In today's Gazette: Friends of crash victim Josh Irvine lit up the sky with Chinese lanterns as they paid tribute to their friend.

Josh, 18, an engineering student at Colchester Institute, was killed in a crash with a council road sweeping truck in Bromley Road, Colchester.

* Boy band star Greg West and his band District 3 have been voted out of the TV show X Factor.

Greg, 18, who went to Chase Lane and Manningtree schools in Tendring, and his bandmates lost out in the sing off to Union J  after coming in the bottom two of the viewers' votes.

* A respected independent councillor has apologised after using a racist word during a public meeting.

Michael Talbot, who is the leader of Tendring Council's independent group, used a derogatory term in a meeting.

* A wave of police officers swept across Colchester raiding more than 20 homes in a six hour crackdown.

At least 100 officers in more than 40 vehicles executed warrants during the biggest operation the town has seen in years.

For more on these and other great stories, see today's Gazette. There is always more in the paper than there is online.