Former Southend United midfielder Carl Hutchings has admitted he regretted turning his back on Roots Hall. The 28-year-old quit the Shrimpers for bitter east London rivals Leyton Orient midway through last season on a free transfer. But Hutchings, who
Southend Ladies Hockey Club have organised a level one coaching course for July 4-6. The course is almost entirely practical and involves active participation throughout. Candidates will need to be suitably dressed for the practical sessions which will
Darren Bent has described as 'shocking' the boo-boys who turned on two of his team-mates at Ipswich Town. Keeper Andy Marshall and midfielder Jermaine Wright were targeted by a minority of fans during Saturday's dismal 5-1 routing by Wimbledon. But substitute
A 14-year-old girl was seriously sexually assaulted on a train at Southend Victoria station, police have revealed. The teenager was subjected to the terrifying ordeal after she and a friend met two boys aged about 16 on Southend seafront. The group then
Friends and family of a football fan have remembered him with a special match and an auction of soccer memorabilia. Tim Martin, of Old Heath, Colchester, died last year from complications arising from Crohn's Disease - a bowel disorder. A charity football
A banned driver moved a car on her driveway and accidentally reversed, damaging the safety fence of an electricity substation, a court heard Fiona Fisher had been banned from driving for four years in 2001. Prosecutor Shini Cooksey said Fisher collided
Halstead Town boss Paul Grimsey is backing his in-form side to clinch the Jewson League division one title. The Rosemary Lane outfit cross the Essex-Suffolk border to play Long Melford. Grimsey's men have beaten the Suffolk Senior Cup winners three times
Demand for postal votes has increased fourfold in four years since the last Braintree Council elections and people are being encouraged to use the vote they are entitled to. With almost 11,000 people voting in the local council elections by post, the
Southend's cricketers were heavily beaten after being put in to bat in their friendly with Wickford. On a lively wicket only Ian Heiser's 27 and Wayne Spear's 32 offered any resistance as they slumped to 124 all out. Former Essex player Chris Gladwin
Firefighters believe an arsonist could have started a blaze which threatened the lives of more than 800 pupils at a Southend school. Pupils at Southend High School for Girls, in Southchurch Boulevard, were sent home after a first-floor fire threatened
A man who injured a policeman's jaw in a scuffle has been ordered to work on his anger. Stuart Beamer, of Wickham Road, Colchester, admitted assaulting a police constable and damaging a wall on February 10. Shini Cooksley, prosecuting, said Beamer had
The achievements of 300 students were recognised at a training programme's celebration evening, where certificates were presented by Ron Martin co-owner of Southend United Football Club. Jennifer Cashman, who runs the scheme, said: "We put on a celebration
Laindon's pigeon racers flew from Worksop this weekend and the 135-mile run produced a magnificent clean sweep for Jimmy Richards. His high-flying Laffy Daffy birds took the first four places, with the leader clocking 1304 yards per minute for the Pride
A man trying to claim cash with a pension book ran off after post office staff queried it. The suspected deception attempt was reported at Marks Tey Post Office in London Road, Marks Tey, after he went in with the claim slips. Described as black with
Golfers at Clacton were lucky to escape serious injury after they were pelted with missiles by youngsters during their round. Three teenagers threw stones at two players at Clacton Golf Club in West Road. Then as two others went over to see what was happening
Good as gold! Youngsters in Benfleet were today praised by traders for their impeccable behaviour during the two-week Easter holidays. It came after traders repeatedly complained of youth nuisance in the area. Mike McKenzie, 41, manager of the Electrical
A performing arts school is looking for new recruits to tread the boards in the West End. Songs from hit musicals including Chicago, West Side Story and Annie were performed at a recent show by budding stars from Braintree Theatretrain at Braintree Institute
An auction of bicycles will be among the attractions at this year's Little Haven Bike ride in Chelmsford, which is taking place on Sunday, May 11. Around a dozen bikes will be available to be sold off to raise funds for Little Haven Children's Hospice
Although the typical British rainy weather has returned for this week's back to school, youngsters in south-east Essex enjoyed sunshine all the way at soccer schools during their Easter break. Both West Ham in the Community and Arsenal scout Bob Woolf's
Hadleigh's huge win over Basildon & Pitsea was very much a family affair at the John Burrows Ground. It was the Harding, Wagstaff, and Soilleux families which played a leading part. Andrew Harding scored 113 and shared in an opening wicket stand of
Dance students have twirled their way to success by getting top marks in a national competition. More than 60 pupils from the Western Dance Centre, in High Road, Hadleigh, travelled to Blackpool to take part in the national ballroom and Latin competition
A celebration to mark Guglielmo Marconi's birthday has been held in Chelmsford. International Marconi Day was held at the Sandford Mill museum in the town to celebrate the birth of the radio pioneer. Special radio stations with a Marconi connection were
A charity worker has thanked people in Harwich for their support ahead of a mercy mission to Romania. Avril and Barry Smith, of Grafton Road, Dovercourt, are part of a convoy taking aid to orphans in June. Mrs Smith said they had been inundated with donations
Rail watchdogs have called for better services to the Tendring coast. The Rail Passengers Committee believes companies are behind the times and need to get up to date. It feels there needs to be a major improvement in services to Clacton and Walton. Derek
A teenager was today hailed a hero after climbing through the window of an elderly woman's flat to help put out a fire. Jay Milner, 17, was walking home with friends when he spotted smoke coming from an elderly people's complex. The brave teenager, who
Strongsupport has been shown for three Castle Point councillors who were the subject of a controversial leaflet that was delivered to residents in the ward they are standing for in Thursday's local elections. Millionaire Canvey businessman Terry Holding
South Essex is leading the nation in hi-tech methods to combat crime. A new closed-circuit television monitoring station has come on line - with nearly 200 cameras across Thurrock feeding into the system. Town centres such as Stanford and Corringham,
Villagers have staged talks with police in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour. Residents in Birch say it is time to crack down on troublemakers after a rise in nuisance activity. More than 30 villagers attended a special meeting with police, council
A man has been jailed for trying to rape a 13-year-old girl in her bedroom. A judge jailed martial arts instructor Adrian Hubbard, 30, of Rickstones Road, Witham, for six years. After the sentencing hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court, investigating police
Forgotten man Kevin Rapley has expressed his disgust at being axed by Colchester United. And fellow long-term injury victim Mark Warren said he too was 'very disappointed' at being released by the club. The pair, who have been out of action for almost
Queues are already forming for a potential new Tesco Express store - even though it has not yet been agreed. Earlier this year, the store chain was refused permission to knock down an existing shop at a former Save petrol station in London Road, Benfleet
Supermarket giant Asda has been ordered to pay £30,000 after a dead mouse was discovered in a pack of rolls. Denise Brown, 39, of Rochester Drive, Westcliff, bought a pack of 24 rolls from the Asda store in North Shoebury Road, Shoebury, in August 2001
Braintree police have again urged people to beware of bogus callers after an elderly man was targeted at the weekend. A homeowner in Peel Crescent, Braintree, was approached by a man and a woman on Saturday. The duo claimed to be from the area and said
Residents have reacted angrily over travellers who have camped out at a seaside country park. Initially, about 15 caravans moved on to the main car park on Holland Haven just before Easter and set up camp. But despite urgent moves to shift them within
Nasser Hussain will play his first Championship match in 12 months when Essex take on Leicestershire at Grace Road. The England captain pulled on an Essex sweater for the first time this season in Sunday's National League clash against Surrey at Chelmsford
One of the biggest shops in Witham high street is facing an uncertain future. The two-storey building in Newland street, used by the Colchester and East Essex Co-operative Society for electrical goods for many years, now stands empty. The company says
A Dutch lorry parked at the Moto motorway services at West Thurrock was broken into. It is believed the rear door of the lorry's trailer was opened while it was at the services and nearly 300 children's tops, 57 children's dresses and nine cartons of
Heybridge Swifts' hopes of surviving the drop from the Ryman League premier division have been given a massive boost. Boreham Wood were defeated by Aylesbury United, ensuring that Boreham stay just one place and one point above Heybridge. A win for Heybridge
Brave Castle Point MP Bob Spink today told how he chased a gang of violent thugs away from their teenage victim who was getting a severe beating outside Benfleet police station. The Tory MP, a former boxer, was driving past the station in the High Road
A football team had a lucky escape when their coach was involved in a crash on the way to a game. Clacton Town were travelling to a match at Norwich United when their coach was involved in a collision with a lorry on the A140 at Diss. No-one was seriously
A drugs gang who set up a lucrative trade in Basildon's Gloucester Park are starting a total of 17 years in jail. Three dealers - one from Basildon and two Jamaicans living in North London - were caught after selling the class A drugs heroin and crack
A combination of quick-thinking and luck prevented dumped oil causing an environmental "headache" and polluting drinking water to Maldon homes. The Environment Agency managed to contain the fuel spillage before it reached the River Chelmer because of
A furious political row has erupted over the future of an Leigh old people's home. At the heart of the issue was a Lib Dem leaflet sent to residents of Spencer House in Randolph Close, Leigh, which claimed the Tories could be set to close the property
Shops should ban teenagers from wearing hoods to combat theft, says a police adviser. Baseball caps and hooded tops, known as hoodies, are hugely popular with teenagers. But for Colchester store owners losing thousands of pounds worth of goods to shoplifters
Southend United supremo Ron Martin has revealed he would be voting against plans to revolutionise the promotion play-off system. Football League chiefs want to expand the number of teams who qualify for the end of season play-offs from four to six teams
Students at Shoeburyness High School have been banned from using a local convenience store to end a spate of shoplifting. The ban at the Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society store in West Road was put in place with the blessing of the Caulfield Road school
West Ham United are checking out the form of Fulham goalkeeper Maik Taylor with a view to bringing the Northern Ireland international to Upton Park. Hammers' scouts have been keeping tabs on the Cottagers in recent weeks and their 31-year-old keeper is
Years of hard work to improve a Braintree church look set to pay off. Dedicated fundraisers at St Paul's Church, the Anglican parish church of east Braintree in Hay Lane, have spent seven years raising about £150,000 towards a new church extension. They
Police have sent a stark warning to graffiti artists in Southend that all offenders will be prosecuted. A rise in graffiti incidents over the holidays has forced police to step up their policy of zero tolerance. PC Tony Newton of Leigh urged: "Do not
Sporting enthusiasts were bowled over when they celebrated the opening of a new £176,000 pavilion in Wickford. Members of Wickford Bowls Club watched in delight on Saturday as the ribbon was cut on the premises which were finished just in time for the
A mid-Essex further education college has scored highly in an education watchdog's report. Braintree College, in Church Lane, Bocking, has been awarded an overall "good" rating following a five-day inspection by the Office for Standards in Education (
Athlete are the latest addition to the V Festival line-up along with David Holmes, Futurehead, Damien Rice and Michael Franti & Spearhead. Athlete are one of the UK's most talked about bands. New single El Salvador has just been released from
There will be something for everyone at Ingatestone Hall next month where a varied line up of events and activities is scheduled. On Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11 the 16th Century mansion in Hall Lane will host the International Homes Show. Then
Southend United's fans were treated to a wonder show from bright young hope Michael Kightly as Blues finished their Roots Hall reserve team programme with a 2-1 win over lowly Bristol Rovers. The 17-year-old front-runner from Basildon both scored and
A parent and toddler group in east Colchester has been saved from closure. Lynn Hewes and Wendy Hodgson have been running the parent and toddler group at Sir Charles Lucas Arts College for about five years on a voluntary basis. But funding was desperately
A low-key protest by Greenpeace was staged outside an Esso petrol station. Members of Greenpeace stood outside the garage, in Princes Road, Chelmsford, for 24 hours to try to encourage motorists to boycott the company. But although the numbers were low
Nuclear fuel has been taken out of reactors at Bradwell power station and transported straight to Sellafield for reprocessing - for the first time in the plant's history. The first train-loads of waste to be removed directly from reactor one left Southminster
The BAA Stanstead Essex Youth Games which are taking place on Sunday, June 22 at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre are fast approaching. The Southend team are organising trials to select squads for mixed athletics, disability athletics and netball. Anyone
Billericay and Brentwood's radio station will see DJs going head-to-head in a battle of the turn tables. The event will take place in Billericay High Street on May 10 as Bully and Notty clash in their differing music tastes. Darren Bull (Bully's Boogie
Relief will soon be on the way for Essex heart patients waiting up to seven weeks for vital tests. A new angiography suite will be unveiled in June at Broomfield Hospital's cardiac centre, Chelmsford. At present people who need coronary angiogram tests
