IN TODAY'S GAZETTE: PLANS have been unveiled for a multi-million pound four star hotel in Colchester.

The proposal is for a five-storey riverside building offering 74 bedrooms, a bar and a restaurant.

* HUNDREDS of X Factor wannabees auditioned in Colchester in the hopes of securing a place on the hit TV talent show.

* Fresh plans have been unveiled for a tourism and heritage centre in Great Horkesley.

The plans for Horkesley Park now include a complex for a nursery and gardens and indoor display ring and expects to attract 316,000 visitors a year.

* Hospital bosses spent £1,500 on beans bags for women giving birth - only to see them confiscated on health and safety grounds.

FOR MORE ON THESE AND OTHER GREAT STORIES, SEE TODAY'S GAZETTE. THERE IS ALWAYS MORE IN THE PAPER THAN THERE IS ONLINE.