Archive
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Blues boot out security firm for 'supporters' safety'
Southend United have booted out their security firm after "disgusting" scenes in which guards clashed with fans. Club chairman John Main today said he was not "prepared to risk the safety and security of supporters" - and vowed that police would patrol
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Southend skipper expects hot reception
Southend United skipper Simon Coleman is expecting a hot reception when Blues visit his former club Mansfield Town for a crunch Third Division clash at Field Mill tomorrow. The defender returns to his old stomping ground with Southend attempting to ease
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Table tennis: Hayes' triple tonic for title race
A Mike Hayes hat-trick inspired Canvey A to a vital victory in the Premier Division of the Southend and District Table Tennis League. The stunning treble, supported by a brace from Ray Murray, helped the second-placed Islanders see off the challenge of
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Silver End to get hi-tech library
A state-of-the-art library could be up and running in Silver End by the end of the year. The village library is currently one of the county's smallest and is run from a room in the village hall rented from Braintree Council. But the library is about to
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Stansted: Pony neglect woman jailed
A Stansted woman was given a two month prison sentence and banned from keeping horses after Chelmsford magistrates heard that three of her starving ponies had to be humanely destroyed. The court heard last Thursday that police officers and representatives
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Braintree: Cats in airgun horror
Trigger-happy thugs have been blamed for a spate of cat killings in Braintree. Three missing cats have been found dead and another had to be put to sleep after a gang used them for airgun target practice. The cats - all from the Mountbatten Road area
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Power cable blaze drama in Benfleet
Firefighters were nearly killed when a gas cylinder exploded as they tackled a blaze in a workmen's trench. Power was lost to 6,000 homes and businesses as fire crews - faced with a dramatic catalogue of events - fought the blaze in Benfleet. The series
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Canvey fisherman finds wartime message
A fisherman today told how he uncovered a tragic First World War love story when he caught an old bottle in his nets. Steve Gowan, 43, from Canvey, found the 85-year-old sealed green bottle as he fished for cod in the Thames Estuary. When he rubbed off
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Braintree: Nightclubs back bouncer scheme
Braintree nightclubs have welcomed a new scheme which aims to crack down on violent and poorly-trained bouncers. Under the scheme all door staff working at pubs and clubs in the district will have to undergo rigorous training in drugs awareness, conflict
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Hunt for Wickford serial van snatchers
Detectives are concerned there is a serial thief on the loose in Wickford, targeting Transit vans. They are investigating a possible link between three thefts of the vans from outside nearby homes in the town. The owner of a white Ford Transit in Russell
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Customs and Excise set to axe 20 Southend jobs
Around 20 jobs are to be axed at Southend's Customs and Excise branch as part of a national shake-up for the organisation. Bosses today reassured workers in Victoria Avenue the posts will be lost through natural wastage with no compulsory redundancies
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Southend soccer fans slam security guards
A security firm has been branded heavy-handed by football fans after trouble flared between its guards and supporters at Southend United's Roots Hall stadium. Several callers phoned This Is Essex partner paper the Echo in disgust after an incident at
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Canoeing: Mick and Mike's creditable finish
The Easter weekend saw the Chelmsford Canoe Club competing at two marathon events and one sprint regatta. These were the annual Devizes to Westminster 125 mile non-stop canoe race, the Elmbridge Junior Half Marathon and the Richmond Sprint Regatta. For
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Ice Hockey: Three out of three for Chelmsford
Chelmsford Chieftains made it three play-off wins out of three with back to back wins over Swindon Chill at the weekend. The results mean that if Solihull drop just one point next weekend in their games against Swindon and Chieftains, then the Essex based
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U's hope for repeat performance
Colchester United will be looking to pick up where they left off against Preston, when they entertain high-flying Walsall on Saturday (kick-off 3pm). The U's recorded an excellent 1-0 home win against then second-placed Preston, and face a similar task
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Running: Ray completes his 20th marathon
Raymond Challis, one of The Grange Farm Trotters' most experienced runners, travelled across the Channel last weekend to take part in his first race outside the UK. Ray, along with 18,000 other runners, took part in the Paris Marathon which takes place
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Essex brothers top rich list with £113 million
Two brothers who arrived in this country with just £5 in their pockets were today named among the richest Asians in Britain. Vijay and Patel of Benfleet - who with his brother Bhikhu is worth £113 million - run an Essex-based business that has been ranked
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Heartfelt gift to Southend hospital
Heart patients showed their thanks for their care at Southend Hospital by buying a £2,000 Dynamap cardiac monitor. The presentation was made by the group's chairman, Dave Towell (right) to ward manager, Sister Sue Middleton and cardiologist, Dr Paul Kelly
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Braintree: Bikers sure of rally bid
Plans for a motorcycle rally, which were cancelled by police last year over fears of violence, have moved a step closer. Members of the Braintree Town Centre Strategy Group have arranged to meet with police on Friday to look into staging a motorcycle
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Maldon hospice must find extra £35,000 a year
St Clare's Hospice at Maldon will need to find an extra £35,000 a year on top of its £75,000 annual budget to finance a new care strategy which came into place last week. The hospice is reimbursing Chelmsford's Farleigh Hospice for any residential care
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Rivenhall: Cash payout over Railtrack workers
Residents who were said to be subjected to anti-social behaviour from railway workmen have been awarded £2,000 compensation. It was announced at a Rivenhall Parish Council meeting that Railtrack were awarding the pay-out. Complaints against the workmen
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Maldon firm thanks employees with Paris trip
Kind bosses at an Essex firm have decided to treat their employees to a birthday bash - April in Paris! The surprise gift was made by heads at Lynfield Finishers based at the Heybridge House industrial estate, Maldon, to celebrate the firm's 25th birthday
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Soccer: Haystack give Raiders the needle
Canvey's Haystack Football Club took a giant step towards claiming the South East Essex Sunday League Division One title after a great 2-0 win at Runwell Raiders. The defeat almost certainly ends Runwell's own hopes of being champions, but Haystack are
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Tennis: Free entry at Wickford
Tennis courts at Wickford Tennis Club are among 5,000 throughout Britain to be opened to the public, free of charge, on Saturday, May 1, as part of Play Tennis 99, Britain's largest annual promotion of tennis. Play Tennis 99 is organised by the Lawn Tennis
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Ice Hockey: Double delight for Derek, ten
Ice hockey starlet Derek Whitbread has been given a double glimpse of the sporting future he dreams of. First, the crack London Knights team - the side he wants to play for - invited him to meet his favourite players. Then he tasted international glory
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Judo: Joshua's golden display
Joshua Goodacre, 15, fulfilled a lifetime ambition when he won the gold medal for the Boys Under 16's event in the National Judo Championships which were held in Birmingham on Sunday. Joshua, from Little Baddow, joined Bicknacre Judo Club when he was
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Lenny is growing older and wiser
GABRIEL ROBERTS talks to a snuffling Lenny Henry CBE, on tour with his stand-up comedy act which calls in at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on May 26 You would expect comedian Lenny Henry to be cracking jokes and smiling - but instead the poor man is suffering
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£172,000 to spend a penny in Rayleigh and Rochford!
State-of-the-art public loos are heading for Rayleigh and Rochford - and they will make spending a penny far more convenient. Rochford District Council is planning to splash out £172,130 on the ultra-modern toilets in Rochford's Back Lane and Crown Hill
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Fatal crash in Dunmow
A woman died and three people were injured in a three-car collision in Dunmow. An Essex Police spokesman said the accident happened at 8.40am yesterday (Thursday) on Chelmsford Road, near the Flitch industrial estate. A BMW was involved in a collision
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Angry truckers pledge more protest convoys
Angry lorry drivers whose slow moving convoy caused jams over two miles long on sections of the A12, M25, M11 and A120 in Essex on Easter Saturday are promising more 30mph protests over road tax and diesel duty. Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable
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Althorne: Pensioner rescued in house fire
Two workmen who saved the life of an 83-year-old man in a house fire at Althorne have been praised by fire crews. The blaze broke out in the kitchen of his Summerhill home last week, and the men rushed to the rescue after hearing a smoke alarm. "I can't
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Arson at Chelmsford mansion
Construction experts were this week combing the fire-ravaged ruin of Springfield Lyons House mansion. It was due to be the showpiece centre of Essex County Council's multi-million pound Chelmsford Business Park. Arsonists, believed to be children, set
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Wickford residents' fury as trees are uprooted
Fuming residents were today fighting to save their picturesque street after the council began pulling up willow trees. Workers told locals they had no choice but to rip up the mature trees in West Beech Avenue, Wickford. Residents said they were told
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Prodigy pay tribute to fan
Top band Prodigy are to pay their respects to a fan who died after being attacked in a pub brawl. Karl Morris, 23, suffered a fractured skull in a fight outside the Queen's Arms in Great Cornard, Sudbury, on Good Friday and died the next day. A track
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New homes for Colchester
New Town in Colchester is being geared up for its biggest single new housing development since the First World War. The parcel of land earmarked for the estate is the former Carter Saunders scrapyard off Magdalen Street. It is on the market "for offers
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No-one charged with teenager shooting
No-one will be charged in connection with a shooting that left a teenager with brain damage. Richard Bryant, 13, was shot in the head on January 4. He had been playing war games with his friends at the back of Park Square West, Jaywick. A 14-year-old
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Yachting: Crouch clubs success down to good organisation
Jo Barker, the first lady commodore of any club on the river Crouch, has signed off at the end of her two-year reign with the Crouch Yacht Club in the knowledge that the club is in probably its most healthy state for years. She hands over to the new commodore
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Women's soccer: Table topping Chelmsford put 12 past Norwich
Chelmsford City made the long journey to Norfolk for a mid-morning kick off on Sunday and recorded a resounding victory on a bumpy pitch to stay top of the league. A superb display of passing football by City saw them dominate from the opening whistle
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Boxing: Evatts glory bid
A fantastic night is in store for fight fans on Saturday. One of the sport's biggest crowd-pullers, Prince Naseem Hamed, will be in action, defending his WBO featherweight world title against the popular Yorkshireman Paul Ingle at the Manchester Evening
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Basketball: Leopards aiming to sink the Sharks
The Greater London Leopards host the Sheffield Sharks at the Brentwood Centre this Sunday in the first of a three game series to secure a semi-final place at Wembley on May 1. The Adidas Greater London Leopards won the capital Championship and beat the
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Soccer: Chelmsford's 'worst ever show'
''It's the worst City performance ever in my two years in charge'' was how the City manager Gary Bellamy summed up this ignominious Easter Monday afternoon defeat in London Docklands. City have never won at Fisher and the way they played for what was
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King urges fans to spur on Gulls in vital match
Canvey soccer boss Jeff King today issued a clarion call for fans to get out and support his side in huge numbers for what he describes as "the most important match in the club's history". Gulls host fellow promotion-chasers Wealdstone in the Ryman League
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Soccer: Pride at stake in East Anglian derby
The form book will be thrown out of the window for the East Anglian derby on Sunday. Forget the fact Ipswich have managed 31 points from their last 36. Ignore their record-breaking 23 clean sheets in the league and don't bother mentioning they have netted
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Table Tennis: Lorestas loses a thriller
Chelmsford champion Lorestas Trumpauskas had to be content with the runners-up spot in the mens singles at the Essex Closed tournament at the BATTS club in Harlow over the Easter weekend. He lost a thrilling three game final 22-20 in the third to Dagenham's
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Soccer: Chelmsford aim to bounce back
Chelmsford City manager Gary Bellamy is confident his side will bounce back with extra determination to beat lowly Andover in their Dr Martens League Southern Division match at New Lodge on Saturday. After what Bellamy described as "a dreadful all round
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Rallying: Podium double for Daihatsu duo
The Boardworth-run rally team duo both scored a podium finish on the second round of the Daihatsu Rally Challenge, the Presto Print Stages Rally at Avon Park near Bournemouth recently. The Dupont backed Daihatsu Avanzato of Scott Vogl, from Rayleigh and
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Racing: Large Easter crowds for Essex meetings
Bumper holiday crowds turned out for the two Easter weekend point-to-point meetings at which the Essex fixture hosted a most competitive days' racing at the aptly named High Easter. Epping's Robin Gill took the hunt members race for the second year running
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Ice Hockey: Chieftains too hot for the Chill
Sunday's's match was one which Swindon Chill had to win to keep their slim hopes of making the final alive, while for Chieftains, a win was necessary to keep their fine recent run going. Chieftains tested Ken Wotherspoon in the Swindon net several times
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Cycling: Times are improving by the week
There were some fast times in the St Ives '10' on Saturday, which resulted in a win for Stourbridge's Barry Chailey, in 19 minutes 39 seconds. His clubmate Roger Iddles, was third in 19.44, with Leo's Neil Rothwell runner-up in 19.48. Chelmer Cycling
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Cricket: Essex face champions in opening fixture
Essex commence the 1999 County Championship season next Tuesday, and their opening match could hardly be more difficult, as they meet last year's champions Leicestershire at Chelmsford in a four day game. Essex will be captained for the first time by
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Owner's anger after farmer shoots dog
A distraught pet owner has criticised a farmer who shot her dog dead for killing two chickens. Martina Linch, of Easthorpe Road, Easthorpe, has questioned his action. Her husky was found dead on land in a different village just before Easter. A police
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Children in peril on Colchester building site
Children as young as five are getting on to a dangerous building site after vandals pulled down the security fence. They have been playing with lumps of metal and timber on land earmarked for a health clinic on the Greenstead estate, Colchester. A length
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Armed raiders hit Basildon newsagents
Detectives were today hunting armed robbers who raided two Basildon newsagents within minutes of each other. The pair, who carried large knives, held their weapons to the throat of one of the terrified shopowners. They were first spotted walking into
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Experts explode wartime bomb
Bomb experts today detonated a wartime mine which sparked a major alert after being discovered off Southend Pier. In a controlled explosion just off the Essex coastline, the exploding bomb produced a spectacular water spout of some 25-30 metres. Around
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Victorian feel for Canvey seafront
Memories of the Victorian era returned to Canvey's seafront as community leaders lit up the promenade at a special ceremony. Mayor of Castle Point, Valerie Wells, flicked the switch to illuminate Victorian-style lights in front of a number of invited
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Police horses out to pasture
The loss of the Essex Police horses as part of swingeing budget cuts means the end of an era in policing. For horses Clouseau and Chichester it has also meant a total change of lifestyle. The pair are enjoying their official retirement. Acting Sgt Ian
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Vandals plague Billericay park
Police were today investigating a spate of vandalism plaguing Billericay's Lake Meadows after youths struck once more. The park's bowling green, putting greens and cricket wicket were damaged during the late-night attack Four windows in an outbuilding
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Cycling: Anderson's fine start to new season
The Shaftesbury Cycling Club racing season has started, although because of the dark mornings, there are still many riders who prefer to leave the start of their racing activities a little longer when the mornings should be a little warmer. However, the
