Death threats have been left for youngsters at a junior school in a echo of an EastEnders plot. Threatening letters to students, worded similarly to those in the TV soap opera's "poison pen" storyline, were left around Buttsbury Junior School, Billericay
Eight more witness appeal boards have been ordered for the Epping and Ongar police division after officers said they had been overwhelmed by the success of the new initiative. The boards - which are modelled on those erected at the roadside following
Advice on how to avoid falling victim to bogus carpet salesmen has been issued by Epping Forest crime reduction officer Tony Ellis. He spoke out after reports that a number elderly and vulnerable residents in the Ongar and North Weald area have recently
A good evenings entertaiment was provided by both teams at the Riverside Arena last week, with the Chieftains being hard pushed by the youngsters from New York. The first goal of the evening was a Kyle Amyotte deflection of a Steve Birch shot at 5.10.
A warning has been issued about bogus callers offering to remove unwanted fridges and freezers -- for a fee. Thurrock Council issued the alert after being contacted by several Aveley residents who said they had been approached by people claiming to be
Residents were celebrating today after Southend Council refused to allow a bungalow on an exclusive estate to be demolished and replaced with houses. A petition was mounted against the plans on the Burges Estate, in Thorpe Bay, and 103 objections raised
Buddy Holly music fan Dave Tobin has decided to follow in his hero's footsteps - by moving to Texas. The 62-year-old granddad, of Westbury Road, Southend, has collected dozens of records, photos and books about his idol but felt it was not enough. When
A climbing instructor who narrowly escaped death when he plunged down a rock face is battling his way back to fitness. James Linford, 52, of Nayland Road, Colchester, was airlifted to hospital with a smashed ankle and other serious injuries after falling
Steve Dickens claimed top spot in the Stanford-le-Hope lugworm-only competition. The Stanford matchman took three flounders and a smelt to win with 110cm. Gillingham's Ernie Maynard led a Kent charge by taking second with three flounders totalling 87cm
Weather forecasters today predicted a quick end to the Siberian conditions which caused chaos across south Essex. More than three inches of snow fell on the area in just a few hours, closing roads and leaving motorists trapped in jams which lasted most
Motorists left stranded on a treacherous stretch of road found their very own knight in shining armour to come to their rescue. Drivers were left high and dry when a combination of ice, snow and traffic congestion meant they got stuck on Essex Way, Benfleet
A school could become a Church of England school to help solve a shortage of places. Great Clacton Junior School has put the option forward to education bosses and talks have been held with church representatives, who support the idea. Phil Tayler, head
Volunteers are scouring the streets of Southend to bring the homeless in from the cold. Homeless Action Resource Project has launched a severe weather project to provide emergency housing, sleeping bags, warm clothing and soup to those in need. Sub-zero
The number of incidents involving air weapons in Essex has more than doubled in the last two years, figures released by Essex Police revealed today. Home Secretary David Blunkett is to introduce a law preventing under-18s owning air pistols and is to
Police today warned of the dangers of throwing snowballs at bus windows after a boy was showered with glass and taken to hospital. The boy suffered minor injuries when a lump of ice was thrown by another boy at a First bus in Braintree Market Place. In
Where have all the fans gone? Colchester United boss Steve Whitton is today asking that question after a crowd of only 2,846 - the second lowest attendance for an English League or cup match last Saturday - turned up to watch the 2-2 draw with Tranmere
Sentimental photographs have been found among old Christmas cards dropped off for recycling. Staff at Harwich Tourist Information Centre discovered hundreds of old pictures in carrier bags at their Christmas card recycling point The photographs are thought
A lacklustre Chieftains were made to battle before seeing off a plucky Nottingham side on Sunday. On a power play at 3.05, Kyle Amyotte laid a pass across the Ice for Jon Beckett to shoot home. The Lions fought back and on a Lions power play, they ripped
A scathing attack was today launched against Essex County Council for the fiasco of poorly gritted roads. Many residents in Benfleet effectively became housebound yesterday after a blizzard made the roads icy. Castle Point Council leader Dave Wells demanded
The 2003 programme gets underway for Chelmsford Cricket Club this Sunday at 8:30pm as winter coaching and nets commence. Chelmsford is fortunate to have use of the Indoor Cricket School at the County Ground for the next 14 Sundays. Chelmsford is the only
Crime-busting security cameras in the Braintree district are to come under scrutiny in a review to see if the scheme can be improved. Braintree Council aims to produce a plan looking at where CCTV cameras are and how many they have, what is likely to
A newly-appointed school head has resigned - just two days after starting. Geraldine Fletcher took over her new job at Frobisher Primary School, Jaywick, on Monday. But today it was confirmed she had stepped down. It was the 52-year-old's first headship
Tenants have been let down by Basildon Council and taxpayers' money has been wasted, according to opposition leader Nigel Smith. He levelled the criticism at the Conservative administration - and particularly housing portfolio holder Tony Ball - following
A councillor has been banned from a hotel after he opposed a planning application. Harwich town councillor Garry Calver hit out at plans to alter the Tower Hotel in Dovercourt last year. When he went to a recent private lunch party, he was met by hotel
A longer working day at a Witham school has proved so successful it may be widened to include more year groups from September. The enrichment "hour" at The John Bramston School in Spinks Lane was introduced for year seven and eight pupils in September
A woman and her baby son escaped injury when their car burst into flames after an accident in icy conditions between High Easter and Good Easter. Kim Perry, of Gepps Close, High Easter, was driving with one-year-old Jenson in the car when the accident
A Braintree man has been arrested after a yacht carrying £5.5 million of cannabis was seized off the Spanish coast. Philip Cook, 48, whose exact address has not been released, was one of three British nationals arrested when Spanish customs officers stopped
Thorpe Bay got the new year off to a flying start with a whistle-stop American handicap tournament. The event was so popular with members that all the club's 12 Astroturf courts were used. Laurel Healy was the highest scoring lady but the men's tournament
A grateful road accident survivor today praised the Good Samaritans who raced to help when she was trapped in her car. Brenda Phelps, of Woodside Park, Leigh, was caught in an early morning smash on Bread and Cheese Hill, Benfleet, as she drove to work
It's been a case of seeing treble for golfers at the Essex Complex at Garon Park, Southend. For no less than three captains have driven in at the Eastern Avenue club in the past week. Leading the way in explosive fashion was men's skipper Howard Gipson
A doctor has issued a warning to his patients after a thief conned his way into a woman's home claiming he was a hospital worker. The 88-year-old victim, who doesn't want to be named, was at her home in Leigh when the man knocked on her door claiming
A campaigner fighting to save a Victorian church from demolition has welcomed the withdrawal of the plans. Norman Jennings opposed plans to knock down 140-year-old Cowper Memorial Evangelical and Congregational Church, which has been closed for over a
An elderly man who thought he was doing a young couple a favour became the target of a new breed of bogus callers. The 90-year-old man, of Pennsylvania Lane, Tiptree, discovered the man and woman had let themselves into his home and then asked him to
Security in Rochford's market square could be tightened via the use of extensive CCTV after the council agreed to the proposal. The district council's community services committee agreed to the principle of introducing CCTV, but requested a more detailed
Spurned Canvey flood survivors have missed their chance to meet the Queen, it was claimed today. Angry Ted Smith told how he and several others who lived through the trauma of the 1953 floods could not get tickets to the special service at Chelmsford
City Tigers got the new year of to a flying start with a convincing 6-1 win over Wathamstow' s Puma 2000 on Sunday. Both teams got off to a slow start after the Christmas break and Chelmsford's nerves were settled when Francessca Babet pounced on a loose
Protesters fighting the widening of Priory Crescent in Southend are planning a month of demonstrations as a finale to their 18-month battle to scupper the scheme. Campaigning group Parklife is to throw itself into a frenzy of demonstrations in a final
A Chelmsford-based expert is cautioning parents to take a commonsense approach to children using the internet. Professor Stephen Heppell, director of Ultralab, the APU's learning technology research centre, is recognised as the UK's leading expert in
A row has erupted over plans to build a coffee shop over a pedestrian walkway. Charville Estates has applied for planning permission to build a single-storey conservatory-style coffee bar on land along unit 16 of the Grove Centre, Witham. The proposed
The founder of Southend's Planetarium has been made an MBE in the New Year Honours. Harry Ford, planetarium lecturer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, part of the National Maritime Museum, will receive the accolade in February for his services to
Southend United supremo Ron Martin today pledged to bring on-the-field stability to Roots Hall. Martin said this week that he was preparing to make big changes following the Shrimpers' disastrous run of nine defeats in 12 league outings, which has left
A £10,000 emergency cash pot has been found to help residents in Tendring fight back against flooding. The money has been made available due to the exceptional weather conditions over the past couple of weeks and to provide free sandbags to owners of
It could be two months before the future of a former cinema is decided. The old Odeon building has remained unused since the cinema opened in its new home, the former post office in Head Street, Colchester. Steve Peri, owner of the Crouch Street site,
The cost of burials in Tendring is set to go up by more than 15 per cent. The increase, from £298 to £347 for new graves for adults, will apply to cemetery sites at Clacton, Kirby Cross and Dovercourt, which are run by the district council. The hike in
Boy racers are being targeted by changes to a Clacton town centre street. Three humps, extra lighting and pedestrian areas are being installed in Pier Avenue by the end of March to slow down traffic. Tendring councillors agreed the measures, which will
Thurrock's talented young scrum-half Steven Jay has been called up to the England 18 Group Clubs squad. The 16-year-old student will attend a training session as part of a 28-man squad at Aston University on Friday week. The squad -- made up of the country's
A brave teenager with brittle bone disease has made it into the Great Britain team as a weightlifter. The 18-year-old has broken his legs so many times he is confined to a wheelchair, but is absolutely determined to make it to the Disabled Weightlifting
Darren Ambrose today delivered a welcome boost to Ipswich Town by revealing he has no plans to follow Jamie Clapham into the Premiership. The teenage prodigy has been touted as a favourite to leave this winter after playing a starring role so far this
A heavily pregnant woman had to walk down 11 flights of stairs - because neither of the lifts in her block of flats was working. Heidi Simmons, who is due to have her second baby later this month, lives on the 11th floor of Lionel Oxley House off Argent
Police today praised motorists for acting sensibly as roads froze over following yesterday's blizzards. A number of roads around south Essex, including the A13 at Bread and Cheese Hill, were forced to close, but there were no reports of any serious incidents
Dagenham & Redbridge continued their exceptional love affair with the FA Cup when their name went into the Fourth Round draw after they shared four goals with Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on Saturday. The Daggers were not treated kindly when the numbers
The decision to increase the cost of meals-on-wheels by 11 per cent was made in "a less than transparent manner" and must be reviewed, according to a leading politician. Proposals to increase the cost of meals-on-wheels across the county was exclusively
Hard work and outstanding achievements by people who live in the Rochford district are being recognised by the council through an awards scheme. Nominations are being sought before January 31 for the Citizen of the Year Award which aims to honour those
Police are hunting a woman who placed an order for £140,000 worth of euros in a Chelmsford travel agent using a false name. The woman walked into Thomas Cook in the High Street in early September and placed an order for the euros by electronic transfer
Martijn Reuser has vowed to pay back fans for their 'overwhelming' support during his recent injury lay-off. The Ipswich Town midfielder was given a rousing reception after making his long-awaited comeback during Saturday's FA Cup clash against Morecambe
