Braintree town centre could be left in the dark this Christmas unless money can be raised to put up lights. Traders and community leaders are calling for town businesses to support the Christmas light display now, to prevent a pathetic effort. Braintree
A ban on large vehicles going through Manningtree is being altered to allow through buses and coaches... ten years after it came into force. But Essex County Council says public service vehicles had access through the town and were not using the High
Vandals have damaged a charity playgroup's new shed just days after it was delivered. Volunteers had worked for months to raise the £1,000 needed for the new storage for Brightlingsea Play Centre's play equipment. It was installed at the recreation ground
Striking star Wayne Vaughan, Canvey's top scorer last season, quickly found his goal touch last night (Tuesday) as the Islanders steamrollered their Foresters Essex Senior League visitors in their second build-up friendly of the new campaign at Park Lane
Ipswich Town play their first pre-season friendly on English soil tonight (Thursday) - with skipper Matt Holland hoping to give one of his best friends an evening to remember. The Blues are at Ryman League Braintree Town for a testimonial for long-serving
Leicester manager Peter Taylor has warned his Premiership big-guns not to underestimate Southend United ahead of their Roots Hall friendly. The ex-Blues boss has promised to bring a star-studded side to the Essex coast tonight (Wednesday), including England
Chelmsford Primary Care Group is making an application to become a Primary Care Trust from April next year. The Primary Care Group was set up two years ago as part of NHS reforms to put primary health care organisation and provision in the hands of local
Arsonists today tried to set fire to a nightclub in Colchester town centre where hundreds of revellers had been enjoying a night out. Firestarters poured a liquid like petrol or paraffin into a duct at the back of the Hippodrome nightclub and set it alight
Millions of pounds will be paid out by Colchester-based Royal London after investigators found sales staff might have mis-sold products. The Personal Investment Authority has fined Royal London £400,000 after a visit to the firm's offices, which included
A heroin user "not welcome in the family home" stole £800 worth of goods and cash from the house while his family were attending a funeral. But magistrates heard it was not difficult to deduce who had burgled the house after Matthew Shelley left his dirty
Workers facing redundancy at B Braun Medical have a good chance of finding another job, an employment consultant has said. The advisor was called in after 59 people were told last week they would lose their jobs at the Braintree company. Judy Rayton,
A price tag of more than £140m has been put on Army land and property in Colchester. The total was calculated from the Government's new National Asset Register and includes land, buildings, sports facilities, armouries and the military corrective training
There was standing room only as villagers discussed Tiptree United's plans to build a new football ground. But it was clear residents are not united in support of the scheme. Instead, the majority at the meeting were opposed to it. More than 150 residents
The start of the summer holiday season in Maldon has been marred by the emergency closure of the lake in Promenade Park. Kiosk owners in the park and parents are up in arms after the first day of the summer holiday was ruined for many of Maldon's youngsters
A unique lawyers-for-children service has been launched in Colchester to give youngsters a say in legal matters. The Essex Children's Project is based at Essex University and will give young people advice and a chance to put across their views on issues
Youngsters have learnt a life-saving lesson about dangers on the railway at their Wickford school. The warning to pupils at Hilltop Junior School, in Hill Avenue, came just as lessons are about to break for the summer holiday when crime on the railway
Pupils at William de Ferrers School, South Woodham, have been lending their talents to the top London musical The Lion King. Year 10 pupils were invited to design cushion covers which reflected the themes of the stage musical and would be suitable to
This is the first vision of Southend's new look town centre which will be funded by millions of pounds from Europe. The £17m Southend Seafront, High Street and Pier Enhancement (Sshape) project is now poised to go ahead - thanks to £5.4m of Objective
Rochford beat the weather-decimated programme to defeat their title rivals at the top of the Sirco Southend Evening Cricket League. The club outplayed leaders Eastwood to draw level on points at the top after restricting their foes to just 88-5 off 12
Another Essex batting collapse handed Hampshire victory in yesterday's one-day National League clash at Southchurch Park, Southend. Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat first, and Zimbabwean opener Neil Johnson repaid his captain's faith with an
Spanish import Pablo Counago shone as Ipswich Town brought the curtain down on their tour of Finland and Estonia with a 5-1 routing of FC Flora. The under-21 international scored twice - including a strike in the final minute - to seal another emphatic
Steve Whitton hopes pacy Notts County striker Kevin Rapley is the prolific goalscorer Colchester United have been crying out for. The U's boss welcomed the 23-year-old on trial at Layer Road on Monday and he is likely to feature in today's (Wednesday's
The Eastwoodbury Veterans League annual meeting were left a team short of an ideal number for the forthcoming campaign when Hockley H unexpectedly withdrew on the night. The seven remaining clubs are therefore on the lookout for at least one new outfit
A long-established auctioneers which has been in the heart of Colchester for 120 years may be on the move. Headgate-based Reeman Dansie and Howe have lodged an application for their current premises - where they have been for 120 years - to be turned
A member of staff at a Clacton high school is setting a shining example for pupils to follow. Lynne Wicks, head of pastoral services, is in with a chance of picking up a prestigious national title for looking after customers at Colbayns High in Pathfields
The popular Five Parishes Summer Show has been cancelled for the first time since the war - because of foot-and-mouth. The show is held on the approach to the Army's Fingringhoe Ranges, off Mersea Road, Colchester, and although some footpaths around them
A dream visit to Australia has come true after a woman scooped top prize on the National Lottery Winning Lines. Teresa Debenham became the third person in the current BBC television series to have won the once in a lifetime three-weeks round the world
A ten-fold increase in abandoned cars in Castle Point is set to spark a new effort to resolve the problem. Talks are to be launched with neighbouring Southend Council to see how it has speeded up the removal of dumped vehicles. Removal is a long and expensive
The Royal Bank of Scotland is being wooed to a new credit card centre on the site of Southend United's proposed Fossett Farm stadium. Blues director Ron Martin has told how he discussed the idea with the bank's agents - and insisted it would be compatible
Plans for thousands of new homes in Essex over the next 15 years have been slammed by Billericay Tory MP John Baron in his maiden Commons speech. Mr Baron used his speech in the House to attack Tony Blair's Government - and the move for more houses in
Blur frontman Damon Albarn is on the shortlist for one of music's most prized awards for the third time. The Colchester-raised singer heads the nominees for the Mercury Music Prize with his new band Gorillaz. The group's self-titled album was installed
Wivenhoe Town have announced that Frank Thompson has taken up the position of Director of Football at the Ryman League division two club for the forthcoming season. Thompson has a wealth of experience under his belt including spells at Clacton and Brightlingsea
Swimming pool owners in Brentwood are being called upon to help children from Chernobyl. The group is visiting Essex in August and on a list of things they would like to do while in England, several of the children asked for a chance to learn to swim.
Concerned Warley residents are protesting against controversial plans to erect a new mobile phone mast in a car park just off Warley Hill. The proposed site, at the rear of Brentwood Angling, backs directly on to gardens in Hampden Crescent and is near
A new company designed to end the "turmoil, underperformance and outdated" practices of the insurance industry is opening a branch in Colchester. The brainchild of Max Carruthers, who lives in Colchester, the Rubicon Corporation is currently hiring the
The Wickford to Southminster Crouch Valley rail link was due to be re-launched on Friday with the opening of Right Tracks in the former station house at Southminster. The ticket office at Burnham is also to undergo a refurbishment and cosmetic improvements
The future of Colchester's famous landmark, the Jumbo water tower is to be considered. Members of Colchester Council's planning committee will vote tomorrow (Thursday) on two sets of designs for the Victorian water tower. They are modified from schemes
Former canon Lionel Webber faces an anxious month-long wait to discover if criminal charges will be laid against him over the Basildon belltower scandal. The Crown Prosecution Service was today (Wednesday) studying a file passed on by detectives from
A leading mental health charity has moved in to a desperately-needed new centre in Chelmsford - thanks to an article in the Essex Chronicle Services provided by the Dove Centre run Chelmsford and District MIND, which has been established in Chelmsford
More than £1m will be spent restoring one of Colchester's most prominent listed buildings. The former Charles Brown and Sons site in East Street has been on Essex County Council's buildings at risk register for more than ten years and has been described
Police have issued a fresh warning about conmen after elderly women - three in their 90s - were victims. A bogus electricity board worker talked his way into the house of a 68-year-old woman in Baxter Avenue, Southend but was asked to leave before he
Channels lady captain Jenny Hartnett hosted her "Captains Day" at the club on Thursday. The weather could have been better but a full field of ladies made a good day of it and returned some good scores. The main stableford competition played in three
Hockley carp specialist Jim Poole landed an amazing ten carp haul when he fished at Billericay's Lake Meadows. And his companion Dave Willis added further to the bag by landing three big fish himself The two anglers took their big catches from swims between
Leopards Basketball Club's Head Coach Bob Donewald has been released by the club to take up an assistant coaching role in the NBA. Donewald, 30, has been offered the post of assistant coach at the Charlotte Hornets and is returning to the United States
An appeal for information has been launched by Havering Police after eight high performance Audi cars, worth a combined total of £200,000 were stolen from a Harold Wood showroom. The theft happened in the early hours of Tuesday June 19, but now the drive
A car smashed through the front of a carpet shop, just as the driver was parking up to post his motor insurance policy renewal documents. The accident left Robert Houlding Carpets, in Church Road, Tiptree, battered and boarded up, but the store was back
The Samaritans are offering support to anyone in the East Tilbury community who has been distressed by the disappearance of 15-year-old schoolgirl Danielle Jones. The teenager has been missing from her home in Hayle, East Tilbury, since June 18 and police
Essex County Council's decision to approve the new county waste plan without specifically ruling out incinerators has provoked reaction among district councils and in the House of Commons. County council Leader Lord Hanningfield said there were no plans
Captain Calamity Stuart Hill is in trouble again - after once more setting off on his round-Britain trip. He is now near Sheringham but coastgards said yesterday (Tuesday) the intrepid sailor was going round in circles. And, soon after setting off on
A woman was rescued from her smoke-logged flat by a neighbour. Firefighters from Grays and Orsett raced to the Davall House high-rise in Grays High Street to find the man and woman suffering from smoke inhalation. Crews gave first aid before the pair
A dusk-till-daylight ban is to be slapped on boy racers who have brought summer weekend misery to families. An extensive car park at Maplin Way, Shoebury, will be locked at nights after residents complained of cars racing in the late and early hours,
Firefighters have branded pranksters "insane" after a makeshift paint bomb was hurled at the windscreen of an engine dashing to an emergency call. The vehicle was on Mersea Road, Colchester, just past the Odd One Out pub, at about 9.10pm on Monday with
A pensioner is fighting for her life after being involved in an accident with her husband's car as they checked its brake lights. Police were called to the couple's home in Woodberry Way, Walton, at 7.20pm on Monday night. An Essex Police spokesman said
An excellent crowd of 749 witnessed a skilful and entertaining encounter at Scraley Road last night (Tuesday) with Swifts acquiting themselves well against a young, quick and inventive Hammers team. The Hammers may have recorded victory, but for Heybridge
Two big name stores are set to open in Chelmsford - and an existing shop is to be revived with a £700,000 makeover. H&M has announced it is opening at 73-74 High Street, on the site of the former Bolingbroke and Wenley department store. Seven retail
Staff and volunteers at Harold's Saint Francis Hospice have been celebrating after being awarded the Government's Charter Mark for excellence. The charity, based at The Hall, Havering-atte-Bower was praised by its assessors for going the extra mile and
A school for juveniles who pose a risk to themselves or others could open in Westcliff, it has been revealed. Southend councillors on the development control committee will today (Wednesday) discuss plans to convert a property at 9 Fairfax Drive into
An appeal has gone out to the Government from Basildon MP Angela Smith to protect the whale. The move comes on the eve of the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) annual meeting in London. Mrs Smith, MP for Basildon and East Thurrock, said: "At the
Colchester Town Hall has been the venue for all manner of functions in its 100 year history - but never a Mad Hatter's protest tea party. Delicacies were put aside in favour of a "toxic'" soup and sandwich, blue "heavy metal" tea and "dioxin" pepper as
Controversial plans to cut school places on Canvey need an urgent rethink, two county councillors have said. Ray Howard and Dennis Williams will voice their opinions over county proposals to slash 400 primary school places at a high-level meeting on Friday
Barnet striker Tony Richards was set to join Southend United on Monday for £36,000. We first revealed last month that Blues boss David Webb was chasing the 27-year-old targetman to add some muscle to his forward-line. Richards, who watched the Shrimpers
Furtherwick Park defeated Greensward College in a thrilling under-12 final of the Rochford and Castle Point District Schools Cricket Cup. Furtherwick won the event at Deanes College, Thundersley, with just two balls to spare after reaching 98-8 in reply
A couple of entrepreneurs are putting out the balloons to celebrate the opening of their one-stop party shop in Braintree this month. Helen and Stephen Stewart aim to stock a wide range of party products at the Party Pavilion in Market Street. The couple
Pupils from Felsted Primary School near Dunmow will be taking part in the BBC Proms annual Blue Peter Prom at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Saturday. The 22 pupils will join Blue Peter presenters Simon Thomas and Liz Barker at the prom and form part
It was a proud day for school leaver Adam Smith who has been presented with a special award from the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Trust. The award is for pupils who contribute to their school community against the odds, and Adam's headteacher Gary
Castle Point MP Dr Bob Spink has vowed to tackle head-on the leader of Essex County Council as the row over incinerators simmers on. Dr Spink made his pledge at a meeting on Monday when protesters voiced their dismay at what they have described as "inadequate
Police are trying to trace a driver who fled after a car ploughed into a row of garages. The car knocked down a concrete post by one of the garages, causing part of the roof to collapse. It also caused damage to the council-owned garages either side,
Police swooped on pubs and clubs in Colchester in a crackdown on underage drinking. In the night-time raids, officers ejected 16 youngsters from town premises. Five were found to be drinking illegally in Fred's bar on East Hill, two in Chicago Rock Cafe
Campaigning mum Karen Newton has taken her fight for the rights of disabled children into the national spotlight. Karen, 38, of Lynton Road, Hadleigh, appeared on the Carlton TV programme That's Esther, to highlight the difficulties that youngsters like
The former Galleywood racecourse is the subject of a new display at Chelmsford Central Library, running until the end of August. It is known that horse-racing at Galleywood pre-dated 1770, when the first formal mention is recorded. That year, King George
A special holiday playscheme is set to entertain children across the area over the next month. Aimed at children aged between four and 11, the project, run by the charity Billericay Out of School Scheme (BOSS), runs from Monday July 30 to Friday August
A shortage of lifeguards means a cutback in the times the public can use the swimming pool in the grounds of Manningtree High School. For the past few years a joint initiative by the school's governors and Lawford Parish Council has enabled the pool to
Burglars have broken into Highfields Holiday Park in Clacton and raided 26 fruit machines. The crooks caused £5,000 worth of damage and made off with around £8,000 in cash. Acting Sgt Simon Lofting, of Clacton police, said a security guard disturbed the
A thug smashed a bottle in a man's face before slicing his neck with the broken glass, a court heard. Steven Peach, 22, of St Francis Way, Brentwood, has now started a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence following his horrific assault on a man outside
School meal and travel costs in Essex are to go up from this autumn. The county council's executive board agreed on Tuesday that the cost of a meal in primary and special schools would increase by five pence to £1.30 from October 29, with further annual
Greenpeace activists today (Wednesday) blockaded Purfleet's Esso fuel depot in a protest over global warming. Fifty-two protesters, including five dressed as tigers, shut down the plant in London Road, at 5.30am. Esso tankers were blocked at the depot
A man from South Woodham Ferrers has died after plunging 270ft off a cliff while searching for his dog. Ian Miller, 39, was on the Isle of Wight with his wife, Catherine, and their three young children when the tragedy happened yesterday (Tuesday). The
For the second time in as many weeks, riders from all over the country descended upon the Norton Heath Equestrian Centre near Blackmore at the weekend when it played host to a number of prestigious show jumping competitions. Essex riders made full use
