Archive
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Essex waste site plan may be binned
An almighty show of people power may be on its way to ruling out new waste sites for Essex. Essex County Council could be set to pull the plug on current plans for eight major waste sites after coming under fire from thousands of outraged residents across
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Drugs cash could help fight crime
Government minister George Howarth promised that cash seized in raids on dealers could soon be ploughed back into the fight against drugs. Mr Howarth, Under Secretary of State for Home Affairs, made the pledge on a visit to Clacton Police Station. The
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Train attack on Southend teenager
Witnesses are being sought to a frightening gang attack on a teenager that forced police to evacuate a train. The 18-year-old from Southend was yesterday recovering at home after taking a beating at the hands of the vicious group. The student, who suffered
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Essex MP Lord Alport was Tory hand on tiller
Modesty was the hallmark of Lord Alport's near 50-year connection with Colchester. It endeared him to local people but, at times, belied the power, influence and impression he left nationally on the emergence of new Conservatism after the war. His famous
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Leigh: Slim Jeff's a big loser
For being the greatest loser, Jeff Cadywould is definitely a winner at his Slimming World class. Super slimmer Jeff, 32, of Moor Park Gardens, Leigh, has lost an incredible six stones since he started the healthy eating plan nine months ago. His sister-in-law
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Clacton: New boat to be launched
Clacton Sailing Club is to launch its new support boat, partly sponsored by the Foundation for the Sports and Arts, on Easter Monday. The launch will be at 1.30pm at Holland Haven, The Gap, Holland-on-Sea. A raffle will be held in aid of the RNLI. Converted
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Layer: £1,500 fine for sheep farmer
Livestock farmer Richard Lennox has been fined £1,500 after being convicted of three charges of giving false information relating to a lorryload of sheep. Paperwork gave the name of another person as the transporter and said the journey time was eight
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Corringham: Swimming party girl in pool rescue
A mum who rescued her daughter from drowning is demanding an inquiry into a leisure centre's safety procedures. Seven-year-old Charlotte Ling was one of 30 guests at a children's birthday party at the pool at Corringham Leisure Centre when she found herself
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Arsonists sought after Basildon school inferno
An investigation was today under way after a Basildon school building was burnt to the ground. The old disused art building belonging to Barstable School, in Timberlog Lane, is believed to have been set ablaze by of arsonists. The main school was open
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Soccer: Tales of Northern Blues...
Football fans are a rare breed and are renowned for travelling far and wide to watch their favourites on a Saturday afternoon. Well documented are the hordes of supporters from around the globe who make the long pilgrimage to Old Trafford to watch Manchester
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Soccer: Brazilian staying, insists Colchester boss
Brazilian ace Jose Antunes Fumaca is still a Colchester United player. U's boss Mick Wadsworth, who snapped up the exciting ball-playing wizard from Brazilian club Celonuse, insisted on Tuesday Fumaca had not signed for Barnsley yet whatever the first
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Soccer: Magilton plumps for Ipswich
Just as the saying goes, behind every great man stands a woman. And Ipswich fans will be grateful Colette Magilton gave her approval for husband Jim to make his move to Portman Road permanent. Magilton, 29, took more than a week to make his mind up to
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Speedway: Witches aim to build on opening win
Ipswich Witches take on Coventry Bees tonight (7.30pm) in a Craven Shield fixture at Foxhall stadium. After their success in last week's opener against Oxford the Suffolk side will be looking for another victory, to give themselves confidence ahead of
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Soccer: D-Day Colchester signings
Colchester United manager Mick Wadsworth was leaping on and off football's transfer deadline merry-go-round today in a bid to strengthen his Layer Road squad. Two players, French youth international Steve Germaine and Irish born midfielder Brian Launders
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Motorcycling: Marks Tey rider's flying start
Gary Waylen had a successful start to his Road Racing career at Lydden Hill circuit in Kent on Saturday. Having had a good history in schoolboy motocross a few years ago he has been keen to find out what tarmac racing would be like. Gary who works for
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Athletics: Basildon's road relay joy
Basildon Athletic Club produced an outstanding display in the Essex AAA Young Athletes Road relays at Thurrock. The girls won the under-15 title and were runners-up at both under-13 and under-17 age group. They also had a fifth position with their B team
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Essex Police outlines millennium blueprint
A blueprint for keeping crime at bay as Essex enters the new millennium was launched today. Essex Police Authority published its priorities for the year ahead. These take into account national policing objectives set by the Home Secretary Jack Straw and
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Colchester MP critical of compensation cash
Stinging criticism was made today of the decision to ask the taxpayer to foot the bill for a tribunal payout to 150 axed Colchester workers. The employees of printing firm Spottiswoode Ballantyne won a share of nearly £500,000 after an industrial tribunal
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Woodham choir will sing out to Blue Peter fans
Eighty excited members of a South Woodham Ferrers choir will have their dream come true when they perform on Blue Peter. The youngsters will sing the old ELO tune Rock and Roll is King on tomorrow's live show. The Choirwood rock and pop group were invited
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Wickford: School pays tribute to fun-loving teenager
It was a night of tears and smiles, music and memories when friends, family, schoolmates and teachers remembered Lewis Roche in song and poetry. School-loving Lewis died in January of myocarditis - inflammation of the heart - caused by a virus. The popularity
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Southend man accused of child sex loaned mum cash
A mother wept in court as she told of her former friendship with a man now accused of sexually assaulting her two young daughters. The woman, who cannot be named, said she had thought the defendant, Ken Hedley, 61, was "like a second grandfather" to the
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Castle Point gets its own university campus at last
Castle Point's own university campus was opened today with the pledge of offering students a degree course on their doorstep. Anglia Polytechnic University (APU) has joined forces with SEEVIC in Benfleet to boost higher education prospects and, it is
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Benfleet models are the bees knees
Budding Naomi Campbells took to the catwalk to show off a new fashion range and raise cash for a good cause. Youngsters from Holy Family RC School in Kents Hill Road, Benfleet, strutted their stuff in clothes from the Bees Knees children's clothing store
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Tennis: Andy's rising to the top
The Southend Winter Series Masters finals day was held at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre. All players taking part had earned their place by gaining circuit points accrued over the series. The top four players in each category played in the morning
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Soccer: Tamer stakes claim to Colchester keeper slot
Tamer Fernandes is hoping to claim the number one jersey after saving two penalties in the reserves' 3-0 win over Brentford. Keeper Fernades skippered Colchester United's second string in the victory over his old club, as the U's continue to do well in
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Rugby: Brentwood gain revenge by beating Stortford
Saturday's re-arranged friendly gave Brentwood the opportunity to avenge an earlier heavy defeat in the league at the hands of Stortford. They got off to a good start and took the lead after an evenly contested opening eight minutes when they moved the
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Motorsport: Superb start for McCarthy
Brentwood racing driver Perry McCarthy claimed a superb result for Audi in its debut sportcar race in the Sebring 12-hour race in Florida, America last weekend. McCarthy, with team mates Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela, took the open-top Audi R8R into
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Basketball: Leopards leave it late
With one second to go Eric Burks stood on the free throw line, the game was tied at 70-70, he had driven at the basket but had been fouled as he went up for the lay-up. He had two shots to win the game. His first shot hit the rim and bounced out, with
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Soccer: Woodham cup triumph means misery for Manor
Woodham Athletic are in seventh heaven after winning their way through to the Southend Junior League's under-16 cup final. In the semi-finals they thrashed Southend Manor 7-0 with Bayliss grabbing a hat-trick. In the final, at Southend United's Roots
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Soccer: Harding hat-trick seals easy Ramblers victory
Steve Harding's second hat-trick in four days was the only notable feature in what was a one-sided affair. Saturday's game saw Stansted bring a side which reflected their current struggling circumstances. For 30 minutes though, Ramblers relied on early
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Tendring: Damage tops list of crime priorities
Criminal damage is top of the list of crime and disorder concerns for the people of Tendring. A survey found that crime hot-spots were second priority for action. Other concerns included reducing the levels of domestic violence and cutting car crime.
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Hospice plan for Clacton
Moves to provide a new day care centre in Clacton have taken a step forward. St Helena Hospice is in negotiation with Essex County Council to buy the site of the former police station on the corner of Jackson Road and West Avenue. It could know by May
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Ingatestone: Charity rider's cycle loss
Christopher Sleep, of New Road, Ingatestone, will be cycling more than 224 miles across Borneo in South East Asia to raise money for Sense, the world's leading deafblind charity. But Christopher, a second year student of Law and Criminology at Keele University
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Harold Wood: Community backs shop
Hundreds of Harold Wood residents have rallied round their local newsagent who stands to lose his home and job. Local landlords, Bates and Son have applied to bulldoze a row of shops in Church Road to make way for a new office block and car park. They
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Harold MP urges CCTV use
Harold MP Keith Darvill has urged local councillors not to miss out on an offer of Government cash to bring CCTV to local crime hot spots. Home Secretary Jack Straw has announced a £150million package designed to encourage new CCTV schemes across the
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Children rob Harold Hill pensioner, 85
The 'sickening' burglary of an 85-year-old woman by two children in Harold Hill has prompted a police warning for pensioners to be on the lookout in the run-up to the school Easter holidays. The 12-year-old and 16-year-old boys conned their way into the
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Hockley: Woman's red light terror drive
Cars were sent scattering when a woman went through a red traffic light and drove up the wrong side of a busy Hockley road. Shocked oncoming drivers tried to U-turn to avoid the woman after she drove past traffic queuing at roadworks on Main Road. After
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Southend: Bogus rose seller alert
Romantic diners are being urged to give the brush-off to girls who come to their table illegally selling roses, allegedly for charity. Chris Kelly, general manager of paediatric services at Southend Hospital, issued the warning after a seller approached
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Southend Council joins bug battle
A commitment to beat the millennium bug has been signed by Southend Council. The authority has joined the Government's Pledge 2000, a nationwide scheme to share information about year 2000 problems. Jim Aslem, assistant director of corporate services,
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Hawkwell: Nature reserve approval
Residents and councillors were today celebrating after a nature reserve for Hawkwell was given the green light. Members of Hawkwell Parish Council asked Rochford District Council to declare a part of Magnolia Road public open space as a local nature reserve
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Clacton: Talking on tape
Essex Talking Newspapers is to hold a conference next month to discuss what listeners want and whether the service can be improved. The conference is to take place at St Paul's Church Hall, St Paul's Road, Clacton, on April 17 and helpers are sought to
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Desperately seeking lost churches...
TOM KING discovers that former punk rocker Andrew Barham now spends his time in church A saga of many years duration reached its culmination this month when 36-year-old Andrew Barham handed over the manuscript of his first book to publisher Ian Henry.
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Danbury: Newborn chicks found in dustbins
Hundreds of newborn chicks were found in dustbins at a turkey farm after an employee forgot to lethally gas 2,000 eggs. Witham magistrates heard on Tuesday that some of the eggs dumped in a skip later hatched and the chicks were found alive among the
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Canvey: Police caught in gang fight
Police have revealed how officers were forced to protect an injured victim during a gang fight outside a Canvey nightclub. An officer was called to Kings Club on the island and found a youngster suffering from a wound to the side of his face. While the
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Colchester school wants £10m move
A Colchester school wants £10 million to move 400 metres. Stanway School has applied to Essex County Council to build new premises, capable of looking after 850 pupils, in Winstree Road. The school's 1960s buildings need refurbishing and the preferred
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Mistley firm set to axe third of workforce
A major Mistley company looks set to shed nearly a third of its workforce. Award-winning company Edme Ltd, the malt and malted ingredients manufacturer, is to end a 100-year tradition of producing malt syrups at its High Street base. It will also stop
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Basildon Council set to offload housing
Cash-strapped Basildon Council looks set to save money by offloading homes which need major repair work. The authority hopes to make a dent in its estimated £1.3 million housing debt for the next financial year by transferring properties to a housing
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Tiptree: Banana beef leaves jam firm in a pickle
Essex's famous jam-makers could be hit by a US ban which started with the banana war and has moved on to beef. Tiptree-based Wilkin and Sons, which has traded with America since the turn of the century, stands to lose seven per cent of its annual turnover
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Arson suspected after fire at Basildon school
A fire which gutted an old art block at a Basildon school in the early hours of this morning could have been started deliberately. An Essex Police spokesman said the cause of the blaze, which tore through the building at about 1am today, was being treated
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Anti-smoking ID plan for Castle Point
An identity card scheme aimed at stamping out under-age smoking was today heading for Castle Point. The initiative, which was successfully piloted in Basildon, involves supplying every 16-year-old and over in full-time education in the borough with a
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Leigh: School friends weep for tragic road crash girl
Tributes and tears flowed at the funeral of a talented Leigh girl whose personality lit up a room. Hundreds of family members and friends packed Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Cliffsea Grove, Leigh, to pay their last respects to Dannielle Sutherland. Plumed
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£10 million bid for crumbling Basildon estate
A £10 million bid to revamp a run-down Basildon estate has been mounted by council chiefs. An all-weather sports pitch, community resource centre and a youth drama group could come to the Five Links estate if Basildon Council is given Government cash.
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Rivenhall derailment: Maintenance firm's £500,000 fine
A judge has fined a rail maintenance company half a million pounds for putting lives at risk following a train derailment in Essex. The judgement concerns the derailment of freight wagons at Rivenhall End, near Witham, in September 1997. Judge Brian Watling
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Soccer: Beacon Hill's sweet revenge
Table-topping Rovers travelled to OC's looking to extend their unbeaten run and to gain revenge for a shock cup defeat earlier in the season. Starting for the first time in four months was Steve Hennessey who resumed his long and successful midfield partners
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Cricket: Law left out of Aussie World Cup squad
Essex cricket was handed a massive boost with the omission of their overseas star Stuart Law from Australia's final World Cup squad. Law was one of four players left out of the Aussies' original 19 - the other three being Test openers Michael Slater and
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Soccer: Wright set for debut as Oysterman
Former Colchester United defender Steve Wright (39) could pull on a Brightlingsea shirt for the first time, on Saturday. Veteran Wright, who until recently managed Jewson League Harwich, is included in the Oystermen's squad for their home game with promotion
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Soccer: Cundy returns for Ipswich
Jason Cundy looks to take another important step on his comeback with a trip to Norwich reserves tonight. The Ipswich central-defender has been out of action since a skipping accident last July and is eager for a return to the first team. But he has been
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Soccer: Brentwood crushed by Concord
Saturday brought Brentwood a realisation that there is no easy remedy for lack of experience. All too often of late they are giving away soft goals due to lack of concentration and not doing the easy things at the right time. On a good day they would
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Rugby: First silverware for Mersea
Mersea Island RFC finally won their first piece of silverware in the club's 10-year history, winning the final of the Suffolk Plate. In a tense and exhilarating final, both teams competed passionately 'til the final whistle on Sunday, with the Islanders
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Soccer: Burns explains decision to quit Southend
Alex Burns has revealed the heartbreak behind his decision to quit Southend United and return home to Scotland. The 25-year-old striker signed a two-year contract with Blues during the summer after joining the Shrimpers on a free transfer from Dutch side
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Angling: Big cod falls to Marlin
Hadleigh angler Tony Lambert landed this superb cod while fishing aboard his own boat White Marlin. In fact good fishing is in prospect all round as catches improve throughout the area. Decent numbers of good cod are now being taken. 15 fish to 9lb were
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Colchester: Disabled Chloe may be moving
A family may be forced to move to London so their severely disabled daughter can get the treatment they claim she needs. Seven-year-old Chloe Hambrook was born with cerebral palsy and has suffered a string of problems all her short life, including brain
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Soccer: Billericay rally to share the spoils
A goal down inside 20 seconds, Town fought back not just once, but three times to share the points with fifth in the table St Albans at New Lodge on Saturday. It was, however, deep into time added one that the game's final goal came. It was well worth
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Soccer: Board under fire at Southend
Angry Southend United shareholders last night demanded the resignation of selected members of the struggling Third Division club's board at an extraordinary scene of events at their Boots and Laces club. The emergency meeting was called to discuss and
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Motorsport: Jon's elite signing
Rookie racing driver Jon Tee (above) has signed on the dotted line to compete in the elite Formula Palmer Audi (FPA) series at the championship headquarters at Thurleigh Airfield, Bedford. The 22-year-old from Brentwood, a graduate of the 1998 La Filire
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Showjumping: Essex riders in dominant form at Towerlands
Britain's first international showjumping event of the season took place at the Towerlands Equestrian Centre last weekend when it hosted the fifth running of the Braintree International Young Riders Show, open to riders aged 21 and under. Superb going
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Fencing: Matthew's golden display
Hutton Mount fencer Matthew O'Connell has been enjoying the fruits of his dedication to the sport. The 14-year-old took part in the Junior Home International event this month, helping the England Under 16 Sabre team to victory, and receiving a gold medal
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Basketball: Ursuline's clean sweep
The basketball players from Brentwood Ursuline School made a clean sweep of the Senior basketball cups in Mid-Essex. The Under 16 squad made it a hat-trick in 1999 by retaining the trophy that they had won in 1997 and 1998. The Under 15 squad ensured
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Badminton: Simon's terrific treble
Simon Hardcastle from Billericay emerged as the most successful player of the weekend when he won three National Badminton titles at the English Schools Badminton Association Championships. In the Boys Singles, Simon, 14, played well in the final to take
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£600 fine for speeding Chelmsford driver
A man who drove a white TVR sports car at speeds between 90 and 110mph has been fined £600 by magistrates. Alec Letchfield, 27, of Dane Road, Chelmsford, admitted speeding and careless driving on the A130 when he appeared before the town's magistrates
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Soccer: One goal enough for Braintree
One goal was enough to earn Braintree three valuable points and put an end to the run of six games without a victory which had all but quashed their promotion hopes. The chances of Iron finishing in the top three remains on the slim side although a few
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Dunmow: Death crash witness plea
Traffic police are appealing for a motorist to come forward who may have vital information about a horror crash which left three people dead, including a multi-millionaire businessman. The driver of a grey Land Rover Discovery, stopped for a short time
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Essex lorry protest goes ahead
Harwich MP Ivan Henderson today pleaded with hauliers not to disrupt Easter traffic in protest over increased fuel prices and vehicle excise duty. John Tye, of Little Oakley, and Gordon Stacey, of Clacton, are hoping to head a slow convoy of lorries from
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Maldon: Historic barge back for rebuild
An historic Thames barge is expected to return to Maldon later today for a total rebuild. The 102-year-old sailing barge Dawn is being brought back on the spring tide and is expected to arrive at Sadds Wharf, Fullbridge, at about 5pm. The vessel is currently
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Kelvedon couple talked of suicide
A couple in their nineties who died of drugs overdoses said they wanted to go while their life had meaning. John Dredge, 93 and his wife Maidie, 91, died at their home in Coggeshall Road, Kelvedon in 1997. At an inquest today at Chelmsford Coroner's Court
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Ongar: Lottery boost for hospice
Staff and supporters of a hospice which serves the Ongar and North Weald area this week celebrated a £112,500 windfall from the National Lottery. The grant will enable St Clare at Hastingwood, which is currently building an eight-bed in-patient unit,
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Jack-knifed juggernaut: Crash chaos at Brook St roundabout
A 36 tonne lorry caused chaos at Brook Street last week when it jackknifed onto the M25 roundabout. Police redirected traffic around the lorry whilst rescue workers prepared to lift the trailer off the ground with compressed air bags. Officer at the scene
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Brentwood: Joanne runs for her life
What a difference a year has made to Billericay resident Joanne Harris. In spring 1998 Jo, a student at the Walter Boyce centre for learning disabilities in Brentwood, was desperately waiting for a kidney donor, needing dialysis every few hours. Now the
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Billericay: Pensioners hit out at bus cuts
Beleaguered bus company Thamesway is to be grilled by Billericay and Wickford pensioners anxious about cuts in services The company dropped a number of what it considered to be under-used routes last month, a move which provoked outrage among many elderly
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A130 cash means end of 20-year struggle
The end is finally in sight for the 20-plus year struggle for a new A130 bypass to the south of Chelmsford. The Government announcement that it will provide £92million to help fund construction of the 15.5km dual two-lane road, makes it the first local
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A12 horror crash at Mountnessing
Emergency services were faced with an "horrendous accident scene" after a car went out of control, rolled down an embankment and burst into flames killing a woman passenger on a slip road near the A12 Mountnessing roundabout early on Wednesday morning
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It's totally tropical Southend!
The totally tropical outlook of Southend Beach is being used to sell fruit drink Lilt. The latest Lilt advert called Seaside, which was filmed in Southend last September, can now be seen on TV. It features popular Lilt Ladies Blanche Williams and Hazel
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Cash to solve Essex pothole problem
An extra £281,000 has been set aside to cure the pothole menace in Essex. The A127 has been singled out for particular attention as well as various footpaths across the county. County councillor Ray Howard, (Con, Canvey West), said: "Our footways need
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Halstead: US veteran who settled in UK dies at 79
A former sergeant in the American air force who came to Halstead during the Second World War has died aged 79. James Ashton came to England from Massachusetts in 1942 with the US Army Air Force. He was posted to Norfolk where he met his wife and they
