POLICE claim Colchester is actually getting safer, despite statistics which appear to show violent crime has risen by a staggering 227 per cent. The research, released by the Conservative Party, compares the number of recorded violent crimes against
THERE’S a barrel-load of laughs planned at Colchester Arts Centre this season, and it all starts this weekend. First up is a welcome return to the UK stand-up circuit for Irish comedian Sean Hughes. From winning the prestigious Perrier Comedy Award
LEAKS have been found in the ceiling of the swimming pool at Colchester’s Leisure World. Users of the Cowdray Avenue fitness pool, which has just undergone a £900,000 refurbishment, have reported drips of water falling on them and brown patches on the
PLANS to build a seven-storey hotel next to a listed building in Colchester have been described as “ludicrous”. Premier Inn wants to convert the former Royal Mail depot, in St Peter’s Street, into a 117-bed hotel. The site is next to Trudie Gordon’s
AN alcoholic has been jailed for breaching conditions of a suspended sentence by assaulting a policeman and skipping probation meetings. Keith Mathers was given a suspended prison term after he falsely told emergency services he had poured petrol over
A FATHER-OF-NINE hurt his estranged wife during an argument, a court heard. Robert Taylor admitted assaulting Carri Taylor by beating when he appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court. Sharon Hall, prosecuting, said the couple argued on November 12
THE leader of Colchester Council has vowed a secondary school will not be built on playing fields in Mile End. The Mile End recreation ground, off Ford’s Lane, has been highlighted in a planning consultation document as big enough for a secondary school
NORTH Essex MP Bernard Jenkin says he has been “vindicated” after a retired judge slashed the amount of expenses he has to repay. The Tory MP was ordered by House of Commons auditor Sir Thomas Legg to repay £63,250 claimed as rent for a farmhouse in
EYE-CATCHING pillars that formed part of a new housing development have been recognised in regional awards. The Bricole di Venezia at Fortuna Park, off Layer Road, Colchester, is a series of mooring posts for gondolas inspired by Venice’s Grand canal
THIS man is wanted by police in connection with four burglaries. Myles Connor, 21, is being sought by Essex Police following a spate of incidents in Colchester and the surrounding area in October. In all four instances, a bogus caller knocked on the
AN MP has apologised after he breached expenses rules by claiming a one-bedroom home in Colchester as his family home. Harry Cohen, MP for Leyton and Wanstead in north-east London, was ordered to apologise on the floor of the House of Commons by the
In Monday's Gazette: Download now: FIVE PAGES OF SPEND AND SAVE VOUCHERS Plus: * Colchester health services special report * WOMAN * SPORT: Full match analysis from Colchester United and Ipswich Town
IT’S an era in Colchester’s history which is often overlooked because of the richness of its Roman past. But that’s all about to change, thanks to the opening of the Medieval Mind: Part 1 at Colchester Castle. The exhibition looks into a period of time
NEGOTIATIONS to get the planned £130million reorganisation of Colchester secondary schools back on track failed to reach an agreement last night. Officials, Philip Morant School and community groups reported “good progress” on talks to bring to an end
Colchester United pair Pat Baldwin and Scott Vernon have gone out on loan to Essex rivals Southend United. The duo will spend the rest of the season at Roots Hall. Striker Vernon has just returned from three months on the sidelines with an ankle injury
BIG beefy soldiers tucked into soldiers of the eggy variety when Colchester schoolchildren invited them to a celebration of the best of British food . Troops from 16 Air Assault Brigade joined town mayor Henry Spyvee for a breakfast cooked
Ipswich Town boss Roy Keane says it could be a busy few days before the transfer window shuts on Monday. And, if the price is right, he has not ruled out the possibility of one of his players making a surprise exit. Keane said: “We’ve had a few calls
A TALENTED teacher was killed by a drunk-driver who ignored advice not to get behind the wheel. Sarah Lee, 24, of Bergholt Road, Colchester, died when an Audi hit her her Ford Focus. An inquest at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court recorded a verdict of unlawful
MUSIC lovers are being invited to a gig to raise funds for survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. The Rotary Club of Mersea Island are holding the gig on Friday at the Mersea Outdoor Camp, in East Mersea. Doors open at 7.30pm and three live bands, including
HUNDREDS of homes across Colchester could be receiving mail dating back seven years, after a thief was apparently caught. Dave Smith, of Speedwell Road, received a letter from Royal Mail, enclosing a card posted in 2003. He said: “I am furious. It is
THE boyfriend of an art teacher killed by a speeding drink-driver says the horror crash will live with him forever. Sarah Lee, of Bergholt Road, Colchester, died in a head-on collision with Matthew Anderson’s Audi. Her partner, Richard Day, says he
PEOPLE in Colchester are the first in the world to get information by simply pointing mobile phones at adverts in the street. Mobile phone giant Nokia is trialling the system at bus shelters in the town, before possibly taking it internationally. Anyone
THE owner of Colchester’s Cowdray Centre has been urged to reveal its plans for the centre, after a masterplan for the area was unveiled this week F&C Investment is known to have been working on redevelopment proposals since July 2006, when
Damien Delaney has revealed how he stayed mentally strong, in order to forge his way back into the frame at Ipswich Town. And the Irishman, one of the stars of the team recently, is now reaping the rewards after forming a rock-solid defensive
THE road between Marks Tey and Braintree has been branded one of the most dangerous single carriageways in England. The 12-mile stretch of the A120 is the tenth worst, according to the Road Safety Foundation. The report looks at the protection provided
Colchester United are unlikely to make any further signings before the transfer window closes. The U’s have been busy in the market this month, bringing in six new faces. There have also been departures with Joel Thomas, Jamie Guy, David Perkins and
Aidy Boothroyd has challenged his Colchester United players to silence the Elland Road crowd this weekend. The U’s boss takes his side to Leeds United tomorrow, in a top-of-the-table clash in Coca-Cola League One. Boothroyd has special
Alan Maybury has not featured for Colchester United's first team under manager Aidy Boothroyd. He was a regular starter under former boss Paul Lambert last season, having signed on a free transfer. However, Maybury has been out of the picture this season
HEALTH chiefs in north Essex are looking at ways to help local residents live longer – adding two years to men’s life expectancy and three years to women's lives. By 2014, NHS North East Essex is aiming to ensure male residents live, on average, to be
