Vandal-hit bowlers have invited councillors to come and see the problems they face "almost every day". It follows the latest attack on Frinton Bowls Club, when hundreds of pounds worth of damage was caused. Seats were left strewn on the green, the green
An area newly earmarked specially to preserve wildlife, could be carved up by possible plans for a new third road off Canvey, it was revealed today. Castle Point highways and leisure committee approved English Nature's plans to designate Holehaven Creek
A shop boss today told how he faces a mass exodus of staff following two robberies at his store within 48 hours. Spa manager Oomesh Jeetun said the workers he has got left at the shop in West Street, Rochford, are "living in terror". Exodus - Oomesh Jeetun
An 87-year-old woman waited 12 hours "slumped" in her wheelchair in Southend Hospital's A&E department, her daughter claimed today. Frail Rosina Seaby was left wearing her pyjamas and without being fed - as she waited for a bed, Karen Seaby said.
Four families out of every ten cannot afford to buy even the cheapest properties in Essex, a survey has revealed. The in-depth report by Prof Steve Wilcox of the University of York compared the asking prices of modest four and five bedroom homes with
Six adventurous explorers got kitted out to climb Mount Everest to mark the 50th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hilary's assent. The fundraisers spent nearly an hour-and-a-half at the Flagstones store in Southend's Victoria Plaza to ensure they had the right
A daughter is desperate to get in contact with her elderly dad whom she has not seen or heard from in two weeks. Alison Mason, 40, of Joseph Gardens, Silver End, was due to meet her dad, Harold Mace, at Tesco's in Maldon a couple of weeks ago but he failed
Mobile phone thieves have struck three times in Colchester in the last few days. In response to the crimes, police warned owners of phones not to put them down in public places but to keep them securely in a pocket or bag. One of the thefts was at the
The world of business aviation has honoured the battling boss of Southend Airport with its highest award. Andrew Walters, the airport's chairman, received the 2003 European Aviation Award at the EBAA convention, held in Geneva. Andrew Walters - has been
Severely disabled Lily Sanders, 13, has been given a new lease of life, thanks to a friend's gift of an electric wheelchair. Lily was unable to go out without her mother until family friend Tara Smith raised £3,000 to get her mobile. Personal transport
Proposals to turn Colchester firm Flakt Woods site into a major housing development have been leaked to the Evening Gazette. Initial plans show extensive new housing on Tufnell Way along with shops, a doctor's surgery and creche. Flakt Woods is expected
Lake Meadows regular Graham Cook is celebrating after including carp of 25lb and 21lb 12oz in a four-fish haul to end a 25-year run of frustration at the water. Cook, who first fished the Billericay venue in 1978, has landed dozens of 18 and 19 pound-plus
Traffic is making life a nightmare for residents in a busy Southend road, Labour councillors have said. The problems of people living in Bournemouth Park Road emerged after St Luke's Ward members carried out a survey of 250 homes in the area. They were
Would-be thieves tried to steal two cars from a car park in Station Approach, Rayleigh. One motorist returned to her VW Golf to find the lock had been tampered with a screw driver and the side of the vehicle had been scratched. The owner of a blue Ford
Developers of a major retail warehouse scheme at Fossets Farm, off Eastern Avenue, have opted to delay a planning decision by the Secretary of State. Plans for a new B&Q on the site will not be considered by the planning inspectorate until January
Former Heybridge Swifts first-team coach Dean Curtis is heading back to his old stamping ground at Maldon Town. Curtis was manager Dave Greene's right-hand man at the Scraley Road outfit last season. But since Greene's resignation, and the appointment
The new town centre traffic system in Grays was in trouble again yesterday, because of a computer glitch. Traffic lights around the town are linked in to a computer in Chelmsford on a program which is supposed to learn from and react to traffic delays
An open verdict was recorded on a shed builder who died in a room where he was staying beside his work at Poulton Portables in Maldon Road, Danbury. David Scully, 35, had parted from his wife and was lodging in the property while awaiting a flat, his
A new home owner furious at faults with the construction has put up a warning notice to other potential buyers. Gaynor Campbell says she has endured ten weeks of problems after moving into a George Wimpey home she says is plagued with defects at the Braidwood
Despite a family's attempts to prevent a student from killing himself Eric Epange threw himself out of a third window at APU residences and died from head injuries, an inquest heard. Mr Epange, 24, was staying with his sister in Rectory Lane, Chelmsford
Claims that injured patients at Colchester General Hospital's accident and emergency department were sent to Ipswich for treatment are baffling the Trust which runs the facility. People with injuries, including a suspected eye/head fracture and a hand
An outstanding Ofsted report, extra Government funds and the end of a £3/4million building project is cause for celebration at a Billericay primary school. Teachers, pupils and parents at Brightside Primary School are jubilant about the successes and
Children from mid Essex primary schools found themselves trying to cope with emergencies ranging from fires to dangers on building sites and railways. They were taking part in this year's Crucial Crew children's safety project where they were faced with
Canvey Angling Centre squad member Graham Hyde weighed in a 34lb 15oz bream haul to take a convincing win in the first match of the Northlands Park Evening Series. Hyde's road lake quivertip haul included a bream of 5lb 2oz, the heaviest fish of the match
Clive Williams was today celebrating winning the fourth leg of the Clipper 2002 Round the World yacht race. The 41-year-old is crewing on the Bristol Clipper during the 11-month global challenge and is now resting in Mauritius. Williams, from Southend
Masked raiders who beat a publican over the head with a sawn-off shotgun were today being hunted by police. The terrified 40-year-old was told to lie on the floor with a barmaid but struggled with the robbers as they attempted to tie his hands with plastic
Former Clacton Gazette journalist Phil Such is to feature in a new television series about unconventional approaches to life-threatening illnesses. Mr Such died last year after a long and brave battle against motor neurone disease. He was just 38. He
Think Turner Prize and you think abstract art, weird videos and Tracy Emin's famous unmade bed. Which is why Colchester artist Francis Terry's work was never a contender. But now one of his "proper" paintings will hang in the Mall Galleries in London,
Police were today investigating an indecent assault and three indecent exposures in Chelmsford. They occurred over the last eight days but are not linked. In the first, a man exposed himself in front of two teenage girls in a walkway near Coval Lane.
A headteacher has explained his decision to build a fence around his school, which has prevented children and residents using the playing field out of school hours. Last week it was reported how a decision by Notley High, in Notley Road, Braintree, to
With sporting action taking place at a venue called the Willows, you'd expect that cricket would be the game in question. But that's certainly not been the case in Basildon during the half-term school holidays. Lucky duo - Evening Echo competition winners
Southend divers Karen Smith and Tracey Richardson have both been called up for the British squad to contest the World Championships in Spain next month. They are among the 11-strong squad announced by British Diving who will be battling for medals at
The new look Basildon Station, with space-age entrance, secure bicycle parking and improved facilities, is nearing completion. The station, in Southernhay, has had a £200,000 revamp to turn the dingy and dilapidated area into a modern town centre hub.
Lucy Staab really made her mark when competing in only her third ever rhythmic gymnastic competition. For she won a gold medal in the novice under-8 free event as a member of the South Essex Gym Club squad who competed in a novice and intermediate competition
Ipswich Town have "reluctantly" accepted a £750,000 bid from Portsmouth for Matt Holland. The 29-year-old Republic of Ireland international midfielder had been linked with several Premiership clubs. Matt Holland Ipswich chairman David Sheepshanks told
Big Brother star Jade Goody could have lost out on a big deal for photos of her new-born baby, Bobby. OK! magazine was said to have offered £100,000 but a premature birth may have hit her chances. Jade, of Grays, was thought to have had a Caesarean operation
Purse snatchers in Castle Point look set for more than an earful, thanks to handbag alarms being handed out to elderly residents. On Friday, the first batch is being given to senior citizens at Cisca House in Long Road, Canvey. More are due to be distributed
A barman with a flair for cocktail mixing is taking his talent to the UK Bartending Championships. Simon Hilton, bartender at Braintree restaurant Frankie and Benny's, is aiming to become the best in Britain at flairing, a style of drink-making involving
A pensioners' club is looking for a new home now bulldozers draw closer to a Women's Institute hall. Activity groups in South Woodham Ferrers are furious they will not be able to use the hall for club meetings once its replacement is built. Ruth Newton
A supermum was today waiting to hear if she has clinched a top national award. Lesley-Anne Mills has helped to raise thousands of pounds for charity at The Charity Shop For Kids, which she manages in Orwell Road, Clacton. She first started the shop in
Essex take on Middlesex at Lord's today in the County Championship buoyed by their emphatic 268-run success over Nottinghamshire at the weekend. Fast bowler Scott Brant is eagerly looking forward to the match. The Zimbabwe-born left-armer who is now qualified
Two high-flying pupils have been offered a once in a lifetime chance to join some of the world's most promising leaders at a global conference in the USA. Katie Satich and Ksenia Yumasheva, of Beauchamps High School in Wickford, have been selected to
Southend United chief Steve Wignall will hold transfer talks with a Third Division targetman tomorrow. The Blues boss has been thwarted in a bid to sign Cambridge's out-of-contract 17-goal hitman Omer Riza, who has opted for a switch to Turkey. And he
Motorists are being warned that Maldon streets will be blitzed by parking attendants on bank holidays. Warning notices were issued to unsuspecting motorists who were parked on yellow lines outside their homes on the late May Bank Holiday Monday They have
A criminal who objects to his mug-shot being used in a unique "name-and-shame" poster campaign will have to wait and see whether the scheme breaches his human rights. England and Wales' top judge, The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, and Mr Justice Goldring
Hayley Thomas's superb achievements in the Southern Junior Championships at Watford have earned her international selection in the javelin. Thurrock Harrier Hayley, following in the footsteps of former Olympic medalist Fatima Whitbread,threw a massive
Maldon's big-hitter Ian Elliott has rejected the chance to play for Suffolk so he can turn out for his home town club. The 30-year-old from Maldon who has racked up an impressive 418 runs in four outings in the East Anglian Premier League snubbed Suffolk's
Basildon man Stephen Grayston, who wanted to learn to fight at the age of eight, has become an international karate ambassador and recognised at a ceremony in America for his work as an ambassador for his sport. Mr Grayston, 47, runs a karate group in
Nightclubs and large pubs in Colchester could have to foot the bill for extra policing to keep the night-time streets free of trouble, if Colchester's MP Bob Russell has his way. Mr Russell is planning to raise the idea of making the biggest pubs and
Better and more coherent services are promised to Basildon residents with the creation of a new partnership. Health, learning and welfare organisations have joined with Basildon Council and the police to form a partnership which is being launched later
Students taking exams had a last-minute change of venue after vandals struck a school building. Teachers at Tendring Technology College in Frinton went to prepare the exam centre for GCSEs and A-levels and found seven windows had been smashed. Staff quickly
A new weapon in the fight against street crime is coming to Colchester. Essex Police today announced the town will get eight Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). Their job will be to crack down on anti-social behaviour in shopping areas, schools
The writing may be on the wall for vandalism if a new scheme to involve young people in their community is successful. Young residents of Templars estate in Witham are being given the chance to express themselves through a graffiti project at the estate
Some bus fares in Colchester are to go up by 5p or 10p. Arriva Colchester says it is the first increase for more than a year and is geared to keep pace with increased fuel and operational costs. Many single fares will remain unchanged and return fares
More police foot patrols will be set up in a village in a bid to combat nuisance youths. Little Clacton parish councillors heard of the decision in a monthly report from PC Debbie Banks, of Walton police. She said in her report they had received six calls
Motorists are more likely to die or suffer serious injuries in the Braintree area than anywhere else in north Essex. In the past year, nine people were killed in road accidents in the Braintree district. That compares with eight fatal accidents in Tendring
A war veteran is to display his fighting spirit to raise hundreds of pounds for charity. Fred Odell, 82, of Peel Crescent, Braintree, will be taking part in the Broomfield Hospital's Orthopaedic Walk at the end of June. Ready for charity walk - Fred Odell
An appeal is being made for volunteers for the Daybreak holiday play scheme in Chelmsford for children with disabilities. The scheme, first launched 20 years ago, organised by Mencap for children between the ages of five and 18 with moderate to severe
Pupils at Basildon's Moat House School have created a beautiful garden area with the help of BBC Essex and local businesses. Children at the Church Road school have been working on the project to turn an old playground into a landscaped sitting area for
Southend today unfurled the flag of success as its beaches were named among the best in Europe. Shoebury East Beach, Shoebury Common and the Three Shells have all been recognised as being among the cleanest family friendly beaches, not only in the UK
Tendring is to land a cash windfall of more than £1million to boost creativity among schoolchildren, the Evening Gazette can reveal today The money is coming from the Government and is to be used to enrich the lives of pupils across the district. Tendring
A desperate plea has been issued by a local charity which offers Romanian orphans the holiday of a lifetime by bringing them to families around Ongar. The Moreton Romanian Orphan Society has been bringing orphans from Romania since the revolution in 1989
A school is having to fork out to buy security cameras after yobs broke in and embarked on a spree of vandalism. The school gates at St Francis' RC Primary School in Gilchrist Way, Braintree, were spray painted and windows in the school building damaged
A new airborne traffic broadcasting service is taking to the skies from Southend Airport. Broadcasters will report from an aircraft fitted with the latest communications equipment, serving areas including the A127 and A13. Andy Milburn and Naomi Gibson
The Eels returned to winning ways with a comfortable win over St Ives, despite fielding seven debutants on their trip to Cambridgeshire. New arrival Blair Tonkin slotted in well at half-back along with Jimmy Meadows, while the back row of Adam Butterworth
Golfers have helped raise thousands of pounds for Essex Air Ambulance. Michael Moore, who partly organised the event at Braintree Golf Club, was confident more than £10,000 had been raised. Eighty-eight people took part in a day of golf with 22 games
