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Roll on derby day. That's the defiant message from Ipswich Town hero Jaime Peters as the Blues prepare for Saturday's Coca-Cola Championship showdown against rivals Colchester United. His side go into the Portman Road clash on a high after booking their

Colchester United owner Robbie Cowling has praised the club's fans for their support in the current campaign. The U's have been well supported both home and away this season. Cowling is delighted with the support the club is receiving from loyal fans

Andy Bichel is determined to help Essex to greater glory this summer after penning a short-term deal with the club. Australian all-rounder Bichel will return to the Ford County Ground for the second half of the summer. The 36-year-old was the county's

A pregnant woman and a teenager were among the victims of a series of serious crashes in Colchester. Two of the road incidents over the past 24 hours included expensive, high-powered sports cars. Emergency services were called to Mersea Road, Colchester

A committee which is working to improve the condition of toilets in the district is encouraging residents to report vandalism to help catch the culprits. A tour of facilities in Harwich and Dovercourt has just been made by the committee. Dave Rutson

A charity which helps vulnerable children and the elderly in Romania is still going strong despite a fire last year. Frinton-based charity Haven in Romania was devastated last year when the store building for its stock went up in flames. The Cowdray

A volunteer who has been told his work will end when a charity closes has vowed to carry on helping his vulnerable clients. Chris Papworth has been an advocate with North Essex Advocate Team (Neat) for nearly four years. The 67-year-old received a letter

The elderly and disabled across Tendring could be hit by a decision to cut the mobile library service. Tory councillor Chris Griffiths (St James) claims Essex County Council proposals would have a "detrimental effect on the quality of life for some of

A woman believed to be one of the oldest people in Essex has celebrated her 106th birthday. Ethel Wood, who was born on January 16, 1901, still lives in her own home in Kirby Cross. She celebrated the day with friends and visitors, including Frinton

The problem-hit Clacton Carnival committee is breathing a sigh of relief after securing a site for its three major events. The New Year has brought much welcomed news it is able to use the Gainsford site for another season. Organisers of Clacton's biggest

A band of parish councillors has vowed to chain themselves to three old oak trees in a bid to stop them being felled. Colchester-based insurance company OCA UK has called for the trees in Weeley to be chopped down to save the crumbling Scout hut on the

An arthritis support group in Clacton has closed after more than 45 years. Clacton Arthritis Care shut after the retirement of the club secretary Dorothy Bell, due to ill health. A replacement has not been found, and the club met for the final time.

Graffiti artists have started to tag Frinton. It is the latest in a catalogue of antisocial activity to blight the town in recent months. Police want to identify who is spraying the distinctive graffiti signatures, known as tags, as soon as possible

The campaigner leading the fight to save Frinton's famous railway gates has told how he became trapped when an automatic barrier closed on him. David Foster had been researching how the barriers at Manningtree worked when they came down on him. Mr Foster

A pensioner has had her bag returned more than eight weeks after it was snatched by a thief. Vivien Williams, 70, was tricked by a boy into opening her car door, which allowed him to steal her handbag. The incident happened on November 2, in South Street

AS is so often the case in life as one door closes another one opens and so it is with the pantomime. The main theatres' shows may have ended but now the reams and reams of local amateur troupes get their turn with their very own versions. A few start

A busy north Essex commuter route has been named as one of the worst for serious crashes. The A12 was highlighted as having one of the highest number of killed or serious injury (KSI) collision rates of all Essex roads. Now traffic police have launched

A family have paid tribute to their 17-year-old son, a self-confessed party animal, who died in a motorbike accident. Simon Cain died from head injuries in Colchester General Hospital following an accident on his bike in Colchester Road, White Colne,

Parking headaches could become a thing of the past if a new scheme to get people renting out their driveways and garages takes off. A website giving people the chance to advertise spare parking space has been set up on the internet. Anthony Eskinazi

A hard-hitting presentation on the dangers of electricity has been given to children at Lexden Primary School. Youngsters in years three to six watched the presentation by EDF Energy Networks, which included a DVD which warned them against playing in

CAampaigners battling to save a flagship college are holding last-ditch talks in a desperate bid to stop its closure. County Hall chiefs are set to rule on the future of axe-threatened Grey Friars College, in Colchester, by the end of the month. Protesters

A multi-million pound sixth form centre is to be built, after a crunch meeting to discuss the ambitious plans. Notley High School, Braintree, took its bid to education chiefs yesterday and received support for their plans to build a £5 million sixth

A doctor is gearing up for a 3,000km race in a classic car to raise cash for hi-tech medical equipment. Ranjan Thilagarajah, of Coggeshall, will leave behind his colleagues at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, on Tuesday to take part in the 75th Monte

Rare species in the Blackwater Estuary are in urgent need of protection, says a new report. Salt marsh plants, including thrift sea lavender and samphire, as well as the Native oyster, could disappear forever unless human activity on the estuary is brought

A former nurse caught committing an indecent act in toilets at a bus station said he was "shaking off drips" - on both occasions. Magistrates heard Mario Gelao, 57, of Park Drive, Braintree, had been caught committing an indecent act by a bus driver

One of Colchester's weakest schools is get support from one of the area's best performers. The headteacher of The Stanway School, which came top of recent GCSE league tables, is to take on a new role of executive head for both his school and the Thomas

Controversial plans to build a massive waste treatment site on people's doorsteps have come under fire from protesters. Parish councillors last night agreed to object to the proposed factory at Stanway Hall Quarry. Cory Environmental wants to build

Feisty Claire Chowney gave as good as she got when she was featured on a national radio show. Claire, 31, who lives in Dovercourt, was so convinced she knew the answer to the Celebrity Tarzan competition on Radio 1 that she called the station to try

What's On This Week Until Saturday - Witchfinder: The Film, Headgate Theatre, Colchester. 01206 366000. Until Saturday - Mystery of the Blood Beast Horror of Wolfbane Manor Mystery, Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich. 01473 211498. Until Jan 27 - Dick

This is what was left of an expensive sports car after it collided with a crash barrier. The driver was unhurt after airbags on the 6.2 litre Lamborghini deployed in the incident yesterday afternoon. It is thought the car, said to be worth about £100,000

A £62m college redevelopment is to go ahead thanks to the project securing financial backing. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has given its backing to the application for a £62 million redevelopment of the Colchester Institute. It will include