Police have issued a warning to the public after burglars broke into a Basildon school and stole potentially-dangerous chemicals. An Essex Police spokesman said 25 litres of sodium hypochlorite had been stolen from Elmbrook School's swimming pool plant
The number of lives saved by lifeboat crews in Burnham has increased dramatically during the last 12 months. Provisional RNLI figures have revealed that five lives were saved in 1998 compared to none the previous year. And launches by inshore lifeboats
There were hopes today that the threatened closure of a Walton old people's home could be averted. Christian charity The Field Lane Foundation, which has run the Singholm residential home since 1953, has confirmed that it is pulling out. It is hoped to
A new £9.2 million wing for the elderly is taking shape at Colchester General Hospital. Work on the Gainsborough Wing, which is expected to take a year to build, started in November - but already the outline of the structure can be made out. In a situation
An author has launched a blistering attack on Colchester describing the town as "soulless" and its soldiers as "alcoholic wife-swappers". In his book Playing At Home, Sheffield writer John Aizlewood said Colchester was full of "dope-smoking, short-skirted
Reinforcements are due to arrive in Braintree today to help stave off the Big Mac-attack. Fast food giant McDonald's said it had underestimated the demand for its New Year Big Mac promotion - which left thousands of customers queuing up and down the country
The Blackwater Leisure Centre in Maldon is the venue for a charity BT Swimathon this year. Maldon is one of 525 pools hosting the national event which is aiming to raise £2million for the NSPCC and its sister charity, Children 1st in Scotland. There will
A youth club in Kelvedon is re-opening next Friday after being closed for more than a year. The United Reformed Church club was forced to close its doors 18 months ago because there were not enough volunteers to supervise its popular weekly meetings.
Theatre lovers should be marking off the dates in their new 1999 diaries for the year's Thurrock Drama Festival in June. And a further dose of drama comes to Thurrock the following month with the British All Winners Drama Festival. The event will see
A new price war is looming between airlines after a Stansted-based no frills air firm is to give away up to half-a-million free air tickets. Passengers flying from Stansted Airport will be the first to benefit from Ryanair's buy-one-get-one-free deal.
A 13-year-old boy from Jaywick near Clacton has been admitted to hospital having apparently been shot with an airgun. The teenager, who is not being named but who lives in the Clacton area, is critically ill. He was brought in by ambulance unconscious
Doting dad Richard Amner has offered his teenage daughter Louise nearly £3,000 if she quits smoking. He has even drawn up an astonishing contract, pledging to pay hard-up dancing teacher Louise the cash over the next year. In the contract, Mr Amner, of
A desperate appeal for donors has gone out from the National Blood Service in Brentwood after it was forced to cut its supplies of group O to hospitals by 50 per cent today. Flu, colds and seasonal accidents have combined to drain the banks of blood and
A Benfleet man who tried to strangle a police officer has been jailed. Daniel Phillips, 26, denied assaulting an officer following a chase last April, but was found guilty by Basildon magistrates. He was given a second jail term for failing to stop after
A woman and a child have died following a collision involving a car and a lorry in Maldon. An Essex Police spokesman said the accident happened in Fambridge Road, Maldon, just before 12.40pm today. The collision involved a lorry and Volkswagen car. The
A pensioner was today hailed a hero after she risked her life to rescue her 78-year-old neighbour from her burning bedroom. Brenda Grenfell, 64, rushed to the aid of Alzheimer sufferer May Keesham after she fell asleep at her Shoebury sheltered flat with
Both teams had chances during a close fought first half on Saturday. The best opportunity for the visitors came when Witham's Grant Wedlock cleared a shot from Dave Butler off the line. Witham's best chance was when Hemel goalkeeper Simon Sheppard did
Few sports have changed more than rugby in the past 20 years and Canvey RFC is reaping a rich reward for evolving its youth set-up. The juniors and minis, formed by club founder member Roger Hulse in the late 1970s, have survived, then thrived, despite
A funding crisis is threatening the development of sportsmen and women in south Essex, according to a new report published today. The study - A Hurdle Too Far - claims that many sports people are on the brink of international success, but, despite lottery
The current centenary celebrations of the Southend District Football League have revived memories of some of the highlights of the past 100 years. Former members such as Great Wakering Rovers, Concord Rangers, Hullbridge Sports and Basildon and Pitsea
Southend United boss Alvin Martin will send out the same 11 players who did battle in the weekend draw with Chester for tonight's Auto Windscreens Shield second round match at Exeter City. Martin's tiny squad has been decimated by injury and he was hit
What is it about Canvey Island that the place keeps on producing world-class karate aces? Is it something to do with the prevailing wind, arriving as it does nonstop from the Far East? Or does it have something to do with the time-honoured need on Canvey
Heybridge started 1999 as they ended 1998 with a 1-0 win, the latest success coming on their first ever visit to former Conference side Slough. The win, sealed by a single goal, lifted Swifts off the bottom of the premier division. Heybridge were without
Although Burnham started well with a brilliant try under the posts by Richard Newton which was converted by Robert Carrington it was to be a disjointed performance by the home side. Dagenham had the advantage with their massive pack on the slippery ground
On the Sunday after Christmas, a medium sized group of the Witham & District C.C. met at Witham for the usual trip over the Burnham Marshes. The route went through Ulting, Woodham Walter and Mortimer, Purleigh, Latchingdon, Mayland to Steeple where
People power is set to win the day when it comes to Little Burstead's millennium celebrations. The village's parish council is to ask its residents how best to spend the £500 it is putting aside for the celebrations. Locals in the village will be asked
Make it so, Number One! These Star Trek enthusiasts turned out in full costume at Warner Village cinema at Lakeside for a screening of the latest blockbuster, Insurrection. They are all members of a Southend-based club Trek-on-Sea. A spokesman said: "
A suspected arson attack burnt out one car and almost completely destroyed two others. Firefighters from Southend were called to St Anne's Road on New Year's Day following reports that a yellow Metro was ablaze. They raced to the scene but by that time
A group of teenage thugs who brutally attacked a schoolboy in the street were today being hunted by detectives. The 13-year-old was pounced on and taunted by the seven-strong gang as he walked along London Road, close to its junction with Fleetwood Avenue
Staff at Billericay's Quilters bar and restaurant have given a special new year present to youngsters at a Basildon Hospital children's ward. The popular Laindon Road bar presented PlayStation computer consoles, games and a television to the hospital's
A campaign has been launched to include the wind chill factor in cold weather payments for the elderly. At present the temperature itself has to drop to nought degrees C for seven successive days before a payment is made. But often, when taking cold winds
A police driver was hailed a hero after he smashed his patrol car to avoid mowing down three teenagers on bikes. One witness said it was "an act of God" that PC Dave Frost managed to swerve and miss the boys in the middle of the road. The 36-year-old
Economic fudging, shadowy bureaucrats in Brussels and some bloke called Oskar Lafontaine who wants to dictate our tax rates. To the average person living in south Essex it is difficult to know what to make of the new single currency, born at the start
SOUTHEND 18 MALDON 15 A large number of Southend first-teamers were unavailable - and the seasiders' highly-mixed side were somewhat fortunate to clinch victory against their worthy visitors. A very strong wind, which Southend had to their advantage in
Organisers of a disastrous yacht race off Southend were fully aware of the weather forecast before they set sail, the coastguard claimed. A major rescue operation was launched when the annual Brass Monkey race held by Leigh Sailing Club was lashed by
Dick Whittington and his Kool Kool Kat is a brash, beaty rock 'n' roll panto for the nineties being premiered at the Queen's this Christmas. Dick's cat Tommy talks with her master via her saxophone and is very jealous of his romance with spunky Alice
Some of the biggest names from the stage and world of entertainment are on their way to the seaside. Legendary blues guitarist BB King, top opera singer Lesley Garrett, former EastEnders actress Letitia Dean and ageless charmer Paul Nicholas are all to
While most youngsters were swapping stickers and collecting rubbers, Marc Winter was busy buying and selling antiques. Marc, 20, who works at Reeman, Dansie, Howe and Son in Colchester, dabbled in the antiques business to earn some extra pocket money.
A trapped family had to be rescued by firefighters after a road accident at a busy junction in Colchester. Hydraulic equipment was used to free 38-year-old Hazel Smith, her son and her daughter following a collision with a Scania lorry. Mrs Smith and
Plans for remodelling the inside of Maldon's historic All Saints' Church are to be put before the community at an open meeting. The Parochial Church Council will be presenting the plans at a meeting on Monday, January 18 in All Saints' Church Hall in
Rail commuters using Great Eastern services will see a new year fare increase with prices rising by 1.1 per cent. The annual increase compares with a 4.5 per cent last year and is well below inflation. Chairman of the Braintree and Witham Rail Users'
A Braintree man has received a good response from the public since embarking on investigations into reports of big wild cats on the loose in Essex. John Hancock, of Comma Close, has been using his specialist knowledge from working on award-winning series
Music man Dave Murray is making a vocal plea for thieves to return his precious guitars. The man behind the Primitive Music Society, based at his home in Laindon, has worked hard over the years to improve his collection of instruments. Five guitars have
Vandals who went on the rampage at Castle Point golf course were today being hunted by detectives. The cost of repairs could run into thousands of pounds, leaving parts of the popular 18-hole course temporarily closed. It is not the first time hooligans
A care home in Halstead has a very special artist in residence. Peter Roberts, 41, who is a resident at Blamsters Farm - a care home for adults with learning difficulties - has always had a passion for art. And his artistic flair has not gone unnoticed
A 20-year-old man from Clacton was punched in the face when robbers struck at Natwest Bank in Clacton. An Essex Police spokesman said the attack happened at 2.45pm in the bank's branch at Station Road. The victim had been bringing shop takings to the
Julie Barker, a magistrate for 17 years and more recently deputy chairman of the Braintree Bench retired recently. Her departure follows the closure of Braintree court and merger with Witham and the impending amalgamation with Chelmsford. Mrs Barker said
Phil Taylor, the 38-year-old Stoke maestro, won his seventh world title when he carried off the Skol PDC Championship for the fifth year in a row at Purfleet - to be universally acclaimed as the greatest player ever. Taylor beat Peter Manley, who missed
Patients expecting to go into Southend Hospital for surgery could find their beds have been taken up by flu victims. Yesterday 25 routine operations were cancelled and the hospital is warning that the pattern could be the same for the rest of the week
A teenager was today fighting for his life after being wounded in the head with an airgun pellet. Thirteen-year-old Richard Bryant, of Tudor Green, Jaywick, was playing with four friends in a field in the village when the incident happened. He was taken
Everton will hold no fears for Ipswich when they return to Merseyside in the FA Cup fourth round. Town's influential midfielder Matt Holland welcomed the draw and after winning against Tranmere in the third round feels they can do a Scouse double. Holland
Goals and games have been few and far between for Colchester United ace Paul Abrahams this season. But the transfer listed Layer Road favourite's 84th minute sweetly executed strike in this bad tempered Second Division battle with Luton Town proved a
Former FA Chief Executive Graham Kelly is to make an appearance at Pitsea's Bowers United this month. Kelly, who sensationally quit Lancaster Gate on December 15 after revelations surrounding a loan to the Welsh FA, had pencilled in a January 21 appointment
Staff at Wilkin and Sons are on their way to becoming majority shareholders in the world-famous firm. Bosses at the Tiptree jam-makers have spread a little happiness among workers and set up an Employee Beneficial Trust. It was formed ten years ago as
Police today appealed for help to track down a robber who attacked a shopworker outside a Clacton bank. The 20-year-old was carrying around £500 in cash and cheques which he was going to pay into the NatWest Bank in Station Road. He was approached from
After 13 minutes of Saturday's replay, United trailed 3-0 and looked set to make a sorry cup exit. After conceding a goal in the first minute, the visitors then conceded two goals in a minute to be left apparently without hope. A goal from Andy Johnson
After taking the lead within a minute of the kick-off on Saturday, Braintree were always the more likely winners although they could never be quite sure until a late flurry gave the scoreline a more realistic look. Another above-average Cressing Road
Despite being two leagues below visitors Southend, Maldon had Saturday's match sewn up until the final six minutes. Maldon took charge from the off but had to work hard for their points. The two home tries came from winger Neil Osbourne and flanker Chrispin
Braintree were disappointed with their opening match of the New Year on Saturday, but more importantly injuries to Ian Saward, shoulder, and Darren Smith, knee, weakens the side for a heavy League schedule over the next few weeks. After Chelmsford's re-arranged
Cinderella Cliffs Pavilion, Southend Stars: Bobby Davro, Bella Emberg, Bob Carolgees Date: To Jan 16 Box Office: 01702 351135 Snow White . . .The True Story Theatre Upstairs, New Empire Theatre, Southend Strictly for adults only. Live music by The Hooky
Police have appealed for witnesses after an 18-year-old woman was indecently assaulted in Ramshaw Drive, Chelmsford. An Essex Police spokesman said the assault took place at about 11.40pm last night after the woman had walked along Beeleigh Link from
