essex
Plans to create a pioneering green project in Witham have moved a step closer to reality. The £200,000 project to landscape open land and provide sports and play facilities on the Templars estate has successfully bid for £80,000 of National Lottery funding
As thousands of people across Southend prepare to party tonight, a leading firefighter is warning revellers not to put their lives at risk while under the influence of alcohol. New Year's Eve is traditionally the night of the year where revellers will
A Southend charity has issued an appeal for more volunteers. Bar 'n' Bus operates at a former nightclub in Eastern Esplanade. It provides somewhere for teenagers to go who would otherwise be hanging around the seafront. Now, a spokesman said there were
A woman was today recovering after fire swept through her flat - a blaze feared to have been started by a serial arsonist. Police and fire investigators were combing the gutted home in Cranes Court, Basildon, which they believe may be linked to a series
A traffic calming scheme did the opposite for drivers and residents. Angry motorists complained it was dangerous, and now the failed safety measures in Albion Road, Benfleet, are under review. However, while the build out appears to have been removed
Hutchison 3G UK is to appeal against a Braintree District Council rejection of a planning application for a ten metre mobile phone mast on land adjoining the junction of Meadowside and Coldnailhurst Avenue, Braintree. The council says the site is on a
The campaign to reintroduce a bus station in Clacton is gaining momentum and a site close to the town's railway station is proving a strong possibility. The Evening Gazette revealed earlier this month that Essex County Council was looking at providing
Bellringers will sound a friend and companion to her rest with an unusual funeral ceremony. Well known bell ringer Hilda Snowden, 86, of Gosfield died shortly before Christmas aged 86 years. Her funeral will take place at St Catherine's Church, Gosfield
Brandy Hole Yacht Club's infamous Pursuit Race saw "Xandra" pip "Silver Mist" to the line for glory. The rules for this season-ending fun race are different, where each boat starts the race at a time that reflects their handicap racing. This leads to
Managers at a community centre today condemned vandals who smashed all the building's 34 windows, causing £3,500 damage. Over the Christmas holiday, hooligans targeted the Grange Community Centre, in Little Wheatley Chase, Rayleigh, in the worst spate
A sports car passenger was injured when the vehicle left the road and ended up in a children's play area. The blue Maserati Coupe Cambiocorsa was being driven along Longridge, in Greenstead, Colchester, when the crash happened. As it was travelling towards
Southend mayor Alan Crystall will be opening an exhibition next Monday at the Central Library in Victoria Avenue as part of the town's marking of Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27. The exhibition, on loan from the Jewish Museum in Finchley, will be
An elderly couple and their grandchildren were rescued from the roof of their car after becoming trapped on a flooded stretch of road. Fire crews from Basildon waded through waist-deep water to take the couple and a young boy and girl down from the roof
Tiny Megan Day missed her first Christmas at home after developing a chest infection. Megan, who is now almost four-months-old and was born three months premature, was taken back into Colchester General Hospital after falling ill just before the festive
When Charles Smith asked a young girl called Alice for a dance at a friend's party he did not realise she would end up being his wife. Yet that is exactly what happened and the couple were still as happy as ever when they celebrated their diamond wedding
Cruisers who plague Southend's seafront face a new year blitz, with police using new powers to curb anti-social drivers. From tomorrow, police will be able to seize cars and motorbikes being driven off-road or in a way which causes alarm and distress
A collection of more than 1,200 rare puppets are to go under the hammer because no-one has volunteered to put them on display. Puppet enthusiast and ventriloquist Stella Richards, 77, of Braintree, decided her collection had become too much for her and
Adventure Island boss Philip Miller, 47, has been made an MBE in the New Year Honours. The man behind the hugely-successful seafront attraction said today: "It's not bad for a council kid from Southend!" An inspirational woman who works tirelessly for
Sandwiched between Christmas and the New Year what could be better than an away trip to Chester? Five hours driving through torrential rain , a sizeable chunk spent looking at the delights of Birmingham and Walsall while near stationary on the M6. The
A charity volunteer is among 25 Essex men and women honoured in the Queen's new year's list. Mencap volunteer Peter Brown has received an MBE for services to the community. Mr Brown, 65, of Bocking Church Street, Bocking, said he was "flabberghasted"
Essex is looking at the prospect of a soggy New Year as rivers across the county were put on flood warnings. Waters rose on the Colne in Colchester and the surrounding villages with the Environment Agency putting it on flood watch. This means the agency
Torrential rain has caused chaos across the county. Police and firefighters closed roads and battled to stop floodwater from entering homes following a day and night of heavy rain. Station officer Barry May, from Southend fire station, said firefighters
If you meet a grey parrot who wishes you merry Christmas, keep him talking while you call pub landlord Barry Sinclair. You could be £300 richer. Barry and his wife Irene, landlords of the Town Crier in South Woodham Ferrers, lost their African grey parrot
After a three week lay-off Brentwood should resume their Essex Senior League programme on Saturday when Burnham Ramblers visit the Brentwood Centre. Brentwood have only played one league game since they won 2-1 at Burnham on 7th December while the Ramblers
Fire crews were mopping after a night of torrential rain brought chaos to the county's streets. Officers battled for nearly ten hours to save people's houses from the stinking mixture of water and sewage lapping at their doorsteps on Canvey following
Romantic Jon Prior made his girlfriend's dreams come true - when he declared his love for her in the clouds. Victoria O'Farrell, 34, was amazed when a plane flew over her home in Stambridge Road, Rochford, with a banner asking her to marry her partner
A country park could soon be growing in size if Castle Point councillors give an extension the green light. The boundary of the Canvey Heights Country Park may be extended to include a four-acre area of public open space which lays to the east of King's
The countdown is on for a swish £10million Virgin Active sports complex in Thundersley. Builders are now at work on the site in Rayleigh Road and the development is scheduled to open later next year. Originally the construction was due to have begun last
Billericay Town boss Gary Calder has gone for experience in an attempt to recover from a triple blow which has hit the club so severely in the past week. Town fans were reeling from the shock news that leading scorers Roy Essandoh and Martin Carthy had
Basildon has officially been declared the "grey capital" of Britain - boasting more older workers than anywhere else in the UK. A Tesco poll of its 730 stores across the country puts the Pitsea Extra store top of the league with 45 members of staff over
A woman credited with massive improvements in Basildon school standards has left her post after four years, insisting increased achievement is here to stay. Maggie Smith, director of East Basildon's Education Action Zone, resigned to take over as divisional
A support group which promotes tolerance is launching a therapeutic service. The All Shades group, based in Vange, will be offering one-to-one counselling, family therapy and parenting skills. Ruth Juett, development manager for All Shades, said: "All
Braintree boss Gary Bellamy is hoping to recruit a new defender in time for tomorrow's Ryman League clash with Bedford. The Iron chief has been forced to dip into the transfer market - or at least sign a young academy player - after the sudden departure
Arena Essex boss Ronnie Russell has delivered his New Year message to the club's supporters. He said: "I'm determined to bring success to this club but not by committing financial suicide." The Hammers boss confirmed that speedway operations had suffered
Southend United manager Rob Newman wants his team to adopt the New Years Day Roots Hall clash against promotion chasing Oxford as a clean slate. The Shrimpers' home form this season has been disastrous, with 17th placed Blues crashing to a seventh league
Council watchdogs are set to reverse a decision by one of its own committees, and grant permission for the Kelvedon Labour Club's controversial bid to expand its hall and car park. However, the club would still be still locked in a legal dispute with
Canvey soccer boss Jeff King is determined to step-up his side's bid to be heavily involved in the fight for Ryman Premier title glory for a third successive year. The Island supremo expects to be announcing the capture of an overseas international star
Council chiefs will be asked to free up £170,000 next week to help upgrade sheltered housing in Southend. If the plan is agreed at next Tuesday's cabinet meeting, the cash will be taken from Southend's housing revenue account capital programme. It will
Chris Mason believes he is in the best form of his life and ready to go all the way to the final of the PDC Ladbrokes.com World Championships. Mason reached the last 16 at Purfleet's Circus Tavern last night with an impressive 4-2 victory over world number
Glenn Roeder is hoping to welcome Fredi Kanoute back to his side for tomorrow's trip to Charlton. The Blackburn game came too soon for the frontman as he continues his rehabilitation from a groin tear. But after making a promising return to the first
An early morning electrical explosion woke residents and damaged part of New Road in Tiptree. A bang was heard as a cable failed, knocking out power supplies to hundreds of people, at 1.40am yesterday. Police, electrical engineers and gas engineers were
After all that shopping and Christmas partying, a Laindon chiropodist was not short of customers craving some attention to their feet. And the Matthew Bland's Chiropody Clinic in New Century Road decided to hand over all the money from consultations to
Tilbury go to Barking and East Ham in the Ryman First Division North tomorrow hoping to avoid the fate suffered by local rivals East Thurrock at the same venue last weekend. Rocks went down 4-0 at Barking and cannot expect any more joy when they visit
An appeal has been made for witnesses after a woman was left shaken when three teenagers attempted to rob her in Witham. The 23-year-old woman was walking along Collingwood Road, Witham, towards Braintree Road, at about 11.15pm on Christmas Eve when she
One of the stars of this year's top telly Christmas hit has modestly credited the rest of the cast for the show's success. Perry Aghajanoff, 38, from Basildon, appeared in the Christmas Day episode of Only Fools and Horses - which beat the soaps and the
Tommy Miller is Ipswich Town's main injury worry ahead of tomorrow's Division One visit of Millwall. The midfielder has picked up a knee injury where he has also been struggling with tendonitis. The former Hartlepool man suffered the knock during Saturday's
Colchester United journey to Brentford on New Year's Day with Bees manager Wally Downes still seething about the sending-off of his top scorer Rowan Vine. The Portsmouth loanee striker was controversially given his marching orders in the dying seconds
Travelling to Telford with a depleted squad is never an easy task. But with Andy Power aided by Shaun Wallis, scoring at 0.53, the game was off to a flyer. Whether it was the festive season or the Chieftains non stop aggression, Telford were never really
Essex MPs today added their voices to calls for the Government to raise the wages of the lowest paid members of the Armed Forces. Senior officers are said to be concerned about the salaries of lower ranks who provided cover during the recent firefighters
Colchester United boss Steve Whitton said today there could be changes for the New Year's Day clash with Brentford. The U's chief is unhappy with his team's defensive play when losing 3-1 at Blackpool on Saturday. And he was equally disappointed at the
