Police believe bogus workers are targeting homes across Thurrock and have issued a warning for people to take extra care. Officers are visiting pensioners' clubs and sheltered housing complexes to warn of the dangers. In the latest incident, at around
The Ridley Darts and Dominoes League will break more new ground next season with the election of the Bell, Woodham Walter, at last week's annual meeting. Former champions the Cricketers were also welcomed back, offering the prospect of a mouth-watering
Residents who do not pay their council tax could face huge fines and prison sentences under a new zero tolerance crackdown. Tendring Council is to launch the campaign which will also see more moves for bankruptcy orders and bailiffs removing goods from
Southend libraries are hoping residents and visitors will go along to the town's Tourist Information Centre to find out more about the services they offer. A display in the High Street centre highlights a range of useful services including a home delivery
A £30million boost will enable 250 affordable new homes to be built in Southend and signals the start of the Pier Hill revamp. The cash injection is part of the Thames Gateway project and was announced by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. The Government
Aussie fast bowler Scott Brant will miss the remainder of the season for Essex due to a troublesome knee injury. Brant flies back home to Brisbane on Monday where he is to undergo investigative surgery for the problem. David East, Essex Chief Executive
A teenage businesswoman whose hobby of collecting model horses turned into a career has been short-listed for a top womens' award. Rebecca Benfield, 19, of Bigods Lane, Great Dunmow, is among 10 finalists in a national competition. Launched in February
Road builders have been forced to cough up thousands of pounds to repair a slip road on the A130 - just five months after it opened. Since Laing O' Rourke plc finished improvements to the Rayleigh Spur roundabout, a number of drivers have complained about
The ambitious aim of the much-anticipated Brentwood High Street Area Transportation Study is, according to its authors, to identify "a new role for the High Street". This role, it says, "is likely to be one in which transport needs are balanced against
Colchester could have a new raised junction with the A12 as part of the third and final phase of the Northern Approach project. Members of Colchester Council's planning committee are meeting tomorrow to discuss a number of developments within the scheme
Former England captain and current Essex Head Coach Graham Gooch paid tribute to Nasser Hussain, following his resignation on Monday. Gooch, speaking on Sky Sports, said: "Nasser is a proud man and makes his own decisions. He's big enough and experienced
Canvey soon came down from cloud nine following the weekend morale-boosting friendly win at Southend when they crashed to a 7-0 home defeat at the hands of Nationwide League Division One Gillingham. The Kent side, who open their competitive campaign in
It may be the summer holidays - but there has still been reason for one school to celebrate. Vange Primary is one of the first in the district to get its Standard Assessment Test (SAT) results and they make exciting reading for the staff and pupils. The
Dave Batchford found a tench hotspot in Gloucester Park's big bay and took nearly 40 in a hectic session. He also netted a number of carp and some quality roach. Two of the carp were double figure specimens. Dave was fishing the South Eastern corner of
Restoration work on an historic drinking fountain in Braintree is set to start in February. The refurbishment of the fountain in the town centre will take place as part of the £692,000 town centre refurbishment which is about to get under way. The whole
It's a case of so far, so good for Justin Edinburgh and Billericay, who recorded a 5-0 win over Barking. With ten goals and three clean sheets from as many friendlies under his charge, boss Edinburgh is satisfied with how things are shaping up ahead of
A motorist who caused the death of his friend as he drove too fast on a wet Colchester road in a car with "seriously defective" tyres has had his sentence cut. Stephen Wright, 22, of Kildermorie Close, Colchester, was jailed for four years and banned
A postbag thief snatched a sack containing hundreds of letters due to be delivered in Colchester. The theft happened outside the YMCA, in Magdalen Street, New Town, while a postman was doing deliveries. Police have issued a description of a suspect and
A five-year-old boy is about to become a well-known artist when 2,000 copies of his picture hit the streets. Duncan Carlisle, from Vange, won the Vange Fun Day poster competition and will now see his painting of people enjoying themselves at a fete splashed
West Bergholt closed the gap on the top two in the Osborne League division one with an eight-wicket victory over Great Bromley. Bromley were put into bat and reached 147 for eight but West Bergholt eased home as Scott (73) and Ben Lawrence (52) brought
South Woodham's swimming pool will be built using the latest technology with the aim of slashing maintenance bills. The frame of the 25-metre-pool building will be constructed using Glulam beams, which although more expensive do not need regular painting
A district councillor has accused Epping Forest of a 'stitch up' - following its decision to go into partnership with the Government's national regeneration agency - and has issued an impassioned plea to save North Weald Airfield. North Weald District
Police have appealed for help in the hunt for a missing boy. Sean Harris, 15, of Warwick Crescent, Clacton, was last seen at 5.05pm on Tuesday, July 22. He was described as 5ft 8ins tall and weighing about 14 stones. He was said to be dressed in a blue
A patched-up Braintree Town slumped to an embarrassing 7-1 home defeat to Wivenhoe - but Iron boss Gary Bellamy was surprisingly upbeat afterwards. Bellamy, whose side were missing several key players, said: "Sometimes a result like this does you a favour
A man who took a can of beer into a football ground has been fined. Matthew Fearn, 22, of East Hill, Colchester, appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court yesterday where he admitted a charge of possessing liquor in a sports ground. The court heard how
A Halstead man has been ordered to pay more than £1,000 in fines and compensation after kicking the wing mirrors of 12 cars. Phillip Smith, 21, of Vicarage Court, Chapel Hill, appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court where he admitted 12 charges of causing
Southend United's blatant lack of a bread and butter goalscorer was again glaringly evident during the narrow warm-up win at Jewson League Maldon Town. Gangly centre-half Leon Cort showed Blues' misfiring frontmen how to find the back of the net, sealing
Essex Eels will begin their RLC Shield campaign at home to Greenwich Admirals after the London side defeated South London Storm 54-16 on Saturday. The Basildon-based outfit will entertain the Admirals in the first round of the knock-out competition and
Castle point councillors have vowed to tighten the belt in a bid to avoid huge council tax increases over the next two years. Members of the council's central services committee promised to cut back on borough spending last night when they discussed a
Staff at the Royal Bank of Scotland shed their formal business garb and dressed down to raise £4,000 for sick and premature babies. For the second year running, bank employees chose to give the money to Southend Hospital's neonatal unit, handing it over
The grieving dad of a squaddie shot dead in a freak accident in Afghanistan has told how he had only just been reconciled with his son after ten years. Corporal Darren George died while on a peacekeeping mission in the war-torn country when he was shot
Heroin, cocaine and cannabis, worth more than £1,000 has been seized by police in Halstead Three men have been arrested following police raids at two separate houses in the town, the first salvos in an ongoing drugs crackdown in the town. Police officers
Travellers who have set up camp in a public park in Dovercourt will be moved off within the week. That is the assurance to residents who are concerned about the mess being left on the site and the danger to those who want to use it. A resident from Park
Work has started at two playing fields in a bid to ensure next season's football fixtures run without a hitch. Tractors have moved onto Rawreth recreation ground, in Rawreth Lane, and St John playing fields, in Little Wheatley Chase, both in Rayleigh,
A major three-day operation in woods at Clacton was carried out as part of the investigation into the murder of Jean Dicker, the Evening Gazette can reveal. Four large police vans, about 20 officers and other vehicles descended on Pudney Woods at Bockings
Worried parents have told of their fears after thieves stole 300 birth certificates belonging to talented young footballers. Mary Burton, secretary of the Benfleet Youth Football Club, said the important documents were in one of the club director's cars
Young Hawkwell motocross star Marcus-Lee Soper secured a top-six place in Holland as he made his first appearance for the British junior team. Against riders two years older, nine-year-old Marcus, of Briar Close, finished sixth in a field of 40 at the
Bank staff are pleading with customers to back a campaign to stop their jobs moving to India. The union representing Lloyds TSB staff is worried hundreds of jobs could be lost as bank chiefs try to slash costs by relocating to India. A pilot scheme by
Youngsters using Braintree's new skatepark have acted on claims that it is being turned in to a rubbish tip Residents near the facility at Weavers Park are complaining that bottles, condoms and other rubbish are being left around the ramps by the youngsters
A Witham father is annoyed that his swimming-mad daughters cannot get summer holiday season tickets at the town's swimming pool, when youngsters in Braintree and Halstead can. David Gaudry, of Tiberius Gardens, contacted the Evening Gazette after trying
Parking problems at Essex County Hospital should be eased after work is carried out at the busy site. Pick-up and drop-off zones will be created in the front car park at the hospital in Lexden Road, Colchester. The car park will be closed for most of
Steve Cannell came up trumps when he landed a 17lb smooth hound in the Thames estuary. Eastwood angler Cannell caught the specimen on board the Leigh-based Skerrybell and also landed other hounds from 8lb upwards. Joining Cannell was Simon Varney, who
A distraught father has told how his wife sat watching TV as a car crashed through their living room wall. Sandra Ball, 35, escaped injury in the bizarre incident - the latest in a long series - in Tickfield Avenue, Southend. Charles Ball, 47, whose garden
A retired vicar today claimed Southend Council was allowing his area to become an overcrowded slum. The Rev Dennis Peterson, of Cavendish Gardens, Westcliff, said the proliferation of flats in the Westborough ward was putting unbearable pressure on the
Canvey Island have withdrawn their contract offer to former Southend United left-back Damon Searle. The Ryman Premier Division outfit were interested in signing the 31-year-old, who was handed a free transfer by Blues at the end of last season. But Gulls
Hordes of young bookworms have been flocking to libraries to take part in an annual summer read. Canvey Library has already seen over 100 youngsters sign up to this year's summer read, the Reading Maze, since it began last Thursday. Bookworms - children
The latest step in building, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link viaduct at West Thurrock has been taken. The 16th of 23 segments of the 1km-long viaduct have now been pushed into place with main contractor Morgan Vinci edging the concrete deck over the exit
Ipswich defender Thomas Gaardsoe is due to meet with West Brom officials to discuss a possible move to The Hawthorns. Town have agreed a fee with the Baggies - thought to be around £500,000 - after flatly rejecting two bids. The club accepted the improved
Motorists were stuck in eight-mile tailbacks after an accident closed one carriageway of the A12. A dog was killed and its owner airlifted to hospital after the road accident near Chelmsford. A Piaggio caravanette was involved in the collision with a
Southend United young gun Michael Husbands has broken his silence over First Division Gillingham's 11th-hour bid to hijack his move to the south Essex coast. The former Aston Villa hitman was immediately offered a two-year contract by Third Division Blues
Sarah Claxton will be pulling out all the stops in a last-minute bid to take her to the World Athletics Championships in Paris. And the 23-year-old Colchester-based 100 metre hurdler has just ten days to do it. Claxton has only a handful of chances to
Two drivers are hospital with serious injuries following a four-vehicle accident at the Strood on to Mersea. They were treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to Colchester General Hospital after firefighters were called to cut people free from the
Aussie fast bowler Scott Brant will miss the remainder of the season for Essex due to a troublesome knee injury. Brant flies back home to Brisbane on Monday where he is to undergo investigative surgery for the problem. David East, Essex Chief Executive
A contoversial proposal to pedestrianise part of Brentwood's busy High Street during peak shopping hours has been backed by Essex County Council. The plan to close the section of the High Street between Crown Street and St Thomas Road, from 10am to 4pm
Families throughout Thurrock have been thrown into recycling limbo after a third week of blue box chaos. The scheme to collect blue boxes full of paper and glass separately from other waste has been operating since June 7 and still many households have
Two south Essex sailors sparked a sea rescue call when the back of their boat broke off. The father and son, aged 45 and 20, from Basildon, were in the estuary off Canvey's Thorney Bay, when the stern of their 11ft speedboat broke off and slipped into
A lorry driver had a lucky escape when a large hoarding surrounding a building site collapsed onto his vehicle. The structure had been put up around land on the corner of Old Road and St Osyth Road in Clacton where a new supermarket is being built. Les
Bank staff are pleading with customers to back a campaign to stop their jobs moving to India. The union representing Lloyds TSB staff is worried hundreds of jobs could be lost as bank chiefs try to slash costs by relocating to India. A pilot scheme by
Ipswich defender Thomas Gaardsoe is due to meet with West Brom officials to discuss a possible move to The Hawthorns. Town have agreed a fee with the Baggies - thought to be around £500,000 - after flatly rejecting two bids. The club accepted the improved
Ipswich defender Thomas Gaardsoe is due to meet with West Brom officials to discuss a possible move to The Hawthorns. Town have agreed a fee with the Baggies - thought to be around £500,000 - after flatly rejecting two bids. The club accepted the improved
A man suffered a cut eye and a bruised head in a mystery attack in Southend. The 34-year-old was approached in Old Southend Road at 9.35pm last night by a young man who thought he knew him. When he told the stranger he had the wrong person, the young
Daring Paul Philo today climbed a historic ship's rigging blindfold - to help a blind club. Mr Philo, of Dovercourt, decided to climb up the Endeavour, a replica of Captain Cook's ship which is currently moored at Harwich. He began his daring feat early
Manager Phil Parkinson was still upbeat about Colchester United's performances in the coming season despite their final-minute 3-2 defeat in last night's friendly at Cambridge. The U's were finally undone by a last-gasp John Turner goal, which led Parkinson
A scheme which has helped cut crime in Thurrock has been praised by a Government official. Sue Howl, regional crime reduction director at the Home Office, commended the work of the Thurrock Violence Against Women Alliance, which helps highlight crimes
Aussie fast bowler Scott Brant will miss the remainder of the season for Essex due to a troublesome knee injury. Brant flies back home to Brisbane on Monday where he is to undergo investigative surgery for the problem. David East, Essex Chief Executive
Young arsonists are being blamed for six separate fire brigade call-outs to the same area of Colchester. The town's firefighters were repeatedly called back to Middlewick Ranges to deal with several fires in grass, bushes and undergrowth in the same day
Legendary Liverpool band Shack make an exclusive UK festival appearance as the latest addition to this year's V Festival. The band will be playing the NME stage at Weston Park, Staffordshire on 16th August and Hylands Park, Chelmsford on 17th August,
Every person serving alcohol behind a bar in Castle Point will have to apply for a personal licence to do so under new legislation, it has been revealed. The radical move forms part of a shake-up in licensing laws which will see the power to grant liquor
Pubs and clubs wanting to open where there are already many licensed premises could find their applications being carefully scrutinised. Too high a concentration of licensed premises will be guarded against, according to a draft policy due to be considered
Southend Council's education department is celebrating after gaining the Investors in People Award. It was presented by an independent panel following two days of rigorous assessment against national standards. Education director Lorraine O'Reilly said
Tributes have been paid to a Braintree school teacher who died suddenly in her sleep. Janet Smart was 44-years-old and had been a teacher at Notley High School, Notley Road, for six years. She died unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep on Saturday,
A special high-visibility police operation to tackle youngsters vandalising a village churchyard has been hailed a success. But officers will keep the initiative going to ensure problems do not return during the summer holidays. Calvin Heal, crime reduction
