Tiptree's Alan Fisher won a silver medal in the London Marathon. With a time of 2.45.04, Fisher was second in the Veteran over 50 age group in the Amateur Athletic Association Championship, which was incorporated in the event. His outstanding performance
Southend United manager David Webb has launched a scathing attack on Football League chiefs, accusing them of lacking both "compassion" and "humanity". Webb's outburst came after Blues were prevented from turning their postponed Roots Hall clash against
A new association between chambers of trade is to be launched, co-ordinating the views of a district business community. The Association of the Four District Chambers will be launched at the Braintree District Business Forum on May 1. It will bring together
Preparations are under way to start a seven million tonne extraction scheme at a controversial waste landfill site. Before sand and gravel can be extracted from Rivenhall Airfield developers have been asked to make improvements to the road leading from
A nine-year-old boy's quick thinking saved his aunt's life when she suffered a severe asthma attack at her Danbury home. Spencer Cotton, who lives in Queen Street, Southminster, has learning difficulties, but managed to remain calm and administer the
A furious headteacher has attacked a roads census which left pupils stuck in traffic as a GCSE exam began without them. At least 60 students on a St Benedict's school bus, along with hundreds of commuters, were caught up in long queues as a company quizzed
Chloe Gillett and her family dived into their Anderson shelter when her uncle warned them of an air raid. It was 9.30pm and the Gillett family spent the night in the shelter, emerging in daylight at 6.30am.Fortunately their home was still standing. Eight-year-old
Controversial plans to build homes on a former factory site have been given the go-ahead. Vaughan and Blyth Builders want to build 12 homes and one flat on the former Mascot Suswins site in Old Road, Clacton. A previous bid was turned down but a new scheme
A teenage girl tried to break into Chelmsford Prison to see her boyfriend. The lovestruck 16-year-old, believed to be from Witham, used a ladder to try and scale the walls. But her bid was foiled when two prison officers going off duty spotted her. A
Chimney sweep Ray Chenery admits he was well and truly stitched up by television prankster Dom Joly. And in tomorrow's (Friday's) edition of Trigger Happy TV, the nation will see the moment he fell for one of the cult show's stunts. Mr Chenery, of Church
North Essex could be declared free of foot-and-mouth disease within days after a lone smallholder gave up his fight to keep vets off his land. And Government minister Beverley Hughes yesterday (Wednesday) announced a new £3.8 million rural business aid
She used to reign over the throngs of crowds visiting the cinema - but now she needs a new home. The regal portrait of the Queen used to hang in the movie theatre in West Avenue, Clacton. And when the cinema was knocked down in the late 1970s the painting
The number of abandoned vehicles in Colchester hit 100 in less than a month for the first time yesterday (Wednesday). And announcing the shocking figure, Simon Harvey, administration manager for environmental protection at Colchester Council, welcomed
Essex ramblers who prefer a gentle stroll to a hearty hike are invited to join a new club. The Ramblers' Association has launched a new group offering short walks of two to four miles followed by refreshments, to walkers throughout the Colchester, Maldon
A man has been banned from pubs in the Harwich area for five years after allegedly assaulting a landlord. The newly-formed Pubwatch committee decided last night to ban the man from all pubs in the scheme. The man, who is in his 30s, is accused of punching
Plans for a new Blockbuster video superstore in Maldon have been thrown out by councillors. Members of the district council's central area committee last night (Wednesday) rejected an application to develop the Old Ironworks site at Fullbridge. The plan
A man who has played a major role in the support of the mentally handicapped and socially isolated has died. Michael Moodey was closely involved with the Dorson House centre, Clacton, and a former chairman. He also helped to run a regular Tuesday drop-in
Soccer shows it has a heart Football has shown a much needed compassionate face following last Monday's tragic death of referee Mike North at Roots Hall. Both the club and fans are poised to raise money for the family of Mr North, who dropped dead from
Plans for the re-structuring of management at the 11 largest libraries in Essex were challenged by the Labour group at a full meeting of Essex County Council on Tuesday. Cabinet member for Lifelong Learning, Cllr James Gordon, said the idea was to replace
Police have confirmed the body of an elderly woman who went missing in Maldon has been found. Elizabeth Gallaway, 74, who lived at the Middleton Manor residential home, in Wantz Road, had not been seen since Friday evening. Her body was discovered at
Hopes of getting their National Club League season off to a flying start were dashed for Westcliff Hardcourts when they lost 4-2 to Parklangley. The Hardcourts made it through the group stage and the play-off to reach the finals in 2000 but suffered a
A special set of conditions could be put in place before a developer is allowed to create an extra 15,000sq ft of floorspace at Colchester's Tollgate centre. Adamant Investment wants to create new space at the eastern wing of the Tollgate Centre, currently
Essex have been attempting to regain the upper hand in their home championship match against Northants but are as ever in the fickle hands of the British weather. Rain delayed much of this afternoon's (Thursday's) play at Chelmsford's County Ground with
A Colchester headteacher has told an employment tribunal how she failed to recognise her school from evidence given by a teacher claiming racial abuse from pupils. Head of Sir Charles Lucas School, Caroline Hobbs, said racism in any form would never be
Major disruption is expected in Basildon throughout the summer as a £500,000 programme to revamp the town centre's walkways gets under way. Visitors are urged to be patient as contractors move on to the town's major pathways to fix broken paving slabs
An elderly woman has been recovering after bogus callers tricked their way into her house and stole her life savings. Two men posing as water board officials called at the pensioner's home in Spruce Avenue, Greenstead, Colchester, yesterday afternoon
A baker was over the moon when a national lottery prize involved no dough - she scooped a car instead. Josephine Lowden, of Calamint Road, Witham - who manages the Baker's Oven in Chelmsford - won the Vauxhall Astra after buying a Cars and Cash national
A couple were forced to flee their burning flat after a builder accidentally set fire to the roof. Dr Tony Greer, 29, and his girlfriend, Norah Campbell, tried to help the workman put out the fire with buckets of water but were beaten back by the flames
Proud parents have paid tribute to their brave 22-year-old son who died after a two-year battle with leukaemia. Bob and Linda Moss said their only child, Jason, endured his illness without complaint and tried to carry on as normal. "He had a big heart
The young winner of an anti-crime initiative is staying away from the awards ceremony - because the prize-giver has been convicted of drink-driving. Nine-year-old Lucy Laurance's father said he was "horrified" when he learnt Harwich mayor Bill MIxter
Work to extend and improve Wix and Wrabness Primary School will begin next year. The school is being improved under a Public Private Partnership which will see 11 other schools in the area also getting a revamp. A £20 million building project has been
A call has been made for traffic-calming measures to be installed on the "fastest corner in Witham". Barry Fleet, Liberal Democrat town councillor for Witham Central, said fast-moving traffic at the junction of the Avenue, Avenue Road and Collingwood
South Woodham residents are being urged to give their views on a proposed 1,600 home development in the town. South Woodham Action Group, which is opposed to any development, is asking residents to respond to surveys which it has issued about the Chelmsford
Residents have named traffic calming measures on a busy Colchester "rat-run" as top of their road safety wish-list. Homeowners on Pownall Crescent, in the Berechurch area of the town, turned out for a public meeting last night (Wednesday) to discuss road
A campaign to stop illegal parking was today hailed a success - and now police are to crackdown on boy racers. For the past three weeks police officers have been handing out tickets to drivers parked illegally in Old Road, Clacton. Dozens of drivers have
A woman who had a major operation cancelled twice in 12 days says Basildon Hospital should pay for her to have surgery elsewhere. In the latest incident Joy Inman, of The Durdans, Langdon Hills, was kept waiting for an operation on her bladder from 7.30pm
Work on building 840 new homes in Witham could be held up by sitting tenants - a family of badgers. Protection groups have pledged to defend a nine-hole sett found on the 115-acre Maltings Lane site which is home to up to 10 animals. Both the badgers
Pupils at a village school had two new surprises when returning to lessons after the Easter break. One change at Bishop William Ward Primary School, Great Horkesley, was new headteacher Lesley Walder. Mrs Walder, 43, of Copford, started on Monday after
A food shop in Colchester is to change hands again. The Colchester and East Essex Co-operative Society has announced that it is taking over the Co-operative food shop in Mersea Road - and it hopes to take over by the end of May. Jobs at the store have
Colchester United are being made to sweat in their fight to avoid relegation to Division Three - with both they and their rivals facing the prospect of four matches before the season ends on Saturday, May 5. The U's follow up their weekend clash with
Essex have been attempting to regain the upper hand in their home championship match against Northants but are as ever in the fickle hands of the British weather. Rain delayed much of this afternoon's (Thursday's) play at Chelmsford's County Ground with
Budding masterchefs from Colchester schools lined up for an Army-style battle of culinary skills. Pupils from seven secondary schools were invited to the garrison to take part in a contest modelled on the BBC's popular programme Ready Steady Cook. But
Plans for a £650,000 doctors' surgery are in limbo while an agreement is reached about where it will be sited. East Bergholt's Constable Country Rural Medical Practice is hoping it will move from its current site in Richardson Road to Heath Road in about
A Braintree newsagent is closing and others are under threat because they cannot carry out paper rounds. A child employment law, which bans children from starting work before 7am, has meant some newsagents are finding it hard to carry out doorstep newspaper
The stranglehold of foot and mouth restrictions in the Braintree area has been eased, with the lifting of infected area status giving farmers more freedom to move livestock. The end of restrictions means that the area has been declared free of the disease
Millions of TV viewers watched a gentle Somerset vicar reinvent himself as a second-hand car salesman - with the help of a Leigh firm. Network Cars, based in London Road, transformed Nigel Dome from a well-spoken clergyman into an Essex dealer. Channel
Wildlife campaigners claim a bird's nest is concrete proof that a development site in Parkeston is an important nature spot. And now they want to see action taken against those they claim are responsible for disturbing nests. For two months Parkeston
A litter-clearing operation on the A12 had to be abandoned - meaning extra road closures this weekend. Parts of the road between Hatfield Peverel and Kelvedon were due to be closed as council workers picked up rubbish from the verges and central reservation
Irresponsible quad bike riders were kicked off Clacton beach amid safety fears. The beach bikes ploughed through a nesting site before police and coastguards ordered them to stop. Four bikes were seen by the Martello Bay area of the beach on Sunday. Tendring
A decorator stripped a pub ceiling to find a 71-year-old letter pinned to it. Landlord Paul Hewitt, who has been running the Britannia in Colchester for about 19 months, said the amazing discovery came to light during a refit. He said: "We've just had
Witham is going to be even more of a boom town for business after councillors gave the go-ahead for two companies to build new warehouses in the town. The expansions promise to bring another jobs boost to Witham. PFE Express, a freight forwarding company
A former headmaster of Manningtree Secondary School, Lloyd Willimott, has died in hospital shortly before his 90th birthday. Mr Willimott was headteacher at the school in Colchester Road, Lawford, for 20 years and retired in July 1974 before the school
A garden centre owned by two leading Castle Point councillors has been slammed for illegally opening on Easter Sunday. Owners of Canvey's Northwick Garden Centre, Dennis Williams (Lab, Canvey North), and Dave Blackwell (Lab, Canvey Central), have both
Angry residents have vowed to fight a holiday park which put up caravans they claim overlooks their gardens and windows. Residents from Chingford Avenue in Clacton sent a petition to the Highfields Holiday Park, in London Road, asking them to put up a
Tourism chiefs have hit back at a new travel guide which slams Southend as a "typical, tacky resort". The Lonely Planet Guide to Britain features a run down on all the major towns and seaside spots across the country. Southend is said to be the most popular
The third and fourth rounds of the Essex Age Group Championships saw Borough of Castle Point swim star Chris Chenery in outstanding form. He won golds in 11 years 50 and 400 freestyle plus 50 fly to be voted top boy for the second year. His total Essex
Manager Steve Whitton claimed his Colchester United squad controlled eighty per cent of this two-goal defeat at the hands of Northampton Town. The U's boss also claimed both the Cobblers goals, a debatable 34th-minute, Dave Savage penalty and a Jamie
Colchester United boss Steve Whitton was keeping a close eye on last night's (Wednesday's) Division Two results as he attempts to guide his troops to relegation safety. Only one space in the dreaded relegation zone is still left to be occupied after Luton
Northamptonshire came out on top at the end of a well-contested first day's play against Essex at Chelmsford's County Ground. Essex, batting first, finished the day on 154-6. The home side lost Paul Pritchard for just eight runs and England captain Nasser
Essex are looking to take some quick wickets this afternoon against Northamptonshire at Chelmsford's County Ground. Essex, batting first, finished yesterday (Wednesday) on 154-6 but were dismissed before lunch today for 206. In reply Northamptonshire
A teenager who was driving while banned jumped from the car while it was still moving, leaving it to crash into a fence, a court heard. Michael Poll, 19, of Goring Road, Colchester, was sent to prison for one month for driving while disqualified. He admitted
A woman was left in a distressed state after the front door of her maisonette was set alight by arsonists. Police, paramedics and firefighters were called to the blaze in Burstall Close, Clacton, in the early hours of today (Thursday). A spokesman for
An Essex huntmaster has been found guilty of blocking a badger sett to stop a fox escaping. In a landmark case, Anne Hull, 39, of Maldon Road, Burnham, was convicted of aiding and abetting interference with a badger sett by Epping magistrates yesterday
Cadet Liam Coughlan produced a superb round to run away with Rochford's Division One April medal. Highlight for the youngster, who fired 72-10=62, was an eagle on the par four fourth, plus two birdies and ten pars to beat Gary Matthews (79-10=69) and
Teen power! Teenagers calling for a skatepark in Lawford have backed their plea with a detailed research project. Four year-nine pupils from Manningtree High School gave a presentation to the village's parish councillors. Their tutor, Mo Weaver, explained
A fox cub, born with water on the brain and abandoned by its mother, will die if he does not receive urgent treatment. The animal is suffering from a condition called hydrocephalus and urgently needs an expensive operation. Without it, the pressure on
A ten-year-old boy has been given a final police warning after starting a £20,000 farm blaze that nearly cost him and two pals their lives. The youngster, who cannot be named, escaped unhurt with his friends, both ten, after he accidentally set fire to
Twenty-two Rochford swimmers competing at Southend's Open at Warrior Square collected trophies. RADS were particularly delighted to see two ten-year-olds, Rebecca Frost and Lewis Fitzpatrick, pick up their first open awards. Rebecca collected gold in
