Archive
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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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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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Essex lorry protest goes ahead
Harwich MP Ivan Henderson has 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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£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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Clacton: Bagsnatcher escapes empty-handed
Police are appealing for witnesses after a youth tried to rob two old ladies in Clacton. An Essex Police spokesman said the pensioners, 73 and 77, were walking along the seafront at Holland-on-Sea at about 3.15pm yesterday when the youth tried to snatch
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Thundersley shopkeeper chases off robber
A shopkeeper chased off a would-be robber after being threatened with an aerosol can in his Thundersley shop. An Essex Police spokesman said the incident happened at 8.20pm yesterday at the GB supermarket in Hart Road, when the suspect, a youth in his
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Wickford: You're just so pushy, mum!
Wickford woman Christine Baker appeared on TV's Big Breakfast this morning to show off her skills as Essex's pushiest mum! The 37-year-old told the nation her all-singing, all-dancing daughter Amie-Rose just needed a few gentle shoves in the right direction
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Arson at Great Baddow nursery school
An arsonist who started a blaze at a Great Baddow nursery school in the early hours of Tuesday caused damage estimated at about £4,000. Two large wooden play houses, their contents and a maypole were wrecked at the 120-pupil Woodcroft Nursery School in
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Clacton: Sophie's in safe hands with dad
It was the save of the season for Kingsley Banks. The Heybridge Swifts goalkeeper showed what a safe pair of hands he has when he dived in at the right moment as wife Wendy started to give birth to baby Sophie in a hospital car park. Helped by a sweeper
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Clacton: Kosovo tears for Amelia
A soldier who was due to get married today is instead involved in the heart of the Kosovan crisis. Rob Kennedy, 27, from Clacton, is serving in Macedonia as part of the NATO force. Today (Friday), he was due to be marrying his fiancee Amelia Kent at Colchester
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Hockey: Clacton skipper wants perfect finish
Clacton captain Nigel Brown is aiming for the perfect finsh to his 25-year hockey career. On Saturday the Seasiders complete their Premier Holidays East League programme at home to Colchester with Brown playing his last game for the first team. And the
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Ladies Hockey: Chelmsford bid for cup glory
With promotion to the National League Premier Division already safely secured, Chelmsford Highway turn their attentions to the Cup this weekend, when they take on Bradford in what will be their third quarter-final tie in four years. Chelmsford go into
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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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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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Colchester: MP seeks help for local firms
The Government has promised to do more to promote British companies abroad after hearing of job losses at Colchester company Woods Air Movement. The fan makers announced last November that 60 jobs would have to be cut following a fall in the Far Eastern
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Boxford: Apples brought fame
Renowned apple grower and businesswoman Devora Peake has died after a long illness. Mrs Peake, who was almost 84, is best-known for starting Copella Fruit Juices at Hill Farm, Boxford, with her second husband Bill. The multi-million pound business has
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Chelmsford: Relief for Army and Navy Roundabout
Relief is in sight for the thousands of users of Chelmsford's Army and Navy roundabout, with news of a £360,000 package to cut congestion. Essex County Council's highways and transportation committee has approved schemes for full-time traffic lights at
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Rugby: Southend turn to youth to heal wounded pride
The south Essex curtain comes down on Saturday on a London League season in which only Southend will look back in anguish. Defeat for the relegated seasiders at home to fellow strugglers Cheshunt would mean 16 straight L1 defeats, but manager Gerry Lamb
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Soccer: Hodges in at the deep end
West Ham youngster Lee Hodges will be handed a baptism of fire in Southend United's bottom of the league dogfight with Hull City at Roots Hall. The 21-year-old winger and his Hammers team mate, defender Chris Coyne, beat Thursday's transfer deadline by
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Ice Hockey: Derby defeat to the Raiders
Chelmsford Chieftains' dismal recent run of form continued on Sunday as they crashed at home to local rivals Romford Raiders in front of a 900 plus crowd. For Raiders there was only pride at stake as they were already out of the play-offs, while for Chieftains
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Ice Hockey: Chieftains's pulsating draw
Thursday's match was pulsating from the start with chances and goal action at both ends. Chieftains started the brighter and Langford in the Invicta net was the busier of the goalkeepers in the first ten minutes, and with both goalkeepers in fine form
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Ice Hockey: 7-Up sponsorship renewed
Chelmsford Chieftains have attained renewed sponsorship from the international soft drink company, PepsiCo, to support the team's bid for their 1999-2000 English Premier League title. The commitment for a second year from PepsiCo brand, 7-Up, gives security
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Cycling: Essex Grand Prix was a thriller
The 45th running of the classic Grand Prix of Essex cycle race, over 102 gruelling miles at Halstead on Sunday proved to be an absolute thriller. The race produced an outstanding winner in Chris Walker, the British Criterium Champion who now rides for
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Cycling: Bill was the best veteran
Wet and windy weather played havoc with cyclists seeking fast times at the weekend, although the Polytechnic '25' at Oxford was won by Richard Prebble (Team Clean) in the fast time of 52 minutes 40 seconds. Only 15 of 100 entrants finished and Chelmer's
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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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Westcliff: Bob's timely reminder
Antique clock seller Bob Alps always has a mammoth task trying to keep his 50 timepieces accurate. Bob, proprietor of It's About Time, in London Road, Westcliff, will face a chronological ordeal on Sunday when the clocks go forward an hour. He said: "
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Basildon: Yardley up for auction
The entire contents of Basildon's Yardley factory is to be put up for auction. The factory will be closed a year after the company went into recievership, following a period of declining sales. The major auction on April 21 and 22 will include some 2,000
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Tendring; Community transport scheme setback
A community transport scheme will be forced to scale down a vital expansion in its services due to increased fuel charges. Tendring Community Transport faces finding an extra £1,000 a year because of the rise in prices announced by the Government in the
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'Hang paedophiles' says accused Southend man
A man who denies indecently assaulting two young girls told a jury how he believed in the death penalty for paedophiles. Ken Hedley, 61, said: "I have always wanted to be the one to pull the lever and hang them down!" The grandfather added: "I have never
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Woodham: Meningitis case fears
Pupils from South Woodham's William de Ferrers School were being reassured this week after it was revealed a teenager is suspected of suffering from meningococcal meningitis. A Chelmsford baby also currently has the killer brain disease. The North Essex
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Southend: Voucher savers go by the book
The shelves of a Southend primary school are groaning under the weight of a load of free books. Thanks to ardent collecting by parents, friends, and relatives, Temple Sutton School has 129 new volumes. More are on their way as headteacher Frank Gulley
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Praise for Westcliff college
A Westcliff training college has just won a special accolade praising it for its work with disabled staff. Prospects Business Technology Training college gained the special disability symbol award for its commitment to employing disabled workers. The
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Basildon: Tenants to have a voice
Tenants look set to have more say in council decisions that affect their lives. The 13,000 residents across the district will be able to get involved through residents' associations, estate forums and tenant management organisations. They will also have
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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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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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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: 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: 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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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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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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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 yesterday (Thursday) at Chelmsford
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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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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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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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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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Fancy milking a cow on stage?
If Paul McKenna tells you he's missing England, don't believe a word. For the world's most successful hypnotist has fallen under the spell of Manhattan as effortlessly as he sends people into trances. Liz Hurley, Hugh Grant and Alice Cooper are just some
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Basildon: Memorial garden is finished
Grieving pals of tragic Jamie Sincock can now spend time with their cherished memories in a special memorial garden. The cheery eight-year-old youngster left many hearts broken when he died after a long battle against an immunity disorder last April.
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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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Arsonists sought after Basildon school inferno
An investigation is 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 arsonists. The main school was open to pupils
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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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100 Southend workers hit by mystery bug
Health chiefs are probing the cause of an outbreak of a mystery stomach bug which has led to more than 100 staff at a Southend company being taken ill. The workers at the Royal Bank of Scotland's credit card centre reported similar symptoms of sickness
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Hadleigh: Schizophrenic strangled pensioner
A paranoid schizophrenic who throttled a 78-year-old woman until she was on the brink of death has been locked up indefinitely. At Chelmsford Crown Court, Liamanda Webb, 32, of Homestead Gardens, Hadleigh, admitted trying to strangle pensioner Yvonne
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Chelmsford: Lifeline bid for Holly, 8
The parents of eight-year-old Chelmsford girl Holly Crisp have launched an urgent appeal to raise £100,000 to save her life. Ray Crisp and Kathy Lakin, who call her their little lionheart girl, are desperate to raise the funds to pay for specialist surgery
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Soccer: Brighton snap up Trigg
Wivenhoe keeper Darryl Trigg has been snapped up by Division Three club Brighton. And if he manages to impress, the Dragons could be in line for a four-figure fee. Trigg, who has been training with the south coast outfit over the last month, was signed
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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: Chivers to spur on Hullbridge lights bid
Hullbridge Sports stage one of the biggest events in the club's history on Sunday afternoon when Martin Chivers brings his star-studded ex-Spurs XI to Lower Road. The proceeds from the game will be used towards purchasing new floodlights for the Schweppes
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Soccer: Colchester striker set for Iron
Braintree were today hoping to sign Colchster United striker Tony Adcock on loan until the end of the season. But the Iron were facing hot competition from Heybridge Swifts who were contemplating a late offer. Known as the Rooster by Colchester United
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Rugby: Brightlingsea's title almost assured
Unbeaten Brightlingsea go in to their last match of the season knowing that only a 100-plus points defeat at the hands of second placed Norwich Union will cost them the East Counties Four title. Brightlingsea have won all seven league games, and are at
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Gymnasts set to lose Clacton home
A group of gymnasts are set to be made homeless unless they can find a new base. Stourdale Gymnastics Club, who train at Highfield Holiday Park, Clacton, have been told they will have to leave the site because the building they currently use is needed
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Speedway: New season underway
The 1999 fixture list has now been published and sees Arena Essex scheduled to begin their season on Friday, April 2 with the Essex Championships before moving into the first of their National Premier Trophy matches against Isle of Wight on Friday, April
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Soccer: Shot shy Chelmsford draw
If ever a game of football cried out for a goal it was this drab and disappointing affair at New Lodge on a wet and cold Monday night braved by 321 spectators who deserved much better fayre. Even playing against 10 men for almost the entire second half
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Soccer: Late Bramble goal earns point
Without question, City are the best football playing side in their division and had they stuck to this remit for the majority of what was a often bruising encounter at Longmead Stadium on Saturday, then they would have returned home with all three points
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Ice Hockey: Weakened side are well beaten
A Chieftains side decimated through injury and illness (Karl Goebel, Jon Main and Richard Whiting all missing) and without Glen Moorhouse after the first period, played the entire game with only two recognised defenders and it was no surprise that they
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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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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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Dunmow: Fatal accident victims named
The passengers who died in the tragic car accident on the A120 on Sunday have been formally identifed by police. Raymond Lamb known by his middle name Michael, 32, of the Quadrangle Chelsea Harbour, London, and Fiona Newman, 37, of Edge Hill, Wimbledon
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Clacton: Brave Tony retires after 28 years as teacher
A teacher who worked for 28 years despite suffering from the effects of polio is retiring. Tony Little is retiring today on medical advice after nearly three decades at Colbayns High School in Clacton. Headteacher Nick Pavitt said: "Tony has made an outstanding
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Clacton couple off to teach abroad
A former Clacton couple have been officially commissioned to work with the Church of Bangladesh. Andrew Symonds, a former pupil of Clacton County High School, is leaving for Bangladesh with wife Rosemary and will be working as a tutor at St Andrew's Theological
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Witham's millennium plans unveiled
Plans for a year-long people's millennium celebration in Witham - from creating a new town square to specially commissioned mugs for every child in the town - were unveiled this week. To ensure its success, the town council is injecting £30,000 into a
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Maldon's £500,000 Yacht Club HQ plan
Maldon Yacht Club could have a £500,000 purpose-built headquarters on the River Blackwater by 2001. The 63-acre site is sited on the Heybridge side of the river. It would include flooded gravel pits to be used as a centre for disabled sailing, a clubhouse
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Soccer: Striker crisis for Colchester?
Mick Wadsworth faces a striker crisis as the U's travel to play Bornemouth on Saturday. With Jason Dozzell suspended for one match, and the loan of Mark Sale to Plymouth for the remainder of the season, Wadsworth's plans have been hit by the failure to
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Speedway: Ipswich sting the Bees
Ipswich Witches raced to another comfortable victory when they defeated Coventry Bees 52-38 in the Craven Shield - a meeting marred by a series of crashes. By far the most frightening was in heat 14 when Coventry's Danish star Brian Andersen and the Witches
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Ice Hockey: Goebel quits
Chelmsford Chieftains Ice Hockey Club's Karl Goebel is to retire at the end of this season. Goebel has been with the club since August 1991, having played his first game against Basingstoke Bison. He has played in 404 games for Chieftains, his only club
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Athletics: Andrew and Laura are popular winners
Andrew Mason and Laura Graham, of the Springfield Striders Club, became club half marathon champions at the Brentwood Half on Sunday. Brentwood is always popular, as it falls a month before the London Marathon and provides a guide to how everyone's training
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Soccer: Hull have purpose at Roots Hall
Hull City will be aiming to continue their steady climb to Third Division safety at Roots Hall tonight. Southend United entertain Hull for the first time in 15-years and will hope to bring an end to the Humberside club's recent revival, which has seen
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Sylvia brings a smile to Colchester Garrison
Screen legend Sylvia Syms brought a smile to the faces of seven soldiers when she dropped into Colchester Garrison for a visit. The actress, whose starred alongside John Mills in the 1950s war film Ice Cold in Alex, was in town to promote a black tie
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Margaretting: More A12 work
Overnight closures on both carriageways of a five-mile stretch of the A12 have been announced by the Highways Agency for this weekend. Work only finished last night on bridge work at Witham which had been causing long delays. The southbound carriageway
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Jaywick: Ex-boyfriend attacks home
A frightened woman locked herself into her bathroom after her ex-boyfriend started attacking her house, a court heard. The woman, of Beach Way, Jaywick, had broken up with Mark Ward three months earlier. They had been together two years. After police
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Leigh: String trio are a musical delight
Budding string virtuosos played their hearts out when they took to the stage at Leigh Musical Festival. Youngsters Joseph Simpkins, 11, Lauren Whitehead, nine, and Luke Avery, ten, were just three of the young performers to show off their string instruments
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Green light for 'ugly' Wickford flats
A "badly flawed" plan to build more than 50 homes in Wickford has been given the go-ahead. Opposing Tory and Liberal Democrat councillors - who described the proposals as a blot on the landscape - were told there were no planning grounds to refuse the
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Chippy's suicide after Westcliff restaurant venture
A carpenter committed suicide as he feared his lifelong ambition of opening a restaurant had been shattered. Alan Bedding, 54, of Clifton Drive, Westcliff, took his own life after realising he had run out of money to turn the dream into a reality, an
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Southend spruce-up
A blitz on litter, graffiti and fly-tipping is being launched as part of a major council drive to spruce up Southend. Dozens of trail-blazing initiatives have been drawn up for the borough's Spring Clean week which gets under way next Thursday. Schools
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Basildon's homeless helped out
Desperate people in need of a home are to receive help getting a deposit together to rent private accommodation. Basildon Council housing committee decided last night to fund a Deposit Guarantee Scheme being set up by the Community Resource Centre in
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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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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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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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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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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
