Archive

  • Colchester: Flooding fears

    Flooding an area of Colchester with hundreds of new homes will lead to traffic chaos and overdevelopment. These are the fears Braiswick Residents' Association and Myland Parish Council have raised over the proposal for 267 properties in Tufnell Way. But

  • Maldon: Bogus callers foiled

    Police have praised elderly Maldon residents for refusing to allow bogus callers into their homes. Suspicious callers were foiled at seven addresses in Maldon and Southminster to the delight of officers. In Maldon a man claiming to be from BT and needing

  • Colchester: PM's reply 'a breakthrough'

    Colchester MP Bob Russell has had a reply to his letter urging the Prime Minister Tony Blair to throw his weight behind the town's proposed community stadium. Mr Russell claimed the response was an "important breakthrough" in the fight to get the facility

  • Pitsea: Flyover open to ease traffic gridlock

    Road chaos caused by urgent repairs to Pitsea flyover was lifted today as the A13 re-opened for rush hour traffic. Essex County Council claims the work will be fully completed on schedule by Friday and within the £4.2million budget set aside for the scheme

  • Colchester: 'Love rat's' mum is in the dark

    Darren Day's mum says she knows nothing about the alleged antics of her "love rat" son. Anne Thorpe is completely in the dark over claims the former Colchester schoolboy has cheated on his pregnant girlfriend Suzanne Shaw. The first time Mrs Thorpe knew

  • Southend: Mystery surrounds Palace Hotel renovation plan

    MYSTERY today surrounded the proposed use of two floors of Southend's Palace Hotel as part of its £20million renovation plan. Essex University and hotel owner Octagon Assets have finally lodged a planning application to restore the Palace as a 150-bedroom

  • Soccer: Miller's off to QPR

    Colchester's Adam Miller has signed for Coca-Cola Championship high-flyers Queens Park Rangers. The 22-year-old midfielder - who had been playing for Aldershot Town - passed a medical yesterday and has penned a deal which will keep him at the club until

  • Colchester: Agreement hope for new stadium

    Proposals will be tabled today to get Colchester's community stadium off the ground. Colchester Council bosses were due to unveil their plan to Colchester United during a lunchtime meeting. Council leader John Jowers hopes an agreement will be reached

  • Canvey: Bikers dicing with death

    BIKERS are dicing with death when they use an old Canvey road as a race track, it was claimed today. Northwick Road has become a regular motorbikers' haunt with crowds gathering on a Sunday night to race up and down the little-used road. Canvey councillor

  • Cricket: Durham first visitors to Garon Park

    Durham will have the distinction of providing Essex with their first taste of county cricket action at Southend's Garon Park next season. Replacing Southchurch Park, the new venue will host the four-day Championship clash starting on August 3 and will

  • St Osyth: Paint fired at car

    A motorist had a lucky escape when the car she was driving was hit by a paintball pellet fired from another vehicle. The incident happened in Colchester Road, St Osyth. Acting Insp Pete Gerrard, of Clacton police, said the paintball pellet hit the woman's

  • Jaywick: Woman in bike ordeal thanks 'heroes'

    A pensioner injured after she was knocked off her bike has thanked the people who came to her aid. Recovering - Sheila Rusby broke her elbow Sheila Rusby, 65, was cycling in Jaywick when a man running bumped into her. She was left lying in the middle

  • Nayland: Mick is cut above rest

    World-famous children's author Mick Inkpen took a break from writing to open an extension at Nayland Primary School. Mick Inkpen at the opening ceremony The creator of the Kipper books cut the ribbon on a new nursery and library, which have been added

  • Rugby: Southend revival continues

    Southend clawed further away from the foot of the National League Division Three South table with a hard fought 17-12 victory at Old Patesians on Saturday. The win in Cheltenham lifted the resurgent Seasiders to fourth from bottom in the standings, but

  • Colchester: Student tries to auction her breasts

    A penniless Essex University student is auctioning a fondle of her breasts on E-bay to get her through the year. Katie Strang will entertain the highest bidder with her breasts for 15 minutes, then give them a cup of tea and biscuit before booting them

  • Colchester: Accident causes queues

    Motorists faced traffic misery this morning after two vehicles were involved in a collision, blocking off both lanes on one side of Balkerne Hill, Colchester. Aftermath - police at the scene of the accident on Balkerne Hill. The accident happened just

  • Basildon: Police team to target church vandals

    A special police team has been assembled to track down the vandals who have been constantly targeting a Basildon church. Thousands of pounds worth of damage has been done to the St Andrew's Church, in The Fremnells, through five attacks in the last two

  • Soccer: Armstrong up for Sudbury clash

    Tony Armstrong is looking forward to the light-hearted banter which will no doubt accompany Harwich and Parkeston's Ridgeons League premier division clash at AFC Sudbury tonight. The Shrimpers' chairman stirred up a war of words with the Suffolk giants

  • Chelmsford: Santa helps festive lights turn-on

    Moulsham Street's Christmas lights are getting better than ever. Putting a rein on events - Santa with his little helpers at the Moulsham Street's Christmas lights switch-on. Pictures: TERRY WEEDEN (39318-6) On the 30th anniversary of the event, hundreds

  • Colchester: Guards recall how they fought blaze

    Two security guards have described how they went into a burning, smoke-filled shop after it caught fire. Security guards Paul Sutton (left) and Andy Barker The blaze started in an electrical box at Monsoon in Eld Lane, Colchester, and severely damaged

  • Athletics: Danielle first home

    Danielle Tatum was the first Eastern Counties woman home at the three and a half kilometre Margate International race. The Colchester and Tendring Athletics Club member was representing the Eastern Counties and completed the firm terrain in seventh place

  • Brightlingsea: Court told further burials impractical

    Brightlingsea's vicar has said to use paths for burials in a graveyard would show a lack of respect for the dead. Unususal sight - the consistory court sitting in All Saints Church, Brightlingsea. The Rev Richard Salenius stressed his view that the All

  • Clacton: Complaint by injured girl's mother

    A mother has claimed police officers left her injured ten-year-old daughter in the street. Jane Hammond said her daughter Georgina injured her face falling off her bike. She claimed two officers stopped in a van but did not get out to check how her daughter

  • Southend: Drug-related deaths soar

    Thirteen people died from drug-related deaths in Southend and south east Essex last year, it was revealed today. Figures, compiled with information supplied from coroners' offices across the country, show that in 2003 the death toll from drugs was more

  • Obituary: Funeral for cricket lover Ron

    The funeral service will take place tomorrow of great cricket lover Ronald Martin Holmes, who died earlier this month at the age of 72. He was a founder member of Rayleigh Fairview Cricket Club, who celebrated their 50th anniversary last summer, a patron

  • Soccer: Halford hopeful of replay success

    Colchester United goalscorer Greg Halford is hoping that the U's can overcome Mansfield Town when they come to Layer Road for the FA Cup first round replay. The two teams ended the match 1-1 with Halford's header on 25 minutes being cancelled out with

  • Wivenhoe: Town's drink-drive record 'no worse'

    Claims that a town has a higher-than-average number of drink-drivers have been questioned. Wivenhoe mayor Peter Hill spoke out against the claims by Essex Police, as revealed by the Gazette last month. Wivenhoe community police officer, PC Steve May,

  • Soccer: Bent on keeping striker

    Dean Bowditch is praying Ipswich Town keep hold of Darren Bent when the transfer window reopens in January. The teenage striker knows his own first-team chances would receive a boost if Bent was snapped-up by a Premiership club. But he appreciates the

  • Mistley, Lawford: 1,000 homes plan fear

    Plans have been revealed for more than 1,000 new homes to be built on farmland at Mistley and Lawford. Now worried councillors are opposing the proposals, which they fear would turn their villages into a small town. "It's over-development on a grand scale

  • Harwich, Dovercourt: Pubs unite to fight a ban on smoking

    Pub owners are fighting back against the campaign to ban smoking from all public places. Recent legislation has outlawed smoking in pubs and bars across Ireland and Scotland. But publicans in Harwich and Dovercourt are opposing any similar change in the

  • Basildon: Traveller camps 'second highest in England'

    Basildon has the second highest number of illegal traveller camps in England, it was revealed today. With its 145 council-run and privately-owned legal sites and 174 illegal plots, the area has the most traveller sites than any other district in Essex

  • Rugby: Hotly disputed try settles derby

    A hotly disputed try in the dying moments of the game handed Basildon a vital 10-6 victory at London Four North East championship rivals Westcliff. Until this point Westcliff, who were level on points with leaders Basildon before the game, had been clinging

  • Soccer: White's quest to keep place

    John White has one aim for the weekend - to see his name on the Colchester United teamsheet at 3pm on Saturday. Man on a mission - John White (centre) is hoping to keep his place in the U's side for Saturday's clash with Huddersfield. The 18-year-old

  • Billericay: MP injured in car smash

    Billericay MP John Baron was recovering at home today after a car accident left him unconscious and broke his nose. Mr Baron, 45, was involved in a crash with a black cab in South London on Friday evening. He was admitted to a local Accident and Emergency

  • Chelmsford Boreham: Vote saves jobs at marine firm

    Hundreds of jobs have been saved after creditors voted against closing a company's doors for good. Global Marine Systems, which has sites employing about 60 staff in Chelmsford and Boreham and more than 350 elsewhere, had been told jobs would go after

  • Football: Blues bash Brentwood

    Southend United progressed to the fourth round of the Essex Senior Cup with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Brentwood Town at Roots Hall last night. Mark Bentley, Joe Ilett, Tes Bramble and Lawrie Dudfield were all on target for a young Shrimpers side

  • Rayne: Back to Burma

    A war veteran will be making the journey back to the jungles of Burma nearly 60 years after he fought there. Return journey - former RAF serviceman Peter Burton is taking part in the Heroes Return Scheme to travel back to south east Asia. Picture: TERRY

  • Lawford: Setback to new skateboard plan

    Plans for a skateboard park at Lawford have suffered a setback. Youngsters throughout the Manningtree area have been pressing for skateboarding facilities and Lawford Parish Council was considering a site at the Waldegrave Way play area. But at yesterday's

  • Braintree: Del Boy knows where to get his mange tout!

    He who dares wins! That was the advice Del Boy Trotter and Uncle Albert gave staff at a new store when they went along to help officially open it. Just cushty - Del Boy and Uncle Albert look-a-likes added a lovely jubbly feeling to the opening of Budgen's

  • Maldon: New guide to lure shoppers to town

    A new shoppers' guide to Maldon is being launched with the aim of enticing more consumers to the town. The full-colour shopping and eating guide for 2005 includes information on more than 200 shops, more than 40 places to eat and drink and regular and

  • Mid-Essex: Traders dismayed at roadworks plan

    Traders say their livelihood will be lost because of roadworks requiring the closure of part of the main road between Maldon and Chelmsford. Works to raise kerbs and improve lighting on the A414 in Danbury will begin on Monday. It will involve single

  • Braintree: Girl saves blaze mum

    A mother "would have died" had it not been for the actions of her quick-thinking daughter. The 11-year-old girl calmly doused her mother's clothes with water after discovering they had caught fire during a blaze at their home. Fire crews from Braintree

  • Cross-country: Southend girls dominate

    Southend High dominated the annual Southend Schools Girls cross-country Championships, staged at Garon Park. In taking the overall title they won all but one of the five team races. Only the year seven event, which went to Westcliff's St Bernard's, eluded

  • Rochford: School crash pupils are 'heroes'

    Three teenage heroes were today praised by their headteacher for helping fellow pupils escape from a school bus after it crashed into a ditch. The double decker was taking 70 pupils home from King Edmund School, Rochford, when it skidded out of control

  • Golf: Anxious finish for McEvoy

    Shoebury golf professional Richard McEvoy went into today's sixth and final round of the European Tour qualifying school event with his hopes of retaining his card allowing him to play regularly among the game's elite hanging by a thread. McEvoy, the