A mother has spoken of her feelings of guilt at allowing a man, who made indecent images on his computer of her daughter, to become a family friend. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was speaking out following the sentencing of Michael
Customers angered by Witham's diminishing Post Office services have been promised things will improve. A total of 41 customers have complained after Witham Town Council urged people to let it know what was wrong. This is in addition to the 300 names on
Angelic voices will be singing to help raise money for vulnerable children and young people. Giving it their all - teacher Paula McManus and pupils Oliver Bettell-Higgins and Layla Steadman with other members of Frobisher Primary School's choir. The sweet
Charities from Essex have received a boost from this year's V Festival with more than £100,000 donated by VIPs and guests. Cheques, worth a combined £104,000 have been handed to charities locally and nationally including: Broomfield Hospital, Well Child
Shoebury golf pro Richard McEvoy faces a gruelling six days as he attempts to keep his European Tour playing card. Twelve months ago former Thorpe Hall Walker Cup amateur McEvoy won the European Tour qualifying school final in magnificent style. However
A YOUNG mother has ordered to do 60 hours community service for her role in the Craylands protest against estate police officer, PC Henry Garrod. Karly Thorpe<OK>, 20, was found guilty of one charge of using threatening or abusive behaviour threatening
A YOUNG clubber had a lucky escape after she fell asleep while cooking a pizza following a night out. Firefighters were called to her home in Winter Folly, Laindon, by startled neighbours who were woke by the sound of her smoke detector at around 3am
A rare mistake by Danny Gay cost Braintree Town the chance of securing three points from their hard-fought encounter with Eastleigh. The Cressing Road faithful were in fine spirits after the impressive Alex Revell had shot them into a half-time lead.
The team behind the proposed new racecourse at Great Leighs has completed two property deals which will add a further 80 acres to the site. The new all-weather track is being developed by John Holmes at the 165-acre former Essex County Showground, near
Canvey Island soccer boss Jeff King revealed he would be releasing "one or two" members of his first team squad after Saturday's FA Cup first qualifying round 4-0 defeat at Nationwide Conference Aldershot Town. Said King: "They took their chances well
Hero neighbours rescued a man from his burning flat on Saturday morning. They kicked open the door of the smoke-filled premises in Palmerston Road, Westcliff to help the man escape, when he was unable to find his keys to unlock the door from the inside
Small businesses across Tendring are to receive a cash boost of hundreds of pounds a year in rates relief, it was revealed today. About 90 per cent of small companies in the district will be significantly better off under the initiative, which takes effect
A teenager convicted at crown court was arrested as soon as he stepped outside following the hearing. Dean McDermott received a 140-hour community punishment order when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday. He had admitted handling stolen
Southend town centre is set to suffer weeks of traffic chaos when a main road is closed for at least a month early in the New Year. Chichester Road, which runs alongside the High Street, will be closed between Tylers Avenue and Heygate Avenue during parts
Sports centres and other attractions as well as Southend seafront should be considered as possible sites for supercasinos, a councillor has said. Brian Smith told Southend Council's economic scrutiny committee last night confining casino developments
A teenager has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to killing two of his friends - one of who was a relative of comedian Joe Pasquale - in a car crash last year. The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared
Charities from Essex have received a boost from this year's V Festival with more than £100,000 donated by VIPs and guests. Cheques, worth a combined £104,000 have been handed to charities locally and nationally including: Broomfield Hospital, Well Child
A doctor in his 70s who worked as a GP at surgeries throughout the south of England, including Chelmsford, despite being warned he did not have the proper qualifications has been found guilty of misconduct. At a disciplinary hearing at the General Medical
Opponents who fear a massive housing development will leave Thundersley gridlocked have called for a public meeting to discuss its implications. Residents have bombarded Castle Point Council with letters and petitions after property developers Martin
A citizens' advice bureau (CAB) in mid Essex now has more space on its hands. Chelmsford's mayor Ian Wright opened the extension at the organisation's Broomfield Road centre. The project was funded by a £54,000 grant from the borough council's Jubilee
DETECTIVES today stepped up their hunt for three men who robbed a teenager at knifepoint as he walked to a bus station. Photo e-fits of three attackers have been released following the robbery on the 17-year-old from Stanford-le-Hope, which took place
Thurrock is to benefit from £8m of investment from the Thames Gateway for a string of ambitious rejuvevation projects, it was revealed this week. Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Keith Hill, who carried a regeneration brief from the Office
Joe Royle felt his Ipswich Town side lacked 'rhythm or togetherness' in the first half of their 1-0 success against Leeds. But he thought they did enough to finish worthy winners in the second period and said: "We got better and better. "The first half
Westcliff have been dealt the major blow of losing head coach Garry Usher ahead of their crunch London Four North East leadership battle with Basildon tomorrow. Usher, who led the Aviation Way side to the Essex One title last season, has joined the coaching
The first plan of a £130million supercasino complex with a hotel, conference centre and three blocks of luxury flats dominating Westcliff seafront. The most ambitious and controversial project ever planned for Southend would create 3,000 new jobs and
THOUSANDS of car enthusiasts poured into Southend seafront making the town's first official cruise for 20 years a smash hit. Spectacular modified cars, trade stalls, sound-systems, sexy models and fire breathing dancers gave the Golden Mile some extra
A FATHER fell to his death after a fight with his son at a family party, an inquest heard. Paul Millham, 52, of Church Street, in Great Burstead, died of a head injury believed to have been caused when his head hit garden paving stones. His son Lee Millham
A school has paid tribute to a teacher who died in a sailing accident. Peter Pratt, of Mile End Road, Colchester, died in hospital last month, a day after collapsing at Ardleigh Reservoir. The 68-year-old was named by police on Friday. Steven Davidson
Ex-Southend United goalkeeper Simon Royce is tipping Blues to upset League One leaders Luton Town in tomorrow's FA Cup clash at Roots Hall - despite currently being on loan with the Hatters. "It's going to be a good game," said the popular custodian,
Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway show certainly went down a treat with a Chelmsford mum when she won prizes galore. Thirty-nine year old Janice Pierce, who lives in Great Baddow, walked away with goodies including two new cars, a Hollywood holiday
The leader of the Conservative Party has paid tribute to the Evening Gazette's Community Stadium Now campaign. Michale Howards adds his name to the stadium campaign. Michael Howard showed his commitment by signing the petition, adding his voice to the
Essex Police are up to full strength with 3,200 officers following one of the most successful recruiting campaigns in recent years. The latest recruiting campaign saw 1,800 applicants since January this year and now there are 359 waiting for training
Southend are under strict orders to tighten up in defence before they travel to Old Patesians tomorrow. Back-to-back wins had lifted the Seasiders away from the foot of the National Division Three South table, but they were brought crashing back down
A new rail station at Shoebury to serve housing developments on the New Ranges could be a reality within the next ten years. Route director of c2c Leila Francis revealed the idea was being actively pursued by the train company. As part of the Thames Gateway
A police officer wept as he was cleared of grabbing his partner round the neck and threatening her with a knife. Mark Gothard, 33, of Woodgrange Drive, Southend, was found not guilty of two counts of common assault, one of affray and one of harassment
Essex Police are up to full strength with 3,200 officers following one of the most successful recruiting campaigns in recent years. The latest recruiting campaign saw 1,800 applicants since January this year and now there are 359 waiting for training
Warnings have once again been issued about the dangers of playing near fires after a boy was burned by a bonfire which had got out of control. The incident happened in the back garden of a house in Bohun Close, Great Leighs, at 1.30pm on Saturday when
Colchester United will have to do it all again in the FA Cup against Mansfield. But, in a hectic ten minutes, they could have avoided the replay in an action-packed finale at Field Mill. The U's will be cursing the missed chances in the final minutes
Southend AC's star-studded under-17 men have captured more national glory. They travelled to Mansfield to take part in their first ever National Cross Country relay and pulled off a tremendous victory with star man Adam Hickey clocking 8 mins. 46 secs
A BIKER was turned into a human fire ball after horrific crash last night. The 25-year-old lost control of his black Kawasaki ZX6R motorbike before it ploughed it into metal railings in Northwick Road, Canvey. The terrifying smash happened just before
Thurrock's big day under nationwide television scrutiny failed to live up to its billing. The chance of a Match of the Day FA Cup First Round Sunday shock was kept alive during the tight, if strangely unadventurous first 45 minutes. But Thurrock went
Southend United skipper Kevin Maher slammed the Shrimpers' sloppy defending after a disappointing 3-0 reverse against Luton Town at Roots Hall on Friday evening. The high flying Hatters, who currently lead League One, hit home a trio of early strikes
Canvey Island swimmers notched up some impressive results at the recent Essex County Championships held at Fullwell Cross. In particular the boys duo of Paul Williams and Ben Preston each collected the ultimate accolade of Essex champion 2004 and some
They were not so much rockin' as queueing to see rock and rollers Status Quo. Signing in - Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt in Chelmsford. The band's two front men, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt, are celebrating 40 years in the music business next year
Colchester honoured the fallen heroes of war during a Remembrance Day parade and service. Homage - war veterans march along Colchester High Street Veterans, soldiers and dignitaries marched from the town hall to the town's war memorial, watched by dozens
Childcare chiefs in Colchester have warned the profession is "haemorrhaging". Slipping standards - Adele Rand and Jen Collett, of Colchester Kids' Clubs, have hit out at Tony Blair's childcare plans They say low pay and a shortage of qualified carers
Pensioners and residents last night failed in their desperate bid to keep the George Hurd Centre where it is. Twenty people formally asked Basildon Council to reconsider plans to move the elderly people's day centre from Fauners, Basildon, to open space
The death toll of motorcyclists in Essex this year rose to 28 today. A motorcyclist died after his bike left the road and struck a series of concrete posts near Earls Colne airfield. It brings to 86 the number of road deaths in Essex so far this year.
THE £80,000 conservation project to restore Hadleigh Castle to its former glory looked set to finish today Monday. Work to the landmark building, which is more than 700-years-old, included stabilising and conserving the two towers and restoring the mortar
An elderly man had to wait nearly eight weeks to see a doctor after his medical records were lost in the post in the latest in a series of Thurrock post service blunders. Phil Burns, 79, of Windsor Avenue, Grays, had been suffering with problems to his
A stranger forced a woman to stop her car then tried to get in next to her. The terrifying incident happened in Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, and police today appealed for witnesses to help identify the man. Acting Det Sgt Mike Sheeran, of Colchester CID
A night out to a pub or club in Essex should be a safer experience now the south east region has joined a new national scheme. The new license which is issued by regulating body Security Industry Authority (SIA) will mean all door supervisors will have
Michael Howard has pledged to fight anti-social behaviour in Essex by increasing the number of police officers. Howard's way - the Tory leader signs an autograph for pupils at John Bramston School, Witham. The leader of the opposition visited John Bramston
The cost of Maldon's rejected Marine Lake option has run into thousands. Maldon District Council has paid management consultancy firm Jacobs Babtie ten per cent of the expected contract sum, to design an expanded marine lake that would have been fit for
A crack addict faces a lengthy jail sentence after he drove a stolen car 'like a weapon' at its owner and his brother. Mark Halliwell, 21, of Cranes Court, Basildon, rammed his victim before trashing three other vehicles in a getaway bid. Halliwell was
A series of events took place yesterday to remember men and women from the area who lost their lives in war. Youngest collector - Lydia Bastock, 10, received praise for her help with the poppy appeal from Legion stalwarts Ron Baker, Derek Monk, Fred Yuill
Castle Point Council has upped their efforts to crush anti-social behaviour in the borough by pledging to spend thousands of pounds on CCTV cameras and appointing a police community support officer team. The council's decision to splash an extra £10,000
A young couple have been told they behaved "disgracefully" when a man was hit on the head with a police-style truncheon. A court heard trouble flared at a block of flats in Harwich after a woman slipped on a step and bruised her leg. She thought someone
A youth who went on a spree of vandalism and theft blamed anarchic television show Jackass for inspiring him. The 17-year-old from Leigh, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police he had got ideas for at least one of his crimes from the MTV show
Parents could be banned from parking near schools in a bid to cut down on traffic congestion. Essex County Council's cabinet has endorsed a suggestion parking should be prohibited within a half mile zone around some schools during "school run" periods
A man who led police on a "hair raising" high speed car chase along the M25 before crashing into one of their cars has been jailed for two years. Liam Kitchen, of Prince Avenue, Westcliff, was seen by police arguing with a group of girls after leaving
Thurrock 0, Oldham Athletic 1 THURROCK's big day under nationwide television scrutiny failed to live up to its billing. The chance of a Match of the Day FA Cup First Round Sunday shock was kept alive during the tight, if strangely unadventurous first
A man who led police on a "hair raising" high speed car chase along the M25 before crashing into one of their cars has been jailed for two years. Liam Kitchen, of Prince Avenue, Westcliff, was seen by police arguing with a group of girls after leaving
Carpenter Scott Feander did his best DIY ever - when he delivered his baby daughter. Special delivery - Jessica Jane seems unaware of the unusual nature of her arrival as she is cuddled by mum Debbie and Dad Scott. Mum-to-be Debbie Carter's labour was
Thurrock's big day under nationwide television scrutiny failed to live up to its billing. The chance of a Match of the Day FA Cup First Round Sunday shock was kept alive during the tight, if strangely unadventurous first 45 minutes. But Thurrock went
An elderly man had to wait nearly eight weeks to see a doctor after his medical records were lost in the post in the latest in a series of Thurrock post service blunders. Phil Burns, 79, of Windsor Avenue, Grays, had been suffering with problems to his
West Ham boss Alan Pardew hopes to field an unchanged side for tomorrow's clash with struggling Brighton and Hove Albion. Both leading scorer Teddy Sheringham and impressive young midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker are due back from injury. But the manager plans
Just what the doctor ordered! Health bosses have been heading off to Italy to recruit the doctors needed to solve the shortage of GPs in Tendring. And they are now in a position to offer seven or eight prospective candidates a post in the district. The
This was a gritty victory with a very attractive reward for Ipswich Town. In terms of entertainment, the match itself was never a classic. In fact it was instantly forgettable. But, after picking up three more precious points, not to mention their latest
Colchester United boss Phil Parkinson is looking for his side to battle on after Wayne Brown's suspension by the FA. The inspirational centre-back has been handed a three-match ban following the fracas at Blackpool last month. The incident also saw Ben
West Ham's Hayden Mullins believes referee Paul Armstrong should look again at the incident which saw him sent off during the 1-0 win over Brighton. The game was in the closing stages when Mullins was chopped down by Seagulls's striker Adam Virgo. But
A violent gang-of-ten attacked a young couple and their friend as they walked home from a party in Basildon. The teenage muggers - eight boys and two girls - spied their three victims, all in their early 20s, as they strolled down an alleyway off Pattiswick
Soccer's greatest domestic knockout competition turned into the FA Cup of woe for south-east Essex sides over the weekend. Not only did the four local clubs competing in the first round proper, Southend United, Canvey Island, Billericay Town and Thurrock
The mother of a 13-year-old girl who was stabbed by another pupil at South Woodham's William de Ferrers school has spoken of the family's anguish. Katie Burrows suffered a minor wound to the chest and another below the waist after she was allegedly attacked
Essex's next High Sheriff has been officially nominated in a 1,000-year old ceremony that pre-dates the Norman Conquest, and takes her place in history as one of the latest incumbents of the oldest secular office in Britain. Jennifer Mary Tolhurst, of
THE number of illegal traveller plots across Basildon has rocketed by 81 per cent in the past two years, it was revealed today. Up to July this year there were 174 unauthorised plots in the district compared to just 96 in 2002, figures from the Office
AN elderly man had to wait nearly eight weeks to see a doctor after his medical records were lost in the post in the latest in a series of Thurrock post service blunders. Phil Burns, 79, of Windsor Avenue, Grays, had been suffering with problems to his
Shoppers fled to safety as a store caught fire and filled with smoke. Sealed off - firefighters at the scene in Eld Lane. Onlookers feared that the front of Monsoon, in Eld Lane, Colchester, was about to explode as flames spread from a ground floor cupboard
Thurrock's big day under nationwide television scrutiny failed to live up to its billing. The chance of a Match of the Day FA Cup First Round Sunday shock was kept alive during the tight, if strangely unadventurous first 45 minutes. But Thurrock went
Basildon's Stuart Bingham pulled off one of the great wins of his career at the Brighton Centre last night when he rocked six-times world champion Steve Davis. The new towner edged the best-of-nine frames match with one of the game's all-time greats 5
Customers angered by Witham's diminishing Post Office services have been promised things will improve. A total of 41 customers have complained after Witham Town Council urged people to let it know what was wrong. This is in addition to the 300 names on
A war veteran represented his legion with honour at the annual Remembrance Day service at London's Royal Albert Hall. Bob Kirk, standard-bearer for the Harwich and District branch of the Royal British Legion, appeared at Saturday's service and gave a
MORE than 50 pupils were lucky to escape serious injury after a double decker school bus crashed into a roadside ditch. The bus was taking pupils home from King Edmund School in Rochford along Shopland Road towards Great Wakering when it veered into the
Thurrock's big day under nationwide television scrutiny failed to live up to its billing. The chance of a Match of the Day FA Cup First Round Sunday shock was kept alive during the tight, if strangely unadventurous first 45 minutes. But Thurrock went
