A man might lose his sight in one eye after he was assaulted near a Witham pub. The Witham man was attacked just after 11.30pm on New Year's Eve in the area surrounding the White Hart pub in Newland Street He was found unconscious by police and several
Burglars stole phone cards, worth £900, and tried to break into a cash machine at a Braintree petrol station. The BP petrol station shop in Rayne Road, Braintree, was closed on New Year's Eve, when burglars forced open a back door after 5pm. The station
There was a big New Year's Day shock awaiting Colchester United who today find themselves poised perilously just above the Division Two relegation trapdoor. Only bottom club Huddersfield, plus Cheltenham, Peterborough and Mansfield are below them after
Scout leaders today breathed a sigh of relief after scouts from across south Essex were stopped from visiting the Philippines following a grenade attack which killed at least ten people and injured 32. New year terrorist threats forced the Government
The Essex property market is going strong and will continue to do so in 2003 - according to a national estate agent. An end of year report by estate agent Strutt and Parker has said the county's property market is active and the best homes are still attracting
Anxious waiting was replaced by elation as parents from across Castle Point and south Essex celebrated their new year arrivals. Among the bundles of joy born at Southend Hospital was was Jordan Emanuel Chandler-Lewis. Mum, Yolande, 35, opted for a water
Fire crews worked through the night as rain flooded a Bowers Gifford road and lapped at front doors. Officers told how water was just inches from entering homes in Pound Lane as they struggled to pump it into nearby dykes. Firefighter John Adams, of Hadleigh
Arena-Essex sustained a heavy financial loss following a disappointing 2002 season, it has emerged. But co-promoter Ronnie Russell is keen to offer an upbeat New Year's message. He said: "I'm determined to bring success to this club but not by committing
A new travel service has been launched for elderly and infirm people living in the urban areas of Thurrock. Trans-Vol, the borough community transport charity, has introduced the Urban Bus Club to run alongside the Rural Bus Club already operating in
Arsonists may have started a fire in a former hospital building, investigators have found. Fire and police officers have been examining the ex-ward building at Severalls Hospital in Colchester to try to work out what started the New Year's Eve blaze.
Southend United were hit with the bad news today that ever-present goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan faces up to six weeks on the sidelines. But Blues boss Rob Newman tried to soften the blow by revealing he hoped to bring in two new players before Saturday's
Rochford Hundred ace Darren Lee's rich vein of form continued when he lifted the club's Baltic Cup on Saturday. Three handicapper Lee, fresh from collecting the Saturday December medal, shot a three under par gross 68 to win the bogey trophy with plus
Edwards Hall Junior School have won soccer's Eastwood Cup for the third time running. They travelled to Eastwood Secondary School to defend the trophy for the second time and won through the group qualifiers with ease. They beat Prince Avenue 1-0, had
Tommy Miller was gearing up for some belated New Year celebrations after netting the 50th goal of his career. The Ipswich Town midfielder was the two-goal hero of yesterday's 4-1 success against Millwall at Portman Road. And his double salvo - a sizzling
A family have been left counting the cost today after their home was flooded for the second time in two years Carol Lazenby, 44, and husband Kevin, 43, of Pork Lane, Great Holland, found heavy rainfall overnight led to their garden, kitchen and bathroom
Tears turned to smiles for James Matthews when his stolen Christmas bike was replaced by big-hearted neighbours. James, 11, had only ridden it once before it was stolen. People in his street in Great Burstead clubbed together to get an identical bike.
Essex drivers are using the roads more safely, as road deaths in the county this year were down compared to 2001. This year, 92 people were killed on Essex roads, with 21 of those being motorcyclists, but last year 123 people died in road accidents, 31
Homeowners in flood-prone areas faced a bleak start to the new year. Steve Connell choked backed tears as he revealed his family lost everything when their ground-floor flat in Merrivale, Benfleet, was flooded. Sandbags - Steve and Winnette Connell try
Seafront cruisers were today being reminded their cars can now be seized under new police powers if they use roads as race tracks. The measures, introduced yesterday, give police the right to seize cars and motorbikes being driven off-road - or in a way
On the busiest night of the year, pub landlord Richard Blackwell suffered a case of divided loyalties. A series of mad dashes between the Black Buoy pub in Wivenhoe and Colchester General Hospital's maternity ward culminated in the arrival of his baby
A former Southend student has become and an MBE in the New Year Honours List for services to architecture. Julian Owen was educated at Southend High School for Boys along with brother Timothy who is also an architect. Julian is an elected member of the
A church hall which has stood for almost 100 years could soon be replaced with a new building as part of a project to improve facilities. Clacton's Pier Avenue Baptist Church is planning to replace the youth hall, behind the main church building, with
Sandbags and pumps have been put into action at a post office in a bid to save it from a watery fate. Owner of Chappel and Wakes Colne post office, Chris Eaton, has built sandbag wells all around the post office, and his house which is joined to the back
Traffic police were forced to close the A130 at two key intersections in south Essex as storm clouds broke. With the rain pouring down quicker than firemen could pump it away, the elements won the battle - forcing the road's closure at the Carpenter's
Families across Essex were hoping for the rain to stop falling today as flood waters rose to threatening levels But weathermen warned another inch of rain was on the way today Residents living near or on flood plains were warned that their homes could
A sterling team effort in the fourth fixture of the Inter Sport Cross-Country League brought both success and disappointment for Harwich Runners. While the juniors maintained their top-of-the-table position, the seniors found themselves at the foot of
A teenage girl has become the first victim of the torrential rain which has caused chaos across south Essex. She was killed when the car she was driving was involved in a horrific head-on crash on part of the A128 at Bulphan which had been badly hit by
A new initiative aimed at providing support for teachers and parents in Clacton will be almost full when it opens next week. An open day staged at Nanna's Nursery - which is in the grounds of Colbayns High School - proved a huge success with 60 people
A Ministry of Work and Pensions spokeswoman this week apologised to thousands of over 60-year-olds in Essex who have still not received their £200 winter fuel allowances. Many received the cash from as early as October last year but the latest annual
Motorists were badly hit as north Essex suffered a day of flooding. The A12 was closed London-bound for most of the day yesterday and motorists on more minor roads also found their journeys seriously disrupted. Colchester Road at Tiptree, Heybridge and
Villagers were celebrating today as flood barriers saved their homes from the deluge But elsewhere people were fighting rising tides as weathermen warned that another inch of rain was on the way The people of Colneford Hill in White Colne sat King Canute-like
The introduction of an entrance fee at this year's Maldon Mud Race outraged some people. For the first time, spectators were charged £1 to come into the Promenade Park and watch the race on Sunday. Many people were angry about having to pay and some had
Pitsea is to have a new doctors' surgery, it has been revealed. The Government has given the go-ahead for a special scheme to be located in Wickford Avenue. Basildon Primary Care Trust has been given the green light to operate a surgery from the Dipple
How about a marathon challenge in the New Year? If your New Year's resolution is to get fit, why not put it to good use for charity. Hearing Dogs for Deaf People are inviting wannabe runners to apply for their Golden Bond places. And if you have already
Southend police today praised new year revellers who did them proud as the town remained largely free of violence. The town's reputation as a late-night violence hotspot over the past few months prompted police to deploy a substantial number of extra
Extra funding could be set aside for security patrols at community centres which are constantly falling victim to vandals. The attacks on halls in Castle Point have led to a drop in usage and spiralling security and repair costs. An escalation in incidents
The husband of a 33-year-old mother-of-three today paid tribute to his wife after she lost her eight year battle with cancer. Alison Lettington, who overcame numerous operations on her lungs and three operations to remove brain tumours, as well as giving
Brentwood-based Leopards have unveiled Jeff Willms as assistant coach. The Kansasnative has made an immediate impact in practice and will be on the Leopard bench for the first time this Saturday when Essex visit Birmingham Bullets. Willms will be involved
Radioactive emissions from Bradwell nuclear power station should be reduced following the implementation of new guidelines on waste disposal. The Environment Agency, which regulates the gas discharges from the power station, introduced the new guidelines
Incredibly, Nellie Barden is 103, although her soft skin and lively eyes make her look at least 20 years younger. And her secret? Just enjoy life, don't drink or smoke - and use moisturiser instead of soap. Nellie's formula was a popular topic when she
A large part of Orsett Hospital has been sold to a house builder - for well in excess of £20million, it has been revealed. The Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals NHS Trust has announced that the sale of "surplus land" - to Wilson Connolly - has been completed
When Pat Wade got a call from Downing Street she certainly was not expecting to be told about her place on the New Year Honours List - in fact she thought the call was about her charity's auction. Pat, 55, of Middle Crockerford, Basildon, was awarded
Cheering crowds braved soggy conditions on Maldon Quay for the annual sponsored row in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Torrential rain yesterday meant a lower turnout than usual for the Maldon Little Ships Club event, but hundreds of people
Chris Douglas pulled off a series of great saves to help Chelmsford to a hard won victory. Eventually the Chieftains regained control and on 12.00 a scramble around the Dynamos net allowed Jon Beckett to get the first of the evening. At 28.29 the Dynamos
More than 500 people are backing a campaign to save a tattoo and body piercing shop in Clacton town centre. Mark Rowe and Louise McCusker - who run Buddies Studio in the High Street - were shocked when they were told by Tendring Council they would have
Plans to increase the cost of meals-on-wheels will "hit the poorest pensioners" and price some people out of the service, says a leading pensioners' activist. The cost of the service in Essex will increase from £1.80 a day to £2 in February. For an elderly
On January 4, the Leopards take on bottom of the league Birmingham Bullets at the Aston leisure centre. The game tips off at 7pm and the Leopards will hope to be able to put behind them the debacle of last Sunday's trip to Chester and get back to winning
Dozens of villagers were today still seething after finding their car tyres had been slashed by vandals. Troublemakers went on a spree in Little Wakering Road, Coronation Close and Havenside in Great Wakering as the new year dawned, using a screwdriver
House prices in many parts of Essex have risen to almost 10 times local earnings during 2002 making it harder than ever for first-time buyers to gain a foot on the home-owning ladder. But Chelmsford is not one of the most expensive places to buy because
A car window was smashed in Gilbert Way, Braintree, in what police believe may have been an attempt to hotwire the car. Nothing was stolen from the Ford Sierra but the owner of the car found a baseball bat lying on the rear seat and a craft knife under
This Christmas will live long in the memory for Ipswich Town. Twelfth in the table, firing on all cylinders and gripped by a six-game unbeaten run, this year has certainly ended on a high note. And with only six points between Ipswich and the last play-off
