One of Southend's special needs schools may close as the service undergoes a radical review, an MP has predicted. Sir Teddy Taylor , Southend East and Rochford Conservative MP, assured parents that children with special needs would not be "forced to move
The history of Coggeshall will be revealed with a reprint of a book first published more than 100 years ago. Beaumont's History of Coggeshall was first published in 1890 but original editions are now scarce and expensive. Now John Lewis, of Stoneham Street
The Harwich Film Festival will take place this year after organisers secured it an autumn date. The future of the festival, which began in 1997 at the town's historic Electric Palace cinema, had been in doubt and its scheduled date in March was cancelled
Angry passengers on a busy commuter train have spoken of their nightmare journey after they were trapped on the train when the doors jammed. Trainee journalist Rachel Fitch, 21, got on the train from Colchester at 5.15pm on Tuesday planning to change
Jim and Betty Reeve, of Chelmsford, will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary next Thursday. Mr Reeve said that he could remember the wedding day as though it was yesterday. He and his wife have three children -- Pauline, Michael and Robert -
Burnham boatbuilder Tim Tavinor, and his wife, Kay, who have won the Snipe national championships for the past two years, will not be going for the hat-trick at Stone this weekend. The Tavinors, who won at Newquay, Wales, in 1998 and at Harwich last year
Bird lover George Heales was overjoyed when his pet budgie Tosh returned home last week - five days after flying out the back door. Retired bank manager Mr Heales, 89, says he has no idea where his feathered friend went after escaping from his home in
A Hadleigh runner is preparing the chase his Olympic dream this autumn - on the end of a small piece of string. James Wagstaff, 23, is the running guide for top visually-impaired athlete Tracey Hinton and is going for gold in both the 400m and 800m at
Peter Such produced a devastating late burst to leave Essex reasonably satisfied from their first day's labours against Gloucestershire at Castle Park. The veteran off-spinner put the County back on an even keel with three wickets in the space of 11 deliveries
Football League officials have been discussing the future of Third Division crisis club Southend United. The Blues' financial and boardroom struggles were on the agenda for soccer chiefs at a meeting in London today (Thursday). The Football League is
Lion-hearted Ronnie Irani bit the bullet and played through the pain barrier in the annual Colchester cricket festival at Castle Park. The injury-hit Essex skipper was determined to lead from the front and play a captain's role yesterday (Wednesday) -
A charity is calling on football fans to help them raise money for a building. A piece of Wembley turf is to be auctioned off in aid of the Clacton and District Occupational Workshop Society to help with the building of a new workshop for the disabled
Former Rover boy John Tremaine had mixed fortunes in the Westcliff Hardcourts open junior tournament finals. Westcliff-based Tremaine beat Richard Harvey 6-1 6-5 to claim the under-16 boys' singles title but was beaten 7-5 6-2 in the under-18 event by
Essex Eagles' historic floodlit clash with Surrey Lions is set to be a complete sell-out. Delighted acting Essex secretary Malcolm Field said today (Thursday) tickets are selling rapidly for next Wednesday's long-awaited day-night carnival of cricket.
Shoppers have shown their confidence in pork by continuing to buy sausages from butchers across south Essex in the wake of an outbreak of swine fever. Butchers in Leigh, Shoebury, Canvey and Benfleet have seen no drop in sales after the disease was detected
Southend Airport is to play a key role in the Clacton Seafront Airshow as many aircraft use it as their base during the two-day display. Pilots and crew from across the country have chosen to come to the town next Thursday and Friday because of the traditional
A father rushed to a fire station in just his boxer shorts after a tree caught fire in his front garden. And firefighters did not even bat an eyelid when Richard Davis turned up asking for help. Mr Davis, of Galleywood Road, Chelmsford, dashed to Great
Two weeks ago Chelmsford historian John Marriage launched a search through the pages of the Essex Chronicle for the missing portrait of one of the county town's earliest industrial pioneers- Richard Coates.Now the picture has turned up. SUSAN KING reports
A couple from Danbury have vowed not to give up their 17-year quest to find a special trophy after a search by the BBC proved unsuccessful. Mary and Ron Hensby, of Runsell Close, appeared on BBC's The Search programme. They are looking for the Roger Maskell
A wildflower meadow, fringed with willow and oak, is Black Notley's millennium tribute to its most famous son, the 17th century naturalist John Ray, regarded in the scientific world as one of the founding fathers of natural history. SUSAN KING finds out
Passengers travelling to London Liverpool Street enjoy the most reliable rail service in the country - despite a recent fall in punctuality. The number of trains running on time on the Great Eastern Line has fallen slightly to 93.1 per cent in May to
Abandoned cars on Witham housing estates are ''an accident waiting to happen'', it was claimed this week. An appeal to people to stop dumping the vehicles was made this week by Witham's deputy mayor, Cllr Paul Health. "With the school holidays currently
A nightclub has won an appeal to stay open until 3am at weekends. Clubbers can dance until 3am after magistrates overturned a council decision to restrict opening hours at Braintree High Street club Snows. Braintree Council rejected plans for the club
Jubilant students were today toasting years of blood, sweat and tears with an impressive crop of A-level results. Cheers went up at south Essex schools as hundreds of teenagers notched up first-class grades in the gold-standard exams, guaranteeing a coveted
Bouncy kids were jumping around with enthusiasm when their huge inflatable play centre arrived. Around 500 youngsters leapt onto the gigantic adventure centre, which measures 200 feet across, and got stuck into a range of activities including assault
A man described by a judge as having an "appalling record" has been jailed for a series of thefts from shops. John Webster also used the name of a friend when he was arrested and Chelmsford Crown Court was told how he also drove a car when he did not
Former cadets are being urged to contact the Wickford branch of St John Ambulance as the division seeks to find out more about its history. Member in charge Karen Goodwin said: "Were you a St John Ambulance Cadet, meeting at the Methodist Church, Western
One of only three of its kind left, tugboat Brent, based at Maldon, has received recognition in a national register of important historic vessels. The steam powered tug, was built in 1945 for the Admiralty. Brent did not see war service as she was completed
More than 100,000 music fans will descend on Chelmsford this weekend for the V2000 music festival and police are appealing for help to ensure the event is once again safe and crime free. The festival, in Hylands Park, will feature more than 40 artists
<Mum Tina Tann has told how she had to drop out of having a minor operation after she ate a tub of cockles from Leigh and was left ill and weak. Mrs Tann, 35, of Eastwood, was visiting the Old Town with her husband John and two-year-old daughter Nicole
The all-clear has been given to Maldon residents and fishermen who had been warned of a poisonous algae affecting shellfish. Last week Maldon District Council put up warning signs prohibiting the harvesting of bivalve molluscs which include cockles and
Budding Michael Owen's gathered at Basildon's Gloucester Park for the latest Basildon council-run soccer school. The course, run as part of the council's football development scheme, proved a huge success as over 35 youngsters attended the four-day course
Popular Arena-Essex rider Gary Corbett has hit back after Sean Wilson's very personal attack on him during the week. In the recent match against Sheffield, hard riding between Corbett and the Sheffield skipper led to the pair going through the safety
Southend United midfielder Scott Forbes has spoken for the first time about his impressive transition into League football with the Shrimpers. The 23-year-old made an exciting League debut as a substitute in his first match for Blues against Brighton
Chelmsford City's reserve side made the short journey up the A12 on Sunday only to find on arrival, they were facing Colchester United's full first team. This did not deter City who belied their lower league status by producing a glowing performance to
HAMPSHIRE II.....156 all out and 369 all out ESSEX II...............157 all out and 206 all out (Hampshire won by 162 runs) (Second Eleven Championship) Essex suffered an unexpected defeat at Halstead as they fielded probably their strongest side of the
Carp fishing at Southend's Priory Park has improved considerably with bailiff Steve Oz taking two of the lake's biggest fish within 20 minutes of each other. Steve banked the "big common" at 24lb and "the pig" at 21lb 8oz along with other fish of 16lb
Southend United's reserve team opened their new Avon Insurance Combination League campaign by picking up a hard earned point against moneybags Fulham at Roots Hall. The Cottagers, who are bank-rolled by Harrods tycoon Mohammed Al-Fayed, fielded a side
South Woodham Ferrers bowler Andrew McGarry is hoping his run in the Essex side will last long enough for him to make his debut at Southend Cricket Festival. The County make their annual visit to the town at the end of the month when they face Glamorgan
Basildon's popular half-marathon has been cancelled this year after its disgruntled major sponsors pulled out, it has been revealed. The race - which attracts around 400 runners - was planned for August 27, but will now not happen until April 1, 2001.
Artist Martine Norman says her home town of Witham has been the inspiration for much of her work. Reporter CLARE BERRETT met Martine to find out more about her. Martine Norman was born in Billericay, but has lived in Witham since 1970 and it is Essex
The Junior European Showjumping Championships were recently held at Hagen North West Germany, and Great Britain were represented by five ponies and riders. The team comprised of four and one reserve, Battlesbridge's Hanna Penny, 13, riding Mid West Star
Castle Point Golf Club recently held its Junior Section Championship Day, with three competitions being played over the Canvey Course. In the main event, the Scratch Championship, Junior Section Captain Nicki Banks put on a fine display to win with 153
Napier has come of age Graham Napier really put Derbyshire to the sword in Sunday's National League clash. I had the pleasure of batting the other end to him as he smashed the ball all around the park while scoring 78 in just 83 balls. It was great stuff
New partnerships with Braintree's largest department store will bring three major ladies' fashion retailers to the town. And the deal, which will see Top Shop, Wallis and Dash opening in October will bring jobs back to the Quadrant department store. The
The Victoria Plaza shopping centre will not be sold off until all refurbishments are completed, centre chiefs have claimed. London-based developers Bourne End Properties Ltd announced in July that they were putting all their assets up for sale and giving
Essex's Eve Bailey is celebrating this week after winning a European Archery Championship title. Eve, 43, from Chelmsford, beat off the challenge of 12 other competitors in the week long championships at Linlithgow, near Edinburgh, to become the Ladies
A disabled teenager from Chafford Hundred has drowned while on a holiday with his family in Spain. Derek Hynd, who had learning difficulties caused by meningitis, did not return from a kayaking trip off the beach at Estartit on the Costa Brava. The 19
A leading councillor has stepped up calls for tough on-the-spot fines for litter louts in Southend town centre. Mike Royston (Lab, St Luke's) spoke out after the latest phase of Southend's Millennium Makeover initiative got under way. New signs have been
A five-year-old boy is critically ill in hospital after he and his sister were injured in an accident at Ridgewell, near Halstead. Police say the boy and his eight-year-old sister were near the King's Head pub in the village at about 3.40pm yesterday
A robber picked up a pair of tights in a Braintree store and put them over his head before stealing money. The man entered Alldays in Mountbatten Road yesterday (Thursday) at about 4pm. After asking where he could find a pair of tights, he disappeared
A promising dancer is taking the first steps towards her dream of stardom by winning a major scholarship. Laura Morrell, of Gavin Way, High Woods, Colchester, was among hundreds of hopefuls who auditioned for a part in the English Youth Ballet's production
Two rival politicians have joined a growing protest to keep a Benfleet elderly people's home open. Christine Butler , Labour MP for Castle Point, and the borough's former Tory MP, Bob Spink, both said they would lobby Essex County Council to demand that
Mark Tinkler has revealed how much he is enjoying his new sweeper's role at the heart of Southend United's defence. The 25-year-old, who was originally brought to the Third Division club as a central midfielder, has been handed a much deeper position
A baby who was born 13 weeks premature is fighting back against all the odds. Jordan Tower was born at Colchester General Hospital weighing just 1100g and measuring only 35cm from head to toe. Jordan was delivered by emergency Caesarean after mum Sharon
Lifeguards at a Witham leisure centre have been praised for their professional handling of a suspected spinal injury. During a fun session at the Bramston swimming pool and shortly after began to lose the feeling in his arms and legs. Fearing a spinal
Essex people are being warned to be very careful about what they flush away after Anglian Water had to clear up a garden flooded with sewage just days before it was to host a wedding reception. Anglian Water says it is costing millions to unblock piping
From David Beckham to Ryan Giggs in your living room - all are at your bidding on FSauctions.co.uk August 2000. Fancy kicking off the new football season with a signed Leeds United shirt, an autographed photo of David Beckham or Ryan Giggs? Then click
Gritty campaigners are refusing to give up their fight to save a recreation ground from developers. Residents thought they had finally lost their battle to save The Bringy field in Great Baddow, Chelmsford, after a failed bid to have the land declared
An upper-deck on the lower part of the White Horse car park could solve Maldon's parking problems. It is just one of the responses from public consultation on a retail strategy for Maldon district. A report to the environment and economic development
A bus company's decision to cut back on loss-making weekend services has come under fire from Southend Council. Arriva is shedding its route 13 service, which links Southend town centre and Eastwood Rise via the Tesco supermarket in Prince Avenue and
Our first stop last week was Worcester, with a slight detour on route to Abingdon for a benefit game against the local cricket club. As usual, I approached the benefit game with a lighthearted attitude, entertainment and amusement being top of the list
Work has started to build an £80,000 toilet block at a popular nature reserve in Pitsea. Wat Tyler Country Park is used by about 15,000 schoolchildren each year for environmental studies. However, lessons in the past have been cut short because there
A Mothers' Union group is set to close at the end of this year - despite celebrating its centenary. Membership of the branch at St Mary's Church, in Benfleet, has dwindled with many regulars now too elderly to play an active part. Unless the group can
Sarah Wilhelmy faces a week-long race to clinch her Olympic place after winning the 200m at the Amateur Athletic Association championships. The 20-year-old Southend AC sprinter put on a superb display to finish first at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium
While most 16-year olds fret about exam results and peer pressure, Barrie Evans is more concerned about race results and tyre pressure. Despite turning 16 just three months ago, he is already in the first team of the Arena-Essex speedway side. He is widely
Darren Day is looking forward to returning to his native Essex for the first time in his acting career when he plays bad boy Billy Bigelow he tells CLARE SMITH Darren Day has come a long way since his days as a Colchester schoolboy. Now, for the first
Wednesday was a busy day for anglers, notably at the daytime match at Rayne Lodge Fishery in Braintree. All were fishing on the bottom lake and Alan Lee (Bills Tackle) was certainly busy as he weighed in 69-6-0 to win. Second was R. Smith 61-13-0, and
The De Boltz family from Little Baddow, near Chelmsford dominated the Junior Fleet at the Volvo Optimist National Championships in Plymouth last week. Richard, 12, David, 10 and Lucy, nine, came in fourth, 12th and 20th places respectively - a remarkable
How can a sudden growth of algae in the Thames keep a cockle fleet in the harbour? The Echo discovers how a tiny marine plant can cripple an entire industry. On July 21, a routine test by experts from the London Port Health Authority revealed something
A shopkeeper plagued by vandalism and burglaries, says he will not be run out of town by a minority of ignorant people. Madhusudan Kariv, owns the Delta Wine convenience store in Dock Road, Tilbury, but is struggling to cope with constant abuse and attacks
Ricky Anderson's county cricket season could be over. Essex skipper Ronnie Irani revealed yesterday (Wednesday) his promising young pace bowler has been "written off" for the rest of the season. Irani believes if he plays any more cricket at all this
A Dutchman who had spent 16 days on a cycling holiday around England with his wife died of a heart attack just yards from the ship home. The 56-year-old man, Hendrikus Baars, fell from his bike on the busy A120 Dovercourt bypass just short of the turn
Plans to build a 20-metre-high mobile phone mast in Dunmow are expected to be thrown out by Uttlesford district councillors. Members of the council's development control sub-committee, meeting on Monday, will be urged by officers to refuse the application
The last piece of Commission for New Town heritage could be razed to the ground in a bid to give the site a new lease of life. Gifford House, the old CNT office building, in London Road, Bowers Gifford, could be demolished after owners English Partnerships
Gazette papergirl Emma Taylor's instincts could have saved a disabled woman from being burgled. The 13-year-old Maldon schoolgirl felt something was not right when she found the door open to a house on her round. She later returned to set her mind at
Police have revealed the investigation into the deaths of 18 children under a nurse's care would run for at least another month. Officers also confirmed nurse Elaine Chase, 47, had not yet been interviewed and is not likely to be until the probe nears
Colchester United Reserves launched their new Avon Insurance Combination season with a disappointing 4-1 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers. Lloyd Opara, younger brother of the U's Kelechi, scored the lone goal in a game described by Layer Road boss Steve
A Dutch cyclist died yesterday (Wednesday) when he had a heart attack on the A120 at Ramsey. He was with a group of about five or six tourists from Holland riding to Harwich. An Essex Police spokesman said: "He had a heart attack, keeled over, collapsed
A fatherand son are to take the trip of a lifetime after winning a contest in a national newspaper. Boxing fanatic Peter Walton, 46, will jet off to New York tonight after winning the Daily Mirror sports page competition. After two nights in the Big Apple
Passengers on the Southend to Liverpool Street line enjoy the most reliable rail service in the country - despite a recent fall in punctuality. The number of trains running on time on the Great Eastern Line has fallen slightly to 93.1 per cent in May
How can a sudden growth of algae in the Thames keep a cockle fleet in the harbour? The Echo discovers how a tiny marine plant can cripple an entire industry. On July 21, a routine test by experts from the London Port Health Authority revealed something
Billericay Cricket Club's Under 13 'A' squad, captained by Ben Washington, gained just rewards for their efforts on Saturday by beating a strong Gidea Park side by 27 runs to seal a semi-final place in the County Under 13's Tremain Toys 30 over Cup Competition
High achievers from the Plume School, Maldon, and St Peter's School, Burnham, are being given a chance to fly, thanks to the Popular Flying Association. Five 11 to 16-year-olds from each school have been selected by their head teachers to take part in
Colchester Zoo is to start a breeding programme with its African elephants - but it could be as much as four years before the patter of rather large feet is heard. The zoo's only male African elephant Tembo took part in an artificial insemination experiment
Essex Police are working with organisations across the county to make sure the V2000 concerts at Hylands Park this weekend go without a hitch. More than 100,000 fans are expected to come to the festival, which features acts including Travis, Moby, Richard
A teenage girl has been hurt in a hit and run accident. The 15-year-old girl was walking along Church Street, Harwich, at 11.15pm last night (Wednesday) when she was in collision with a maroon Vauxhall Corsa fitted with alloy wheels. The car, which was
Irani and Cowan bowl Essex to a fine victory Some of the most engrossing cricket around the country this season has been staged on festival grounds and Essex's County Championship match against Worcestershire at Chester Road, Kidderminster was no exception
Richard Wright believes he has the ability and experience to keep the Premiership's best at bay this season. The Ipswich goalkeeper faces Sergei Rebrov, Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke and Kevin Phillips in the next fortnight as Town encounter
Southend is gearing up for its annual carnival procession and the fun has already started. This year's Carnival Fair is already in full swing from 2pm each afternoon and tomorrow (Thursday) there is the chance to enjoy the thrills for half price between
Ridleys the Essex Brewer, are accepting invitations for people to participate in this year's charity golf day in aid of the Chelmsford and District Cardiac Support Group, on Tuesday, September 26. Although last year's event was wet, over £1300 was raised
Aims to set up a Primary Care Trust to improve health and health care for Colchester have won the support of councillors. But members of last night's (Wednesday's) housing, community safety and policy panel said they wanted more information about a proposed
South Woodham people are being urged to voice their health care priorities. This week the Maldon and South Chelmsford Primary Care Group issued an appeal to people to tell them what they need for the town. The appeal follows a public meeting last month
Chelmsford is at the frontiers of science technology with a new space mission led by Japan, the US and Britain, to help learn more about the way the sun works. Japan's new space satellite systems, Solar B, uses charge-coupled devices, the electronic '
If you were attacked in the street, or had unpleasant things shoved through your letterbox, you would not think twice about calling the police. But for some sections of our society - such as ethnic minorities, lesbians and gay men - that option has been
Essex are presently engaged in a vital championship match with bottom of the table Gloucesershire at Castle Park, Colchester as they attempt to consolidate on their second position in the County Championship table. With only four matches left, Ronnie
Rush hour delays are set to continue at the Rettendon Turnpike as work is done in preparation for the widening of the A130. The slip roads to the A130 are being upgraded to cater for an increased traffic load. The A130 dual carriageway is expected to
A unique piece of Colchester's Roman history weighing almost a tonne will be lifted from the ground before builders move in. Two specialists from the Colchester Castle Museum have been working to reveal a section of house wall since it was unearthed at
