Colchester United have failed in their bid to get Clive Platt's red card overturned. The U's record signing was sent off for violent conduct in the club's pre-season friendly defeat to Bolton Wanderers last week. Colchester manager Geraint Williams
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Police have just released this CCTV movie footage of missing Dovercourt teenager Natasha Coombs. Officers are hoping it will help jog the memory of anyone who may have seen the 17-year-old on the evening of July 27, the night she disappeared. Police
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A boy racer involved in a car crash which killed a teenage girl has today been given community work and banned from driving. Daniel Young was behind the wheel of a Subaru Impreza rally-style car which slid out of control in Mersea Road, Colchester,
In a couple of days Robbie Cowling will be that little bit closer to Roman Abramovich. Not that one of Essex's most successful entrepreneurs is about to become a Russian billionaire. No, this is much more important, especially for someone as passionate
For innovative people, look no further than Essex. The county has some of the hottest talents in creating new gadgets and ideas - but there is still very poor representation from women. According to new research commissioned by the East of England Development
A drug dealer who spent his teenage years in Tendring has been jailed for the murder of a security guard. David Watson, 20, stabbed Paul Cavanagh to death during a dispute in a Norwich store in December. He was sentenced to serve a minimum of 24 years
The owner of a new shop has hit back at claims his store will encourage more guns in a seaside town. Guns Fun and Camouflage, in High Street, Walton, opened this week and is now selling air rifles and ball bearing guns as well as camping equipment and
A supermarket has cut its opening times by four hours. The Somerfield supermarket on Halstead High Street has changed its opening hours from 8am-10pm to 8am-9pm Monday to Friday. Saturday shopping has been extended by one hour, from 8am-9pm instead
Bodybuilder Debbie Francis is seeking to swap her competition tiara for a crown at next month's UK finals in Edinburgh. The 41-year-old divorcee started weight-training only in March last year, but is already making her mark at British Natural Body Building
A top dog has been stolen from a dog show. Owner Claire Lawrence was shocked and upset when she realised her lurcher, Diesel, had been taken. Miss Lawrence said: "I'm absolutely devastated. I chose him at two days old. It's like losing a child really
An apprentice engineer has built his own jet engine from scratch. Ian Watts spent more than 100 hours researching, designing and constructing his creation, which is capable of powering a plane with a 7ft wingspan. Other students on the 20-year-old's
A crew from Harwich RNLI rescued a woman from the sea. They were called yesterday at 4.55am to a person who had waded into the water about 600 metres from Felixstowe Pier. The Harwich inshore lifeboat pulled her onboard and handed her over to the ambulance
A man has been jailed for two street robberies in Colchester. Sammy Jefford was told by a Chelmsford Crown Court judge people were entitled to walk the streets without being robbed by people like him. Jefford, 21, asked one man for 20p and when he
A loving wife forked out an amazing £17,500 to make her husband the lord of the manor. Gillian Cant, of Ipswich Road, Colchester, bought the medieval title of the lordship of the manor of Ardleigh for her husband, Geoffrey, to celebrate their silver
The Mayor of Colchester is preparing to take the plunge ... from the borough's tallest landmark. Ray Gamble will be joined by members of the town watch, in full regalia, when he abseils 90ft (28 metres) down the Jumbo water tower. Mr Gamble and the
A mother has been fined after hiring rogue waste collectors to get rid of her rubbish. Joanne Moore paid a firm to take junk from her home in Fairhead Road North, St Anne's Colchester, to the tip. But they illegally dumped the waste three miles away
Dense housing developments with no gardens are leaving Colchester youngsters with nowhere to play. Groups of teenagers are left to congregate in public areas where they are seen as a threat by adults, an official report warns. The newly-published play
Scrap metal dealers who shattered neighbours' peace will have to pay more than £164,000. Easco (Wheelers) based at Oliver's Wharf, Brightlingsea, repeatedly worked outside its allowed hours, sometimes loading ships through the night. Colchester magistrates
Students at Bishops Park College have decided on a very modern way to try and save their school from closure. After setting up a petition, the pupils will now make a video to post on YouTube, highlighting why they want the Jaywick Lane school to remain
A train company is refusing to say how long security cameras on its platform were out of action. Despite frequent attempts by the Gazette to establish the facts behind dysfuctional CCTV cameras at Manningtree Station, One Railway has not answered our
A Dragon Martial Arts School student kicked up a storm as she represented Great Britain at the World Kuoshu Championships. Sara Healy, from Clacton, picked up three golds and one bronze medal during the event, which was held in Maryland in the United
The conviction rate of serious offenders in Essex's crown courts is significantly below the national average, according to a new report. The figures are revealed in the latest inspection of the county's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which has been
Budding footballers were put through their paces under the watchful eye of a Colchester United legend. Dozens of young players gathered in Brightlingsea for Micky Cook's summer soccer school. The U's record appearance-maker was joined by coaches Adrian
Frinton's senior golfers celebrated a spectacular win in the six-club tournament for the Britvic Trophy. Seniors captain Ron King led his 16-man team to victory with a 16-point margin over runners-up and holders Colchester. After thunderstorms had been
The opening day of the Southend Festival in Garon Park proved totally frustrating for Mark Pettini. The Essex captain saw Gloucestershire reach 278 after their last-wicket pair survived for more than an hour to add 47. And Pettini was then dismissed
A new play area in Clacton has been given the green light - for the second time. The original decision to approve the new multi-use games area on the London Road recreation ground was called in by councillors Mitch Mitchell (Peter Bruff), Tony Fawcett
Gavin Williams is facing up to four months on the sidelines after suffering ankle ligament damage. The Ipswich Town star was carried off on a stretcher during Sunday's pre-season friendly against Panathinaikos at Portman Road. He was taken to hospital
New Colchester United reserve-team boss Joe Dunne has warned the club's newest professionals they may have to wait patiently for their first-team chance. Dunne was this week promoted from youth-team coach to boss of the U's Pontin's Holidays Combination
Property worth more than £1,000 was stolen in a year from Essex police stations. Goods ranging from a £300 mobile phone to an antiques book are unaccounted for, and 11 of the 16 thefts went undetected. The list of internal crimes in 2006 was disclosed
Essex farmers have cautiously welcomed the easing of restrictions on moving livestock introduced because of foot and mouth disease. From today farmers outside the surveillance zone in Surrey, where there have been two confirmed cases of the disease,
Consultants were paid about £140,000 to come up with a masterplan to regenerate Jaywick, the Gazette can reveal. The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) this week revealed the cost of the fruitless attempt to come up with a plan to revive the resort
A play strategy which could net £288,862 has been given the green light by Tendring Council's cabinet. The cash will see new multi-use games areas for teenagers in Frinton and Frating worth a combined £150,000 if the bid to the Big Lottery is successful
Soccer star Alan Lee has been involved in a road crash which left a cyclist with serious injuries. The Ipswich Town striker's Porsche sports car was in a collision with the bike in Mill Hill, Dedham, on Tuesday. The 31-year-old cyclist, from Dedham,
A lucky couple have told how they were plucked from their burning home with moments to spare. Jonathan Barham, 24, and his wife Linda, 58, of Harcourt Avenue, Dovercourt, were woken by their smoke alarm. Mr Barham opened the bedroom door to be met by
An investigation is under way after firefighters acted quickly to snuff out a field fire in Colchester. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is working to find out if the blaze was deliberately started after witnesses saw four youngsters fleeing the
