A lorry driver has swapped his truck for some blue suede shoes after being offered the chance to perform an Elvis tribute show. Billy Purcell was on holiday in the Dominican Republic when he was invited to perform his act on stage. Bosses at the hotel
Last month 81-year-old Jean Dennis gave up driving and sold her car. She believes it was the right time. "Not that I had an accident or was losing confidence," she said. "I just felt I am 81 and should pack it in now." She hasn't missed it, especially
Hundreds of anti-pickpocket devices have been given out to shoppers in the latest bid to protect them from criminals. Police and Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators handed out 700 free cat bells during a two-hour stint on Colchester High Street. They
Colchester must wait to find out if its famous oysters will get protected status, the town's MP has been told. A Parliamentary written answer to Lib Dem Bob Russell said a decision is not yet made on proposals to prevent rival oyster fisheries selling
A fencing contractor who was jailed for manslaughter and grievous bodily harm in Cyprus has been given a date for his appeal to be heard. Julian Harrington, a father-of-one from Witham, will attend the High Court in Nicosia on September 20. The hearing
Young Tom Cole is a world-class swimmer - but his chance to compete in the 2012 London Paralympic Games is slim. The 18-year-old, a member of the Colchester Phoenix club, has won a clutch of medals, and has chalked up a 1,500 metre world record in the
A tree of hope is to be planted in Colchester by parents battling to save a school. The threat of closure hangs over Alderman Blaxill School, in Shrub End, after it was put into special measures. At a meeting of the school's parents' forum last night
Police are hunting a dangerous attacker who sprayed a noxious chemical in his victim's face. The man targeted by the lazy-eyed assailant faces the threat of lasting damage to his sight. Posing as a council workman, the culprit knocked on the victim's
A rare protected bird has hatched chicks on Mersea Island for the first time in living memory. Walkers at Cudmore Grove Country Park, East Mersea, can spot the young avocet finding their feet on the neighbouring saltmarsh. Avocets stopped breeding in
A leading sportswear company has bought a town centre shop. Sports World International has signed a deal on the former Harpers sports store in Colchester. It brings an end to years of speculation about the site in Head Street. Fire ripped through the
Murder squad detectives today launched a fresh appeal after the death of Helen Maughan as friends paid a moving tribute to the tragic 24-year-old. Helen's partially-clothed body was discovered in the River Colne near Colchester town centre in May
Police today condemned a "low" conman who stole nearly £100 in cash from a woman in her nineties. Officers appealed for information to help them catch the thief, who tricked his vulnerable victim by posing as a plumber. The man called at the 91-year-old's
Controversial plans for a children's care home have been abandoned after fierce opposition from concerned residents. Precision Care has ditched proposals for the unit for problem youngsters in De Vere Road, Colchester, after a heated meeting with residents
The top pickpocket hotspots in Colchester are named today. Police have revealed the five shops where the most purse thefts have been reported in the last year. Marks and Spencer, in the High Street, ranked highest with 20 snatches between July 2006
A bus shelter, which was built following a community campaign, has been destroyed for a second time after a crash. Dave McLeod, mayor of Harwich, discovered the bus shelter, along the long stretch of Ramsey Road between Ramsey and Upper Dovercourt, had
Mental health, smoking and poor diet will be targeted in a new campaign to make people in Tendring and Colchester happier and healthier. The stark disparity of life expectancy levels in the region has forced the North East Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT
A flood study will have to be completed before a new regeneration plan for Jaywick is devised, the Gazette can reveal. Residents were hopeful a new option for the resort would be ready for consultation soon. It follows public uproar at the first blueprint
A seafront hotel on the market for £1.2 million has been sold. The Geisha Hotel, in Marine Parade East, Clacton, has been bought by an unnamed investor from the town. The sale of the 15-bedroom hotel is proof the seaside tourist trade is thriving,
Essex chart sensations Koopa are about to go on the road. In keeping with their DIY ethos, they are looking for someone to sponsor them. The headline tour will cover as much of Britain as the unsigned band can afford, so in order to play as many dates
While Essex's new star Lee Mead wore his amazing technicolor dreamcoat for his starring role as Joseph in the West End, there was another Essex man waiting nervously in the wings. John Clarke, from Clacton, is resident director of the new- look West
Essex must face Gloucestershire at Bristol without influential Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria when they commence a County Championship match with lowly Gloucestershire this morning. Kaneria, who has bagged 50 championship wickets this season is
Police stumbled across more than 200 cannabis plants at a house in Brightlingsea. Officers were called to a burglary in progress at the property in George Avenue. They could not find the alleged offender and entered the house themselves, which was when
TEENAGER Anthony Wordsworth feels he will need to score more goals this season if he is to challenge for a first-team place at Colchester United. The 19-year-old scored a superb late equaliser for the U's to earn them a share of the spoils against Blue
Skaters will be rolling, flipping and spinning their way through the summer, thanks to a new skatepark. A half-pipe has just been installed in Furze Hill, Mistley, for youngsters to use throughout the school holidays. Michael Dew, a Manningtree town
Four dilapidated houses in Brooklands, Jaywick, will be demolished by August next year. Tendring Council's environmental services has pledged to clear the area of vacant properties in an attempt to improve its appearance. Acting head Chris Kitcher told
A special school in Clacton could cater for ages up to 25 when it becomes a pilot project for the county. The scheme is set to see hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of facilities at Shorefields School. The idea was unveiled three years ago shortly
Seafaring fun will be in the air this weekend when an annual festival takes the coast by storm. The Harwich Sea Festival begins on Sunday at 11am on Harwich Quay. The traditional festival is set to boast more than 30 stalls and side-stalls. There will
A campaign to get a pedestrian crossing installed opposite a sheltered housing complex has been launched today. Mitch Mitchell, a district councillor for Clacton's Peter Bruff ward, has called for highways bosses to improve safety in Cloes Lane. He
Crowds flocked to Harwich port to welcome a new vessel. The Trinity House Vessel (THV) Galatea arrived in her home port for the first time on Monday, shortly after 9.30am. The ship docked alongside the Trinity House pier after completing a voyage over
Postmen across north Essex were dressed in green to raise money for St Helena Hospice in Colchester. More than 100 men and women from across the CO postcode area - like those at Manningtree pictured - were clad in green shorts, t-shirts, socks and hats
Battle lines are officially drawn after more than 120 residents packed into a community hall to unite in a fight against a Tesco supermarket. The first public meeting of the Keep Tesco Out campaign last night attracted residents from Lawford, Mistley
