A mother has won a partial victory in her campaign to get her son into a school nearer to their Lawford home. Tracey-Anne Beckett, of Gainsborough Drive, Lawford, refused to send her son to school after she was told he must go to Thomas Lord Audley, Colchester
HUGE crowds packed Canvey's Park Lane ground as some of the great names of yesteryear from West Ham United came to the island. An attendance around the 2,400 mark saw Canvey's own 'Blast from the Past' line-up take on Irons' 'Class of 86' - the team that
Panic petrol-buying has led to garages in mid-Essex being left high and dry. Sold out - a sign outside the BP petrol station in Cressing Road, Witham. Left, police speak to lorry drivers. Picture: NICK OBANK (45012-1) Mass purchasing at the pumps throughout
SCOTT Myall had a 15 minute battle to bring a common carp to the net - but it was worth it because the fish improved his previous personal best carp by more than 3lb. The 16-year-old used a floating halibut pellet to tempt the 20lb 8oz common from the
A swan has been killed by water bikers on a village lake, it has been claimed. A volunteer wildlife warden warned birds were in danger from the machines at St Osyth - and now his worst fears have come true. The man, who does not want to be named because
SOUTHEND United new boy Jamal Campbell-Ryce is delighted to have finally sealed his switch to the Shrimpers. The speedy 22-year-old, who can play both on the wing and in attack, has agreed a three-month loan deal to Roots Hall after weeks of speculation
A company boss has told how he cheated death at the hands of a brick-hurling vandal. How did I survive that? - Mick Haggerty examines the damage after the brick was dropped on to his car in the A12. Picture: TERRY WEEDEN (44843-1) Mick Haggerty was returning
CRICKET clubs in south Essex are confident that England's success in the Ashes will have a knock-on effect for the game at grass roots level. They have already seen increased interest from children who have been inspired as Michael Vaughan's team wrestled
PROTESTERS from haulage firms joined forces today in a bid to make the Government slash fuel prices. Lorry drivers were parking up at Vopak, a fuel storage depot in Purfleet, just after 6am where within half an hour almost 20 lorries were on the scene
Investigators probing the cause of a Colchester fire have drawn a blank. The blaze was started in the garden of a home in Monkwick Avenue last week. It nearly spread to the house and a dog was trapped inside before the alarm was raised and the town's
THE Echo's Tom King has made Mastermind history after winning a heat with his first round score alone - the first time it has happened in 27 years. Television viewers watched last night as our business reporter and columnist was quizzed by the show's
DISABLED Vickie Bristow is set for a treat tonight as celebrity Fran Cosgrove pays her a special visit. The Celebrity Love Island winner will be attending a Chinese charity night to raise money towards the Echo's appeal to help 13-year-old Vickie learn
Hopes of building two new four-bedroom homes in a small village have been dashed. Contractors Harvey and Little put forward a scheme to demolish a bungalow and replace it with the two-storey houses in Heath Road, Bradfield. Bradfield Parish Council and
THE Sue Ryder Care charity shop in Rayleigh has been chosen as one of only 150 to become a centre for dolls house enthusiasts. Only three shops is Essex will become Hickleton Centres, offering customers exclusive items and priority ordering for the charity's
MOVE aside Jodie Marsh - there is a new Essex babe ready to glam it up. Teenage glamour model Amiee Rickards, who has appeared in Hollywood movies, has proved she is ready for the big time after beating nearly 4,000 girls to the title Miss Mystique 2006
Evergreen Freemason Freddie Cooke has reached 100. Scoring a century - Freddie Cooke celebrates his birthday with Mark Killick, Crystal and Phil Murrell, Jessie Fowler, Brenda Murrell, and Caroline and Tia Hutchins. Picture: TERRY WEEDEN (44841-2) The
A COMPUTER expert forced to spend winter nights guarding his business from burglars has vowed to fight back by reopening it. Adnan Hussein, 36, of Eastern Avenue, Southend, was forced to close his Big Tech shop, in East Street, earlier this year after
Eight girls have accused a pensioner of indecently assaulting them at his Colchester home. John Drury - court heard he was alleged to have told pornographic fairy tales to one girl. (45010-1) A court was told 80-year-old John Drury allowed the children
A controversial scheme to build more than 100 new beach huts on Dovercourt seafront has received the all-clear at the third attempt. Plans for the lower promenade at Marine Parade were given the green light despite fears they could be partly blocking
Billericay went up as champions despite losing on the final day of the season. They beat Orsett to top spot courtesy of their games drawn ratio after both teams finished with 253 points and 11 wins. P Jackman hit 70 for Billericay as they reached 204-
Gay dads who have moved back to Essex are embroiled in a fresh fight to keep their young family in the UK. Barrie and Tony Drewitt-Barlow have moved back to Chelmsford after living in Alicante, Spain, for three years with their surrogate five-year-old
A BURST water main caused traffic mayhem yesterday afternoon. The pipe, belonging to Essex and Suffolk water, flooded the road and forced the traffic down to one lane between Sadlers Farm roundabout and Tarpots roundabout in Benfleet. The notoriously
A teenage scooter rider was airlifted to hospital with a head injury after he was involved in a collision with a car. The 16-year-old was riding along the B1022 Maldon Road, Birch, close to the junction of Lower Road when the accident happened at about
A MAN had to be coaxed down from a 30-foot bridge in central Basildon after threatening suicide. Police cordoned off the length of Broadmayne yesterday lunchtime while specially-trained officers spent nearly two hours talking the man down. It was the
MOTORBIKE enthusiasts can fuel their passion at a classic vehicle show on Sunday, September 25, and show support for the Battlesbridge Motorcycle Museum. Now in its 19th year, the Grand Motorbilia Day has become one of the biggest shows in the area. It
A couple made homeless after an arson attack on their pub have told of their nightmare month since the blaze. Destroyed - an arson attack on his pub left landlord Grahame Sams and his family homeless. (44220-4) Landlord Grahame Sams escaped with his life
Alex Dowsett is delighted after becoming only the second-ever cyclist to reclaim the GHS National Schoolboy Ten-Mile Time Trial title and breaking the competition record in the process. The prestigious title has been held aloft by cycling greats such
SOUTHEND Police's first ever woman boss will leave her post as divisional commander, just six months after starting the job. Chief Supt Jacqui Cheer, 43, will leave Southend to take up a role as assistant national bureaucracy adviser at the Home Office
Motorists are being reminded that there is now a one-way system in part of Halstead. The new one-way system covers the Kings Road area of town and is designed to cut congestion there caused by parked vehicles. However, a spokesman for Essex County Council
A teenager who suffered a fractured skull and a blood clot on his brain has made a plea to others to wear helmets so they don't suffer the same fate. Serious accident - above, Tom suffered a blood clot and a fractured skull as he wasn't wearing a safty
A man who died after a dispute at a cashpoint in Colchester has been named by police. Unemployed Westley Odger, 27, of Jack Andrews Drive, Greenstead, died from a neck wound at about 3pm on Tuesday after a row near the Nationwide cash machine in Hunwicke
Four goals, a floodlight failure and a feast of entertainment illuminated Portman Road. Soaraway success - Richard Naylor wheels away after opening the scoring in last night's Championship clash at Portman Road. (44985-12) And, by the time the game eventually
Police could ask for a by-law to be drawn up to stop people drinking in seafront shelters. Visitors steer clear of Edith Road, Clacton, because groups of up to 15 people gather to smoke drugs and get drunk, according to traders. Barry Shimell, of Edith
Gareth Williams hopes he is now firmly in Phil Parkinson's plans. The Colchester United front-runner produced a superb performance in Saturday's 3-2 win at home to Doncaster Rovers - his first start for the U's since losing 1-0 at Brentford last March
TWO stalwart supporters of Southend Hospital have vowed to raise funds for its latest appeal. Maureen Townley, from Shoebury, and Linda Ansell, from Thorpe Bay, have been raising money for Southend Hospital for more than 15 years through their stall in
Richard Naylor today added his name to the list of admirers currently hailing Ipswich Town team-mate Owen Garvan. The 17-year-old gave his growing reputation another huge boost last night with a brilliant goal in the Blues' 2-2 draw at home to Southampton
BILLERICAY Town boss Justin Edinburgh could offer no excuses as his side suffered an embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of St Margaretsbury last night. Town raced into a two goal lead but were eventually beaten 3-2 in extra time at New Lodge by the
