Archive
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Southend: Man cleared of rape charge
A Southend man punched the air in relief after a jury cleared him of raping a policeman's daughter at knifepoint. Michael Williams, 32, of St Vincent's Road, Southend had waited a full day for the jury at Southend Crown court to return its verdict. The
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Great Tey: Nice to see you!
A long-lost relative has told of her happiness at meeting her brothers and sister for the first time since she was a baby. But the amazing reunion, in a north Essex village, was also tinged with sadness because the elderly relatives may never be able
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Company to make 50 workers redundant
A world-leading firm has announced job losses as part of a restructuring plan. Heybridge-based ICS Triplex, which makes safety systems for oil and gas rigs, says 50 of its 360-strong worldwide workforce could be made redundant. The company is closing
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Colchester man, 47, missing at sea
A full investigation is under way after a fisherman was washed overboard by a wave from a passing ship. He was still missing yesterday. John Sibley, 47, of Spruce Avenue, Colchester, had gone out for the day with the skipper of a powerful angling boat
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Billericay: MP turns lollipop lady to lead parents' protest
MP Teresa Gorman turned lollipop lady during a second visit to two Basildon schools plagued with traffic trouble. Two months after first examining the problem - Davenants and Felmores - Mrs Gorman returned to find the situation unchanged. Staff at Felmores
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Life is so blooming wonderful for Len...
Winning is something that prize dahlia grower Len Keeley should be used to, with more than 1,000 first prizes to his credit, reports TOM KING Len Keeley is a keen gardener who specialises in dahlias by the dozen, chrysanths by the score - and silver cups
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Shoebury: 999 operator calms blaze woman
A disabled woman trapped in a burning house was kept calm thanks to the actions of a worker at the fire service control room. The distressed victim dialled 999 when food she was cooking in the kitchen of her home in Fraser Close, Shoebury, caught fire
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Inferno brings A13 to a halt
Traffic chaos hit south Essex yesterday following a massive warehouse fire. Commuters were left frustrated as part of the busy A13 was closed to traffic. More than 100 firefighters battled the fierce blaze which raged through the night at an industrial
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Mum to defy girl's Pitsea school ban
A mother has vowed to send her daughter to a Pitsea school in September - even though she has been refused a place. A confusion in the application stage has seen 11-year-old Stacey Evans miss the chance to move onto Chalvedon School, in Wickford Avenue
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Basildon: Brooke House bomb scare
Frightened families were roused from their beds by bomb disposal experts as a late night drama unfolded at a Basildon restaurant. Concerned staff at Pizza Hut in the town centre called in police when they spotted an abandoned briefcase near the entrance
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Rettendon: King Arthur's tree crusade
Rettendon's eco-warriors were today to be knighted by famed protester King Arthur and his sword of Britain. The character, who claims he is king of the druids, was invited along by campaigners camped out in Gorse Wood in protest at the proposed new A130
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Soccer: Calder pleased with Billericay
Billericay started life under new boss Gary Calder with a commendable opening friendly result against Nationwide League Division Three outfit Barnet. A goalless affair against a side who used most of their League players during the proceedings was no
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Soccer: Gulls' Black Friday
With the host side fielding a number of players with Roots Hall connections, it was former Southend United men Matt Lockwood and Martin Ling who taught Canvey Island a new meaning to the phrase Black Friday. Gulls entertained a Leyton Orient line-up and
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Soccer: Heybridge to host Hammers
West Ham United will make a surprise visit to Scraley Road tomorrow night for a hastily-arranged Intertoto Cup warm-up match with Heybridge Swifts. Disgusted with his team's display during their 1-0 win over Finnish minnows Jokerit in their first leg
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Colchester: High Woods community news
Get ready to gamble High Woods is to get a casino. But the gambling will be for one night only and will not be for money. The go-ahead for an evening of betting was given by St John's and High Woods Community Association and it is hoped the unusual event
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Wivenhoe: New bid for city status planned
Colchester could have a close contender in its bid for city status - its neighbouring town Wivenhoe. Town councillor Chris Thompson has offered to put together a draft submission for the town to use in a bid for city status. In a letter to town councillors
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Jobs will go as Essex gas stores shut down
The closure of gas Energy Centres in Colchester, Clacton and Chelmsford is set to result in 13 job losses. Almost 1,500 jobs will go nationally when Centrica, the country's biggest gas supplier, closes its 243 high street stores over the next two to six
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Athletics: King of the road
Race walker Dominic King has scooped a silver medal in the Schools' Home International Championship. The Colchester-based athlete, 16, came second in the 3km walk, which was the opening event in the championships held in Carmarthen, South Wales. He was
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Rugby: Witham looking to the future with a new colts side
Witham Rugby Club is hoping to launch a new colts side for the 1999/2000 season. Training has already started at the club's Spa Road ground in Witham and coach Nick Redfern is enthusiastic about its prospects. The team came into being following the successful
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Soccer: Conlon reeling from transfer
Shell-shocked striker Barry Conlon is still coming to terms with his £100,000 switch from Southend United to York City. The 20-year-old forward joined the Bootham Crescent club last week after Blues boss Alan Little decided the Republic of Ireland under
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Soccer: Colchester's new dynamic duo
New Colchester United striker Jamie Moralee is relishing the prospect of forming a fearsome strike partnership with Lomana Tresor Lua Lua. Moralee opened his account for the club during the U's 4-2 win over non-league AFC Sudbury but was overshadowed
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Cricket round-up: Billericay back on form in draw
Billericay 247-9 Saffron Walden 212-9 (Match drawn) After a couple of weeks in the doldrums, Billericay returned to form with a vengeance and picked up the lion's share of the Shepherd Neame League Premier Division points at leaders Saffron Walden. The
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Soccer: Eire we go says Southend striker Fitz
Young Southend United striker Trevor Fitzpatrick was expected to spearhead the Republic of Ireland's challenge for the under-18 European Championships in Sweden last night. Ireland kicked off their opening group match of the tournament's finals against
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Road Running: Tiptree gain fourth place at Colchester
A the Colchester Garrison 5k Road Race on Wednesday, Tiptree Road Running Club's Chris Applegate finished fourth, beating Witham's Terry Allabaster into fifth place with a time of 0:17:35. Tiptree's Roger Duffield likewise ran his best 5k of the year.
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Cricket: Westwood the hero
MALDON I..................................................195-7 BRIGHTLINGSEA....................................164-7 (Maldon won by 31 runs) (Jaygate Homes Two Counties Championship) Maldon first eleven travelled to the sunny town of Brightlingsea on
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Carpet Bowls: Great Leighs win a thriller
The Notley Charity Fours, a carpet bowls competition for the Pat Mace Memorial Cup, Pat being a former Notley Club member, took place over three weekends at White Notley Village Hall. A total of 48 teams from all over Essex competed on the first two Saturdays
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Braintree wins vote for UK's dullest place
Radio One listeners have voted Braintree the dullest place in the country in a new poll. Listeners were asked by Scott Mills, who is standing in for Zoe Ball on the Breakfast Show, to vote for the most tedious place in Britain. And Braintree won hands
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Southend: Trike tots boost sick children
Youngsters have raised a fantastic £700 for sick kids. Pupils at East Woodbury Nursery School in Southend carried out sponsored cycle rides to raise the cash for the Little Haven Hospice. Nursery teacher Janet Nash said: "The kids put so much into raising
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Rochford: Town's arts need a new brush-up
The arts are alive and happening in Rochford district, but they need to be publicised and encouraged, creative minds have told the council. Representatives from the Eastern Arts Board and Rochford District Council met with arts groups as part of a new
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Rochford: School's non-uniform day aids hospice
Pupils at the King Edmund School in Rochford have given a helping hand to Little Haven Children's Hospice. Around 1,200 students took part in a non-uniform day and various other fundraising events during term time and raised £2,000 for the charity. Pupils
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Canvey: Seafront scheme decided
Ambitious plans for Canvey seafront have now been mapped out by a group restoring the area for the millennium. Canvey 2000 has decided a final plan of action for work left to be carried out on Eastern Esplanade. The group made up of councillors, headteachers
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Southend: Deadly game of boy racers
Police abandoned an undercover operation aimed at cracking down on boy racers on Southend seafront because they feared somebody would be killed, it has been revealed. Uniformed traffic officers were drafted in to stop dangerous driving by dozens of drivers
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Jaywick: Couple wed after first date in June
Just a perfect day! That's the only way Bob Cooper, 38, and his new wife Karen, 35, of Jaywick, could describe their whirlwind wedding. The lovestruck couple only went out on their first date in June and Mr Cooper proposed to Karen the same evening. Mr
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Basildon: Pair deny murdering chef
Two men charged with the murder of a promising chef have pleaded not guilty at the Inner London Crown Court. Darren Robinson, 24, of Lincoln Road, Basildon, and Dennis Twilley, 26, of Spire Road, Laindon, face a two week trial due to start on October
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Canvey: Bidders all set for home fight
A Canvey old people's home up for auction next month has attracted floods of interested buyers. Beveland Lodge, will go under the hammer on August 11 by property agents, Dedman, and is expected to fetch up to £170,000. The 16 residents of the Beveland
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Pitsea: Teenager raped on her way home
A 16-year-old from Pitsea who was grabbed in the street and brutally raped is being comforted by her parents. The traumatised teenager, was attacked by a stranger as she walked home in the early hours of Saturday morning. The rapist pounced as the girl
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Colchester: Man drove at speed to see sick child
A speeding motorist, who told police his baby had stopped breathing, has admitted drink driving. Ivan Sadler, 31, of St Andrew's Avenue, Colchester, was spotted driving at excessive speed in a 30mph zone in a Volvo estate at 11.20pm on June 11, the town's
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Great Notley: Eco-friendly school nears completion
A revolutionary new school that promises to 'touch the earth lightly' is nearing completion in Braintree. Work on The Notley Green Primary School - the word 'green' referring to its ethos not its location - will be going on throughout the summer in readiness
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Canvey: That's all folks - no more carnival!
Apathy has killed off Canvey carnival after entertaining islanders for 75 years, it was revealed today. Members of the carnival committee held a post mortem after the grand procession at the weekend and decided to call it a day after next year's event
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Face of the Pitsea rapist
This is the face of the man who brutally attacked and raped a 16-year-old girl who was walking home alone in Pitsea at the weekend. The man was with two pals who must have known he was committing the dreadful attack, detectives today said. They revealed
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Harwich: Man's death 'suspicious'
Police were today investigating the death of a man found in an undergound war bunker in Harwich. The partly-decomposed body of a young man was found in a historic fort by passers-by walking on the war department land off Barrack Lane. The grisly discovery
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Motorsport: Matt hopes for F3 victory
Billericay race ace Matt Davies is adamant that Sunday's British Formula Three Championship round at Snetterton could see him breakthrough to win. Davies, 22, has had made an impressive debut in the series and currently lies second in the rookie tables
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Southend: All aboard the land train
Happy families are letting the train take the strain along Southend seafront, thanks to a new ride. Southend Council leaders have selected a firm to run a land train service, ferrying visitors between the pier entrance and the corporation loading jetty
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Leigh: Historic wharf saved
A long-running planning battle to keep a historic Leigh heritage site open has finally been won. Strand Wharf - named in Leigh folklore as the starting point for the Pilgrim Fathers' trip to America on board the Mayflower - has been returned to public
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Billericay: Golden oldies rock and roll
They were rockin' and-a-rollin' in the aisles at a nursing home for the elderly at the weekend. Drainpipe trousers, winklepickers and bootlace ties were the order of the day at the Mayflower House summer fete in Billericay. Energetic visitors at the fete
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Colchester: Angling trip accident probe
A comprehensive inquiry is to be carried out after a fisherman was washed overboard. John Sibley is still missing, four days after he went overboard from the powerful angling boat Purdy. It is believed a large craft caused the waves which engulfed the
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Mersea: Services praised after horror air crash
A pilot has praised the Essex emergency services for their "phenomenal" help after his friend was injured when his plane crash-landed. Jerry Knight, manager of the Kent-based Tiger Club, was one of four pilots due to take part in a display to mark 100
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Soccer: Colchester set to profit from Sale deal
Colchester United's forgotten striker Mark Sale was set to sign for ambitious non-league club Rushden and Diamonds today in a deal worth £30,000. And that signals a handsome profit of £6,300 for the U's who paid out £23,500 for the much-travelled 28-year-old
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Cricket: Essex call on teen spirit to face tourists
Tim Phillips will be given his first-class debut when Essex tackle Sri Lanka A in a four-day match starting at Chelmsford tomorrow. The 18-year-old left arm spinner, who made his senior debut in the National League game against Hampshire at Southend last
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Cricket: Double ton sinks Abberton hopes
Double-centurion Simon Davis blasted Abberton out of the National Village Cricket Championship. The Eversholt batsman hit an amazing 210 off just 120 balls as Abberton went down by a whopping 217 runs in Bedfordshire on Sunday. Eversholt batted first
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Pitsea: School row mum to defy girl's ban
A mother has vowed to send her daughter to a Pitsea school in September - even though she has been refused a place. A confusion in the application stage has seen 11-year-old Stacey Evans miss the chance to move onto Chalvedon School, in Wickford Avenue
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Rugby: Burnham ladies walk to raise cash
Sunday saw a team of lady walkers from Burnham Rugby Club set off from Bradwell for a 17-mile walk. The purpose of the walk was to raise funds for a new playing strip for the ladies and also any excess amount raised going towards much needed training
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Rochford Festival of Sport: Trophy spree for Rayleigh's Trinity
Rayleigh Trinity completed their Rochford Festival of Sport programme without being beaten. Their teams won both the Rayleigh Trophy (Print Centre Cup) with a 2-0 win over Chemico and senior veterans prize (Bill Pickup Trophy) with a 3-2 victory over
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Cricket: Hadleigh brushed aside by 6 wickets
Southend Trinity enjoyed an impressive six-wicket win over Hadleigh when they met in the Ibex Sunday Premier League. Hadleigh opted to bat first but were all out for 66 runs from 23.4 overs with only P Tippenham (25) providing any resistance. Chris Hunt
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School sports: Shoebury shine with twin achievements
Youngsters from Shoebury's Thorpedene Junior School have showed great sporting prowess at cricket and swimming. In the pool at Warrior Square, Adam Hickey won the champion boy Glyne Brown Cup at the Southend Primary Schools gala and then teamed with Adam
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Cricket: Braintree slip to a narrow loss
ST MARGARETS.............................171-8 BRAINTREE......................................169-7 (St Margarets won by two runs) (Jaygate Homes Two Counties Championship) Braintree slumped to a shock two run defeat on Saturday to lowly St Margarets.
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Maldon: Rare coins unearthed on farmland
Three rare Iron Age gold coins, unearthed on farmland in the Maldon area, could reap the finder a handsome reward. Metal detector enthusiast David Marvin, who discovered the 300-year-old staters -- about the size of 5p coins -- will receive their market
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Felsted: Driver died when car hit tree
The reason why a 34-year-old Braintree motorist lost control of his car on a sweeping bend, hit a tree and was killed might remain a mystery, a coroner was told last week. No one witnessed the accident, but every tyre had the wrong pressure, while high
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Southend: Road death witness appeal
Witnesses to a fatal road accident have been urged to come forward today and help traffic police. A 47-year-old man died after his motortrike overturned at the junction of Southchurch Boulevard and Royal Artillery Way, Southend. Police believe the crash
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Burnham: Rescue efforts save trapped seal pup
Coastguards and the RSPCA were called in to help rescue a trapped seal pup. The stranded mammal was found at Burnham Marshes by farm manager David Rawlinson and employee Paul Stinson trapped under a concrete slab against the sea wall. It was dehydrated
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Wivenhoe: Reburial for bones find
Human bones found under a former fish shop in Wivenhoe are to be reburied shortly. The bones of man were found by builders working at the old Green's off West Street. The remains were found by men digging new foundations for the single story building
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Benfleet: Concern mounts for missing boy
Police today renewed their appeal for help to find a 15-year-old boy, missing from his Benfleet home for more than a month, as concerns for his safety grew. Matthew Cox disappeared following an argument with his family. Police now believe he could be
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Soccer: New dawn for Southend Utd Ladies
Southend United may be preparing for another season in the Football League basement, but their female counterparts are gearing up for their first ever crack at top flight soccer. The Shrimpers' ladies team are looking forward to rubbing shoulders with
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Southend: Lifesavers need HQ
A band of volunteer life savers are looking for a caravan to use as an office. The Southend Coast Watch is the only coastguard operation in the country which is based in one place. The official coastguard moves up and down the coastline, keeping an eye
