Top Tendring councillors and council officers are holding a meeting in a Suffolk hotel to escape the hubbub of the town hall. The members usually meet at Clacton town hall for free but the away day will cost council tax payers £326. Councillors are
Teenagers have been urged not to be embarrassed if they need the morning-after pill. A Colchester pharmacist has issued a warning to youngsters to act responsibly in a bid to cut the number of teenage pregnancies. Simon Moul, of Day Lewis pharmacy,
A bid to save Frinton's famous railway gates has been officially backed by councillors. Tendring Council had already given a unanimous approval to the campaign to stop Network Rail replacing the manual gates with an automatic crossing. The town council
A town centre pub has been closed down after contravening licensing laws. The Little Crown, on Short Wyre Street, failed to replace its designated supervisor, who left last Tuesday. According to licensing laws, every premises which wishes to sell alcohol
Angry councillors have defended a community centre after it was labelled a white elephant. Walton's Columbine Centre, which is run by the town council, was criticised by an amateur playwright who baulked at the cost of hiring it for a play. Owen Lewis
A movie by Frinton producer Tony Longhurst is set be screened at a three-day film festival in Ireland. Ten Percent is in the running for a cash prize at the first Waterford Film Festival. It will be shown on Sunday, November 18. A 1min 20sec trailer
A water company has been asked to help businesses affected by a road closure while it installs a giant reservoir in Great Holland. Pork Lane has been closed between its junction with Thorpe Road and the the B1032 since July, because of Tendring Hundred
A would-be MP has launched an internet bid to boost public transport. Labour election hopeful Michael Powell, who is set to stand against Bob Russell in Colchester, hopes the move will put pressure on bus companies to improve services. He claimed deregulation
A mother is outraged that her daughter has been punished for misbehaving when she wasn't even in school at the time. Marion Milligan, of Avon Way, Colchester, removed her daughter, Shelley, 13, from the Sir Charles Lucas Art College two weeks ago, after
A failure to deal with complaints did not relate to Essex Ambulance Service, bosses have said. A recent survey by health watchdog the Healthcare Commission into the NHS complaints process identified 32 healthcare Trusts which were unsatisfactory. East
A health boss has appealed for everyone to play their part in the battle against the Clostridium difficile (C-diff) superbug. Mike Gogarty, director of health at North East Essex Primary Care Trust, said GPs, patients and their families and hospital
Let them eat cake - but not at St Mary's Lower School, Copford. The school has banned pupils from bringing in cakes and biscuits for birthday celebrations, due to fears over children with allergies. School principal Hilary Vipond said: "For a variety
Traffic police are appealing for information after a serious motorbike crash in Clacton. A 28-year-old man crashed into a lamp post in Jaywick Lane on Friday, at about 12.05am. He was riding a blue Kawasaki ZX 900cc motorcycle. The rider, from Maldon
A soldier has been jailed for 8 years for trying to smuggle cocaine through the port of Harwich. Sharjeel Siddiqui had denied any knowledge that there was 433g of cocaine with a street value of £58,000 hidden in his car, but was convicted by a jury.
An armed robbery was foiled when security guards locked themselves in their van. Two men believed to be carrying small black handguns approached the vehicle in a compound behind Morrisons supermarket, Centenary Way, Little Clacton. One of the men tried
IF according to Madonna music makes the people come together then there is going to be quite a party this week. Because if you like music then this week is possibly going to be the one for you. If all of this mean nothing to you then you won't want
Three post offices in Colchester have been earmarked for closure under Goverment plans, it has been revealed. The Government has charged the Post Office with closing up to 2,500 branches in the UK. The Gazette has found out details of which offices
A full inquest will be held into the death of a solicitor who was cleared of murdering her baby sons. Sally Clark, 42, of Hatfield Peverel, Essex, was found dead at her home in March. Essex coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray opened an inquest in Chelmsford
Two teenagers have been committed for trial, charged with the murder of Colchester woman Helen Maughan. The 14-year-old and the 17-year-old, both male, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Chelmsford magistrates and were committed to
A farmer on the Essex-Suffolk border has spoken of the discovery of bluetongue disease in his cattle. Last week, Defra confirmed there were now 25 cases of the disease in the east of England, mainly clustered around Ipswich, with the latest discovered
An anti-EU political organiser has been accused of "dropping a clanger" after he told supporters Colchester's MP was retiring. George Curtis, Colchester constituency chairman for the United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip), urged members to "put their
A teenager who drove a powerful Audi car along Hythe Hill, Colchester, at speeds of up to 100mph has been put behind bars. Lee Burke, 19, of Rosemary Road, Clacton, admitted seven driving offences at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Friday. The charges
A sombre atmosphere filled the streets of Harwich as the funeral of Joanne Coombs, who died when she was hit by a train, took place on Friday. The body of the 41-year-old, from Fronks Road, Dovercourt, was found on Tuesday, September 18, on tracks near
A senior firefighter today defended the closure of both carriageways of the A12, which brought north Essex to a standstill on Friday. Police marksmen and the Army were called in as emergency services dealt with a potentially explosive gas cylinder in
COLCHESTER is being established as a fashion centre by a man who has tailored his business to offer a special service. Turners of Colchester is the only shop in the UK to offer bespoke shirts by Turnbull & Asser, other than their own London shop. It
THE dates of a ballot offering Colchester town centre business the chance to vote for a Business Improvement District (Bid), have been set. Businesses in the Bid boundary will receive a ballot form, returning envelope and information about the Bid, by
KNOWLEDGE and technology are the key to competing in the global economy, businesses in Essex have been told. At the annual conference of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), the message to businesses was to use technology to "adapt and innovate
A COLCHESTER estate agent revealed the Northern Rock crisis has left home buyers in north Essex "a little nervous", resulting in a temporary slowdown of the market. The news comes after Barratt, which has three developments in Colchester, experienced
A COLCHESTER company has been ranked the 15th fastest growing technology company in Britain. Coast Digital, based in Beacon End Courtyard in Stanway, was listed in the Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league table. The company, which is one of
THE Anglia region has overtaken London for attracting eastern European workers. About 14 per cent of people from the Accession Eight countries (A8) - the countries given open access to the UK to work on joining the European Union in May 2004 - who arrived
Colchester United captain Karl Duguid has handed his side a boost after declaring his ankle injury is not as bad as first feared. Duguid was stretchered off after around half an hour of his side's 2-1 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday. He landed awkwardly
Geraint Williams lamented his side's sluggish start, after seeing them slide to a 2-1 defeat at Stoke City. The U's found themselves behind after only eight minutes at the Britannia Stadium, after Ryan Shawcross headed the Potters ahead from Liam Lawrence's
Fabian Wilnis today admitted having an unshakeable confidence in Ipswich Town's ability to win matches at Portman Road. And, if they can start replicating their home form on the road, he firmly believes the Blues can definitely make the play-offs'.
What's On This Week Until Saturday - Flower Girls, New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, 7.45pm. 01473 495900. Monday - Meeting Joe Strummer, Mercury Theatre, Colchester, 7.30pm. 01206 573948. Monday - Charity Film Screening: Black Gold, Cramphorn Theatre,
