Archive
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Mid Essex: £100,000 bid to stem cat problem
Animal-lovers are hoping to stem the region's spiralling stray cat problem with a £100,000-plus extension to Wethersfield's RSPCA centre. They want to build a new cattery capable of holding more than 70 unwanted cats - three times more than they can cope
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Holland-on-Sea: Residents jubilant as crossing crisis ends
Residents in Holland-on-Sea are on the verge of winning their battle for a pedestrian crossing to be installed on a busy road in the village. People are concerned about the danger of getting across Frinton Road to get to the chemist and shops. They face
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Day in Parliament for Mersea pupils
Two pupils from Mersea Island School have been quizzing top politicians at a special sitting of the Children's Parliament at Westminster. Adam Leydon and Charlotte Powell, both 11, were among 60 schoolchildren from across Britain who got the chance to
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Colchester: TV stars' night on the town
EastEnders bad boys the Di Marco brothers were in town -but they weren't out to cause trouble. The pair - actors Marc Bannerman and Michael Greco - helped re-launch the new look Hippodrome Experience nightclub in Colchester High Street on Tuesday night
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Chelmsford: Blaze is second blow for Scouts
Dejected Venture Scouts in Chelmsford are cursing their luck after the hut they met in once a week was burned to the ground. The fire comes just a month after £750 worth of equipment was stolen by raiders at the Baddow Road site and the group are now
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Castle Point: Care home maybe blocked
Castle Point Council is looking at whether it could win an appeal if it refuses to grant planning consent for a controversial care home. Angry residents have protested that safety should be paramount when councillors consider plans for a 12-bedroom nursing
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Boxing: Shock defeat for Callaghan
Barking featherweight Marc P. Callaghan's unbeaten record has been ruined - courtesy of a controversial first round incident against against Simon Chambers at the Hilton Hotel, London on Tuesday evening. The contest was less than a minute into the first
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Cricket: King of the Castle
Rayne lost out to Hedingham in a high scoring match on Sunday, with six players scoring over 40. For Rayne, Dave Dawson (63) and Mick Richardson (93) shared 167 for the first wicket, and Ian Clark chipped in with an unbeaten 45 as Rayne set a challenging
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Braintree nursery has five pairs plus a set of triplets
Nursery school teachers face double trouble after a bizarre baby boom pushed the number of identical twins and triplets through the classroom roof. Now Christchurch Nursery in Braintree could lay claim to a record for the number of twins and triplets
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Basildon: Homeless man held as slave
Slavery is alive and kicking in Essex according to a homeless man who was picked up off the streets and forced to work for a family of travellers. John Williams, 28, described how on October 31 last year he was taken from London to Basildon and forced
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Duck menace to Witham drivers
Stray ducks have put councillors in a flap by putting pedestrians' lives at stake on a busy Witham street. Bird lovers have become used to the sight of their feathered friends roaming close to the pond off Forest Road. But there are fears an accident
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Basildon: Parents meet daughter's dying wishes
A dying teenager's three wishes have finally been realised - three years after her death. Brave Donna Curtis begged her parents to make three heartfelt dreams come true as she lay terminally ill. The 19-year-old, who was born in Wells Gardens, Basildon
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Soccer: Ipswich pair wait on Keegan's call
Kieron Dyer and Richard Wright are set to put their promotion disappointment behind them with an England call-up. The Ipswich duo could be included in Kevin Keegan's squad for the two Euro 2000 qualifying matches against Sweden and Bulgaria, which is
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Cricket: Seymour spins Seasiders to first Premier win
Multi-talented Adam Seymour left Bury St Edmunds in a right old spin as Clacton's cricketers clocked up their first win in the new East Anglian Premier League. And there was more success for skipper Paul Harris as he blasted second-placed Halstead to
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Cricket: Shelton smashes league record
Halstead batsman David Shelton sent the Jaygate Two Counties Championship statisticians scurrying for their record books as he blasted the highest individual score ever in a Division C encounter. Not content with scoring a double century - 201, including
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Soccer: Colchester keeper turns down new deal
Carl Emberson has turned down a new deal to stay at Colchester United. And as a result Charlton Athletic keeper Andy Petterson could be on his way back to Layer Road. The door for Petterson's return was thrown wide open today when Wembley promotion play-off
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Billericay: Shake off Year 2000 apathy call
The people of Billericay have been urged to shake off their Millennium fatigue and to help inject some new life into the town's preparations. According to Billericay Town Council, which is organising the celebrations, the dawning of the year 2000 has
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Billericay: Shock at company ban
A Billericay boss today spoke of his shock after being banned from running a company for seven years. Ron Theobald, joint director of MEH(1996) Ltd, said he felt the sentence was too harsh following his disqualification by the High Court. He said: "I
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Cricket: Law leads Billericay to a fine victory
At tea, the complexion of Saturday's game was rather different to that after the interval, as at the break, Wickford had made significant and rapid progress towards their mammoth target. Billericay skipper Ian Pont sat his players down and demanded an
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Soccer: Launders comes clean about Colchester move
Derby County midfielder Brian Launders was set to become Colchester United manager Mick Wadsworth's latest new signing today. Launders was due to travel from his native Ireland to sign a two-year deal for the U's at Layer Road. An attacking midfielder
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Cricket: Essex's mixed fortunes
The opening day of Essex's match at King's School, Gloucester, provided fluctuating fortunes for Essex who gave first County Championship appearances to 22-year-old pace bowler Ricky Anderson and former Northants player Tim Walton, 26. Ronnie Irani won
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Cricket: Brentwood slip up to Chelmsford
Brentwood succumbed to another league defeat, at home to Chelmsford, on Saturday. Their visitors must have thought that Christmas had arrived early this year, as Brentwood somehow managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Batting first, Brentwood
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Angling: Martin enjoys grand end to the day
From a grim start, Clacton angler Martin Englefield literally had a grand finish to a memorable day. After a dramatic journey, 34-year-old Martin ended up with the £1,000 top prize in the Isle of Sheppey Open championship. Martin, of Farmers Way, made
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Cycling: Beale at his best
Graham Beale stamped his authority on the Evening 10 mile series being run by the Essex Roads Cycling Club by winning the latest event and also recording a personal time of 23 minutes, 38 seconds. Gary Glenister was second with 25m 3s with Brian Atkinson
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Cricket: Bore draw was the outcome
Harold Park were away to Cassowaries at Fairlop Oak on Saturday and in contrast to the mainly bright, breezy weather, the match petered out into the most boring of draws. Batting first, Park were given a bright start by David Leadbeater and Kevin Savage
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Athletics: Sarahs incredible gold medal double
GOLDEN GIRL: Sixteen-year-old Sarah Deacon is all smiles after winning two gold medals in the Essex County Track and Field Championship. Sarah, of Barberry Close, Harold Hill, attends Redden Court School and trains with Havering Mayesbrook Athletics Club
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Trinity go French to seal final glory
Rayleigh Boys were given a French lesson in the South-East Essex Mini Soccer League finals at Great Wakering. In the under-9 Tigers final, two goals from French helped Trinity beat Rayleigh Boys 4-1 and win the John Sales Cup. Rossi and Jones grabbed
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Tennis: Wells sunk by the super six
Hockley defeated Woodford Wells 11 sets to three in the Essex Ladies' League Division Three. Pat Townsley, Gill Ayres, Kirsten Mills, Val Birrell, Victoria Mills and Kate Bennet made up the winning team. Westcliff Hard Courts beat Gidea Park 13-5 in Division
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Cricket: Victory puts Colchester top
Colchester and East Essex maintained their 100 per cent record and excellent start to their Shepherd Neame Essex League campaign with a comfortable six-wicket win over Orsett. Having won the toss for the second week in succession, skipper Andrew Kennedy
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Witham: Talks sought on lorry chaos
Councillors are seeking urgent talks with highways chiefs to try to thrash out a solution to lorry chaos on Witham's roads. Anger is growing over the damage caused by the increasing number of HGVs thundering through the town. The most notorious traffic
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Wedding joy for Burnham couple who first met half a century ago
A couple are finally to have their dream wedding - 50 years after they first met. In a story out of the pages of a Mills and Boon romance Frances Cook, 67, of Stoney Hills, Burnham, and Doug Pitt, 78, of St Giles Crescent, Maldon, are to marry at St Mary's
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Wickford man, 44, died after stair fall
An alcoholic Wickford man died after suffering an epileptic fit as he climbed the stairs at his home, an inquest has heard. John Patrick Russell, 44, of The Dell, was discovered by his wife at the foot of the stairs and subsequently died at Basildon hospital
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Harold Wood: Alert as thieves prey on sheds
Police are advising residents to 'be aware' and take simple crime prevention measures after a series of shed break-ins in Harold Hill and Harold Wood. In most cases, lawn mowers or bicycles were stolen. Police warned that the thefts may continue into
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Greensted: Church thieves steal flower arrangers work
A mystery of missing flowers is puzzling parishioners who worship at the oldest wooden church in the world. The blooms vanished from 11th Century St Andrew's Church at Greensted near Ongar, at the weekend. The disappearance left officials scratching their
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Clacton: Expelled pupil can't find another school
A seven-year-old boy cannot find a place in school after being expelled for hitting a teacher. Steven Gill, of Windmill Park, Clacton, was expelled from Coppins Green Primary School in November last year Mother Debbie is appalled she cannot find a school
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Braintree pre-school set for place in record books
It's a record - and it's almost official. Braintree's twins and triplets explosion is about to shoot a nursery school into the record books. Yesterday This Is Essex revealed Christchurch Nursery had five sets of twins - as well as a trio of triplets.
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McDonalds to bulldoze North Weald pub?
The controversial bid by American giant McDonald's to demolish a North Weald pub and build a burger bar has now been backed by council planners. The application for the site of the derelict Bull and Horseshoes in London Road, Latton, was recommended for
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Brentwood: Father dies after mystery M4 crash
Accident investigators were last night trying to solve a mystery crash which killed a Brentwood financier. Andrew Russen, of Heron Way, Hutton Mount, lay dead near the wreckage for five hours before his body was discovered. The accident happened early
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Basildon: Angry parents protest at school bar
Battling parents have vowed to go to prison if their children are barred from a much-praised Langdon Hills school. Furious mums, keen to get their youngsters into Great Berry school said they would rather keep their youngsters at home, than send them
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Mid Essex: Leah's parents back drugs plans
Anti-drugs campaigners John and Jan Betts have welcomed the Government's latest proposals to cut re-offenders by half in ten years, providing they do not manipulate the statistics. The announcements followed the first annual report by Government-appointed
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Clacton: School merger gets parents' approval
A plan to join two primary schools has been welcomed by parents and staff. An Essex County Council review of education at Great Oakley and Ramsey primary schools, and Little Oakley Infants' School has come up with a proposal to amalgamate Little Oakley
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Women's cricket: Brenda's England joy
Bowler Brenda Brown is set to make her England debut next month after being selected in the squad for the first time. Brenda, who plays for Colchester Ladies at their Eudo Road base, will play in a home nations tournament in Belfast next month. She said
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Cricket: Sainsbury bowls tight last over to see Rayne to victory
Rayne visited old rivals Hullbridge on Saturday, and looking to carry on their good form from the previous week. Rayne batted first and after the loss of Dawson, Mick Richardson and Mark Sainsbury dominated the Hullbridge attack. They took Rayne to 147
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Soccer: Fulham rumours rubbished by Ipswich star
Matt Holland yesterday denied he is about to move to Fulham for £2 million. The Division Two champions are reported to have made an offer for the outstanding Ipswich midfielder with manager Paul Bracewell hoping to tie the deal up within 48 hours, but
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A good and modest man.....
TOM KING meets kindly Peter Yeo - a man who doesn't sit but acts, and prefers not to talk about it Knowing Peter Yeo's reputation, I also had a pretty good inkling what his first words would be when confronted with somebody who wanted to write a story
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Freemasonry quiz for Essex Police
All Essex Police employees will be asked to declare if they are freemasons - but will not be forced to do so. In the next few weeks a questionnaire will be sent to staff asking them if they want to volunteer the information. The news comes amid renewed
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Corringham: 'My son died waiting for ambulance'
A grieving Corringham mother is battling for an improved emergency service after an ambulance took 13 minutes to reach her dying son. Tracy Alton says she will never know if seven-year-old Michael's life could have been saved had the ambulance got there
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North Weald: Bomb experts blow up incendiary device
Army bomb disposal experts blew up an incendiary device in North Weald after a 999 call from a worried resident. Other villagers were warned to stay indoors while the controlled explosion was carried out on Sunday morning. The householder, who does not
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Harold Hill: Firm helps light way to Year 2000
A Harold Hill delivery company is to play a key role in providing households across the UK with a special Millennium gift candle to commemorate the birth of Christianity. Business Express, which is based in Spilsby Road, has won the contract to deliver
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Jury rejects Hadleigh couple's police brutality claim
A jury has decided three police officers did not wrongly arrest and imprison a couple after a drunken brawl in a kebab shop. After two hours of deliberation the five men and three women ruled against the civil claim of Paul and Janet Peters at Southend
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Leigh: Neighbours in cut brakes drama
A neighbour who fell out with a couple in his street took revenge by tampering with the brakes on their car, a jury was told. Mark Rowntree, 23, of Wood Farm Close, Leigh, denies he slit the brake pipe of the black Fiat Panda belonging to Caroline Waller
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Colchester: Last farewell to tragic Amy
Grieving relatives and friends today paid their last respects to Colchester schoolgirl Amy Burgess. Amy, a year 11 pupil at Philip Morant School, died a week ago after falling from the NCP car park in Nunns Road, Colchester just hours after exam stress
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Clacton: Our Ted's won the cup!
Chants celebrating Manchester United's historic treble rang out with extra fervour in one Clacton household. The goal hero's cousin was cheering on Manchester United from his home in Eastcliff Avenue when super-sub Teddy Sheringham levelled the score
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Aikido club is a dream come true
Braintree-based martial arts club Braintree Aiki-Budo Kai has opened its permanent training hall (dojo) which is located at The Four Seasons, Lakes Road, Braintree. This is the culmination of two year's hard work by the instructors and students of the
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Southend: Vandal attack on museum
Museum assistants were yesterday counting the cost of a vandalism spree which left one of Southend's oldest buildings with broken windows. Glass was smashed and bricks left strewn across the floor after the attack on 700-year-old Southchurch Hall, in
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Southend Council wins Chelsea Flower Show award
Green-fingered experts at Southend Council have proved their horticultural skills by winning a bronze medal in the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. It is the fifth prize the town has won in five years of entering the prestigious floral competition. Assistant
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Soccer: Colchester new boys set targets
Colchester United new boys Sagi Burton and Joe Keith are determined to make their new team a Division Two force to be reckoned with. Burton - a 21-year-old central defender from first division Crystal Palace - and Keith - a 20-year-old left-sided defender
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Angling: Pipps Hill provides the action
The improvements at Pipps Hill Carp Fishery continue to bring dividends to the big fish seeker. With much of the excess weed and rubbish now removed from the Cranes Farm Road water, both fish and angler are benefitting from the cleaner water. Youngster
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Cricket round-up: Warner century all in vain
Phil Warner hit an unbeaten century for Colchester and East Essex at Castle Park but still ended up on the losing side. Bures replied to Colchester's 230-3 through Will Amos (82) and Richard Haines (65 not out) to win with three overs to spare, in Division
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Wickford: Beauchamps bunch all set to dazzle their audience
Youngsters are getting ready to dazzle audiences with their latest production. The pupils from all year groups at Beauchamps School, in Beauchamps Drive, Wickford, are rehearsing the the show Dazzle. Parents will see the performance tonight and tomorrow
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Southend: Blue Boar firm faces action
Planners have decided to launch enforcement action against the developer of a landmark pub in Southend. The move comes after demolition work has already started on the Blue Boar in Victoria Avenue, Southend. The 111-year-old pub was bought last year by
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Shoebury: Vandals wreck mural
A mural painted by schoolchildren in a Shoebury underpass has been defaced to the dismay of parents and pupils. Six-year-old pupil Thomas Dyke was so upset when he saw the work destroyed by vandals he had to close his eyes to walk past the mural. Friars
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Leigh: Chef loses claim - and £20,000
Top chef Keith Bundy, seeking £300,000 damages after a horrific motorbike crash, has been told he will receive only £63,475. Mr Bundy, 38, had earlier turned down an offer of more than £80,000 to settle his compensation claim. He will also have to fork
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Canvey: Post Office in pipeline
Plans are in the pipeline for a new post office to relieve the horrendous queues customers currently have to endure on Canvey. Post Office Counters has granted consent for a sub-post office at Nearbuys convenience store in Dovervelt Road on the island
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Bowls: A good start to the new season
Hutton Poplars Bowling Club are a mixed club with a few vacancies for experienced and beginners. Leonard Rich, the Hutton Poplars Bowling Club president, said: ''We have made a reasonably good start to the new season, with some good wins already recorded
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Billericay students say sorry
Pupils at a Billericay school have written to neighbours, apologising for parking problems in roads around the site. Residents in Dukes Road and The Grove are angry about an increased number of pupils and parents parking in their roads. The problem has
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Tennis: Frinton aces reach national final
Frinton's tennis stars will be aiming to go one better than last year when they meet Essex rivals Connaught for the £5,500 top prize in the National Club League men's final at Southampton. Runners-up to the David Lloyd Bushey team of Hertfordshire last
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Soccer: Dyer slaps in transfer request
Ipswich Town's £5 million-rated midfielder Kieron Dyer today stunned his team by asking for a transfer. Dyer, who was today named in the England under-21 squad for the Euro 2000 qualifiers, shocked Town bosses with his demand. It comes as a complete U-turn
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Anglian Water profits down
Anglian Water's profits have dropped by nearly four per cent, it announced today. Today it revealed pre-tax profits of £258 million - and that customers' annual bills have fallen by £28 in the past five years. But the profits figure is a 3.7 per cent
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Cricket: Nasser's notebook
India game could be vital It's a great feeling to be virtually certain of a place in the Super Six stages of the World Cup, but there's no way that we'll be going into our final qualifying game with India harbouring thoughts that it's not an important
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Colchester: Wine firm's brush with TV stardom
A Colchester wine merchants was all set to be the backdrop for a late-night political debating programme when events overtook themselves. Colonel Bob Stewart, a former Army commander in the Balkans war, was guest speaker at a special customer event hosted
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Colchester: Soccer fans see red over TV blackout
The fans could not believe it. While other supporters of Manchester United watched in delighted disbelief as two goals thundered into the net in the last minute of THE game, some in Colchester were calling East Coast Cable with complaints. For ten minutes
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Clacton: Fight to save convent fails
The fight to save a convent, school building and chapel from demolition and redevelopment, has finally been lost. Tendring councillors twice deferred a scheme to build homes on the site of St Clare's in Holland Road, Clacton. But now members of a planning
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Union row hits Brentwood BT site
The developers of the new BT building in Brentwood have denied union claims of 'victimisation' after an engineer campaigning to improve safety standards on the site suddenly lost his job. The construction workers' union UCATT made the claims last Friday
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Harold Wood: Protest over road closure
Controversial plans to close a Harold Wood estate road to through traffic have been given the go-ahead - sparking protests from angry residents. The decision to close Cornflower Way was taken by Harold Wood and Nelmes Community Area Forum, in a bid to
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Ongar: Time to bury the hatchet
Rival factions in the struggle to keep Ongar's hospital open have been called to a summit to decide the unit's future. The public have been asked to fill in a questionnaire giving their solutions to the dilemma. And former parish council chairman Keith
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Basildon: Bloodless surgery for Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses from all over Essex have paid out for a piece of equipment which will revolutionise the way they are treated in hospital. They today presented an argon beam coagulator to Basildon Hospital, which will keep blood loss during surgery
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Landscape holds key to hidden Essex life
Author John Hunter has bridged the gap in explaining the quirks of the Essex countryside, writes TOM KING Some 43 years ago the great W G Hoskins, half historian, half geographer, and entirely his own man, wrote one of the greatest pioneering works in
