Archive
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Mersea: Retired teacher died in mountain fall
The husband and son of a retired teacher desperately tried to save her after she plummeted down a treacherous mountainside in the Austrian Alps. But Dorothy Keay, 50, tragically died in the 120-metre fall. She had gone on holiday with her husband Kenneth
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Braintree: Choose a name for new park
Name your new park is the message to people in the Braintree district. The Tabor Triangle Site in the town centre will soon become a park for Braintree and its communities, and it will have several new art-works that will take the form of four metre long
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South Essex: Blackspot hit by cash delay
A multiI-million pound plan to build an overpass or underpass at the notorious Sadlers Farm roundabout is being put on hold until Government ministers get more information. The project is one of four in Castle Point put up for funding in the Essex bid
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Brentwood: Town chief wages war on pub hours
Angry residents have received backing from the Chairman of the Brentwood Town Forum in their battle to prevent a High Street pub opening until 2am. The Hobgoblin asked for longer opening hours in September, but Brentwood Borough Council's Licensing Committee
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Maldon: Recycling targets 'too tough'
Maldon district will have to aim to recycle 33 per cent of its household waste by 2003/2004 and 40 per cent by 2006/2007. The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has set new targets following the Government's new national waste strategy
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South Essex: Watchdog lobbies MPs in survival battle
The fight to save the patients' watchdog body which covers the Brentwood, Billericay and Wickford area is set to be taken all the way to Westminster. The Government has announced plans to abolish all Community Health Councils (CHCs) as part of its wide
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Chelmsford: Plenty of parking for Christmas shoppers
Christmas shoppers in Chelmsford are being urged to use car parking spaces just minutes away from the main shopping areas to prevent queues. There are more than 8,000 spaces in the town and drivers are being urged to use the Saturday car parks as alternatives
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Speedway: Lanham signs up for Arena Essex
Arena Essex have secured their first signing for the 2001 season when, as expected, Leigh Lanham put pen to paper to commit himself to his fourth season of racing at the Purfleet Raceway. The Hammers number one rider missed the whole of last season after
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Cycling: Biketrial world champion among honours at Thriftwood
The annual BikeTrial Team Competition was held at Thriftwood, Brentwood on Sunday with a total of 122 riders. There was a strong foreign contingent including riders from Spain, Czech Republic, Slovakia and USA. The riders completed one lap of 20 observed
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Southend: CCTV cameras set to double
The number of CCTV cameras in Southend could double after a £1 million cash bid was officially lodged with the Government. The town's police and the council have already secured £1 million in the summer to boost the eye-in-the-sky cameras from 24 to 38
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Essex: Hollywood star with county links now a novelist
Hollywood actress, sex symbol, the wife of a mid-Essex peer - now author too. Jamie Lee Curtis can add successful children's author to her long list of credits. Lady Haden-Guest of Saling, as the villagers of Great Saling, near Braintree, know her, has
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North Essex: Severe gales batter county
More than 10,000 people across Essex were left in the dark yesterday (Wednesday) after gale force winds battered the county, bringing down powerlines and trees. Motorists faced hazardous, slow journeys to work as several roads across Essex were blocked
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Ongar: Spray-can vandals target tree
One of Ongar's landmark trees has been sprayed with blue and silver graffiti in an act of thoughtless vandalism. The damage to the copper beech tree which spreads its branches over Ongar's Pleasance Garden was discovered last week by local parish councillor
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Langdon Hills: Harvester serves up 70 jobs
Up to 70 jobs will be created when a prominent pub reopens next year as a Harvester restaurant after a major revamp. Work has already begun on the Crown Hotel, High Road, Langdon Hills, which used to be a Big Steak pub. A total of £760,000 will be pumped
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Colchester: Curiosities offered at sale
Victorian petrol pumps, dentistry equipment and skiing snowmen - the perfect Christmas gift for the person who likes something which is just that little bit unusual. Yesterday (Wednesday), there were certainly a few unique curiosities on offer at the
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Essex: Crackdown on way over hare-coursing
Police have warned of tough measures against illegal hare-coursing as protests flare against the activity. After three men were chased off a Tollesbury farm for the controversial hunting, Sgt Richard Miller, of Maldon Police, said it was unacceptable
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Basildon: Brute beat girlfriend to death
A man who beat his girlfriend to death during a drunken row is starting six years behind bars. David Bamber, 36, denied murder but admitted the manslaughter of Carol Baker, 44. At Chelmsford Crown Court, he was sentenced to six years in prison with a
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Harold Hill: Police chase boy in death plunge
The Police Complaints Authority is investigating the death of a 13-year-old boy who died after he was chased by police in Harold Hill at the weekend. The boy, from Harold Hill, was found by police in a sunken sky light on the roof of a building at an
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Maldon: Mud Race scrapped
The world famous Maldon Mud Race has been scrapped. After months of speculation, it was confirmed yesterday (Wednesday) there is unlikely to ever be another event. The last mud race - where competitors wade through waist-high mud across the River Blackwater
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Brentwood, Ongar: Bell's democracy 'crusade'
Crusading MP Martin Bell predicts that Brentwood and Ongar will become an early battleground for the whole future of British politics. The man famous for his trademark white suits is ready to fight Tory MP Eric Pickles as an Independent candidate at the
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Essex: Protestors' dismay at 11th hour change to waste plan
Environmental campaigners have greeted with dismay an eleventh-hour amendment to the Essex Waste Plan that county councillors had hailed as a victory against the threat of incinerators. The environmentalists are warning that the way has been left open
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Castle Point: Third candidate bids to be MP
A third candidate in as many days has declared his intention to stand in Castle Point at the next General Election. Retired teacher Ron Hurrell, 73, has been selected by the UK Independence Party to fight the seat held by Labour's Christine Butler . It
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Basildon: School coup for town
Basildon is to play host to a pioneering new project aimed at designing a model school for children with special educational needs. Essex County Council has given the go-ahead to a one-year pilot scheme based at Elmbrook and Moat House schools, both in
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Soccer: Views sought on U's draft masterplan
The public will be asked what they think of a complex development which includes a new Colchester United and community stadium. A draft masterplan for the development of land in north Colchester will be put on display for public consultation. The area
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Table tennis: Reagan rules in Buttsbury victory...
In the Premier Division of the Brentwood & District Table Tennis League, Billericay Sports lost 7-3 to visitors Buttsbury, for whom Reagan Nettlingham was outstanding. Brentwood suffered a defeat at the hands of New Post Inn. The combination of Steve
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Basketball: D'Silva shines as Swifts soar high...
SWIFTS 83 IPSWICH BOBCATS 39 With the senior side taking a well-earned breather, Swifts' under-16s took centre stage by winning through to the last eight of the National Cadet Cup. The cadets were taking on the might of Ipswich, previous winners of the
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Angling round-up: Hurst first at Rayne Lodge...
Wednesday's Daytime Open Match fished very well on the top and middle lakes at Rayne Lodge, Braintree. Johnny Hunt of Brentwood AC took first place with an excellent catch of 77-4-0, with Martin Seamen of Bowlers second with 56-15-0. Graham Dack was third
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Witham: Cyclists fume over link axe
Cyclists are saddling up to fight plans to scrap a vital cycle link to Witham town centre. Under plans by Essex County Council, cyclists would be unable to use Guithavon Road as a link to Witham town centre. The road has been a one-way street since 1996
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Billericay: Plea to parents as yob culture grips town
Billericay parents are being urged to keep a watchful eye on their children after it emerged police had had to stop a 10-year-old child roaming the High Street late last Friday night. Concerns are growing that the escalating problems being caused by yobs
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Soccer round-up: Spall Brentwood League
SENIOR DIVISION Romford Town, with goals from Steve Tizard, Michael Stubbs and Tony Cowan, beat Collier Row Colts 3-2, Jimmy Willis and Jamie Bullard on target for the Colts. ESSEX JUNIOR TROPHY THIRD ROUND Steve Wealthall scored for Brentwood Eagles
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Hockey: Reilly at the double for Brentwood
ROMFORD........................................1 BRENTWOOD..................................3 (Crowe Insurance East League Division One) Brentwood won an important game against second in the table Romford on Saturday to confirm their position at the top
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Soccer round-up: Thundermite League
The wet weather decimated the Thundermite League over the weekend with six age groups failing to play a single game. But a handful of matches did beat the weather and in the highest scoring one of the weekend Lindford Wanderers B team enjoyed a 7-2 win
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Clacton: 44 years later, war hero Fred gets a new medal
Old soldier Fred Aldis has received the best Christmas present he could have had. During the Second World War he had served in the Royal Artillery in the 1st Airborne Division and took part in a number of major operations, including Market Garden at Arnhem
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Basildon: Yardley site revamp gets the green light
A "host of new jobs" are set for Basildon after extensive plans to redevelop the town's derelict Yardley site were given the green light. Janet Payn, chairman of central Basildon area committee, predicted the new multi-million pound development would
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Braintree, Halstead: Couple's love conquers all
A brave cancer victim who found love in a lonely hearts column is looking forward to a day she feared she'd never see - her wedding day. Angie Arthur met hubby-to-be Danny Heffer after spotting his ad in our Two's Company pages. It was love at first sight
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Essex: Meals on wheels - 365 days a year
Campaigners have been claiming victory in the battle to protect meals on wheels after councillors agreed to extend the service to 365 days a year across the county. The changes, which will be phased in up to April 2002, will mean hot meals seven days
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Westcliff: Shop man's attack terror
A shopkeeper has revealed how he feared for his wife and five-year-old child after two terrifying attacks on his shop in Westcliff. Ali Naqvi, who runs the International Call Shop in London Road, was last week subjected to a frightening ordeal when a
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Essex: County's £20m roads package
Long-awaited road improvements look set to get a major boost as part of a multi-billion pound Government package just announced. The extra cash means new hopes that schemes like the Parkeston bypass and improvements to the A127 and A13 will get underway
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Ongar, North Weald: 'Don't suffer in silence'
Victims of domestic violence living in and around Ongar and North Weald are to be encouraged not to suffer in silence any longer. A new information pack designed to help victims find a way out of their predicament has been put together by the Epping Forest
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Westcliff: Brave Marc finds peace
A young man who was given just a year to live when he was 12 has died - aged 18. Marc Raven, who became paralysed after having the MMR jab, died after a brave battle to reach a special milestone. He fought a lengthy fight against subactive schlerosing
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Swimming: Dolphin double
Witham swimmer James Gibson won the 50m breaststroke event at the British Championships in Sheffield. Gibson, a member of Witham Dolphins and a student at Loughborough University, also triumphed in the 100m breaststroke. Converted for the new archive
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Colchester: Experts called in on retirement issue
Local authority experts could be drafted in as part of a desperate bid to resolve the crisis surrounding Colchester Council's chief wanting to retire. A move by John Cobley, the council's chief executive, to take early retirement was stopped in its tracks
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Sailing: Crew tells of terror ordeal on high seas
The crew of the £4 million Musto-sponsored superyacht Team Philips have spoken of their terror as their crippled catamaran was battered by huge waves in the North Atlantic. Speaking in Canada after abandoning the yacht to be rescued by a German container
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Soccer: Wardley set to join Blues
Southend United boss David Webb is hoping to tie up a deal for Cambridge City left-back Shane Wardley. Earlier in the week, the Shrimpers chief made an offer to the Dr Marten's League Premier Division outfit for the defender and his team mate, striker
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Cricket: Hero Hussain is home
England's cricketers returned home in triumph on Tuesday after their six wicket victory in Karachi had given them their first series win in Pakistan for 38 years. To achieve the only positive result in the three match series, the tourists had to conquer
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Soccer: Two more on U's sick list
Steve Whitton has been dealt two further injury and illness setbacks ahead of Colchester United's Second Division trip to Luton Town. Andy Arnott has been ruled out with a groin problem while Ross Johnson, still waiting to kick his first ball in anger
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Mid-Essex: Lottery cash bid for net health scheme
A new internet health scheme is bidding for £1.5 million of lottery funding. Called the Colne Valley Healthy Living Project, it is based on teams of staff with laptop computers which can connect to the internet. Each member of the team will get direct
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Ingatestone: Grandmother in a coma saved by cat
A cat saved his mistress's life after she had collapsed and slipped into a diabetic coma. Ten-year-old Misty stood over the prone body of Irena Scott-Tillbrook and cried until she slowly regained consciousness and summoned help. "If the coma had deepened
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South Essex: Rebels get off train
Furious passengers marched off a Southend-bound delayed train - forcing other trains to cut their speed to avoid an accident. As passengers walked along the railway track, train drivers on the line between London Liverpool Street and Southend had to slow
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South Essex: Postal 'blip' sorted insists Royal Mail
Workers and management at the Royal Mail sorting office in Southend say they have put last month's "blip" in service behind them in time for Christmas. Following complaints and horror stories about a backlog of post and late deliveries, Royal Mail management
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Brentwood: Burglars in £21,000 raids
Burglars who struck at two Brentwood homes netted hauls of jewels and cash valued at around £21,000. The first incident was in Ingatestone. Raiders forced a downstairs kitchen window to get in. They then collected a number of rings and 32 CD's before
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Braintree: Shopping village to grow
A thriving shopping village has been given the go-ahead to expand - and the growth could bring hundreds of new jobs to Braintree. The expansion at the Freeport Outlet Village includes a £20 million leisure complex with a 12-screen cinema, bowling alley
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Brentwood: School mourns death of popular student
Shocked staff and students at Brentwood School are in mourning this week following the sudden death of one its most likeable and active students. Lauren Bronka, 17, of Ingrave died last Wednesday after failing to recover from a series of asthma attacks
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Soccer: Ipswich tie at Morecambe
Ipswich Town are making plans for a trip to the seaside after it was confirmed their FA Cup clash with Morecambe will be staged at Christie Park. The Nationwide Conference club, who drew Town after ousting Cambridge United, always wanted to hold the third
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Castle Point: Schizophrenia centre go-ahead
Councillors have rejected calls to delay a decision on a drop-in centre for people suffering from mental illness. Castle Point Council planners received several letters from residents living near the site on Canvey claiming the proposed location was near
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Basildon: Kirsty's road safety ideas go right to the top
Hundreds of children will have a safer journey to school thanks to an eight-year-old girl. Basildon Council, Essex Police and Essex County Council have been so impressed by Kirsty Yates's innovative ideas they have officially adopted them. Kirsty made
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Harold: Crackdown on truants as hit squad moves in
An anti-truancy team is heading for Harold after seeing spectacular results in other parts of Havering. The team, comprising police and education welfare officers, targeted Romford last week and rounded up more than 50 pupils in a day. Now it is set to
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Castle Point: 'Scrooge' council in lights turn-off
Disappointed families have reacted with anger and dismay to a "Scrooge-like" decision by council leaders to axe a district's Christmas lights. Amazed parents have bombarded the council with complaints over the disappearance of festive lighting in Castle
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Bowls: Falcon suffer narrow defeat
On Sunday the Falcon BC were beaten by PML BC, 106 shots to 103. Details (Falcon names only): Cathy Heagerty, R. Land, B. Simpson, Val Bridge 24, K. Lee 10. Gloria Fredericks, Glynis Wakeling, G. Womersley, P. Fredericks 23, T. Everett 30. S. Hoy, Helen
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Brentwood: Warning issued to drivers who flout parking laws
Drivers flouting parking restrictions will be forced to think again when Brentwood Borough Council fully takes over their enforcement, according to Council leader David Gottesmann. Cllr Gottesmann predicts that the decriminalisation of parking enforcement
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South Essex: Railway anger
Angry passengers on a delayed Southend-bound train from Liverpool Street left the train while it was still on the tracks. Passengers walked off the 5.04pm train last night when it became delayed behind a broken down freight train near Brentwood. Earlier
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Basildon: Motorcyclists may get free parking perk
Motorbike owners may no longer have to stump up parking charges thanks to a new idea being floated in Basildon. The idea was one of those discussed for the future of both on and off-street parking tariffs in the district at last night's central Basildon
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Swimming: Hickey siblings in golden show
Sister and brother Maria and Adam Hickey led the way as Borough of Southend swimmers won 15 medals at the Barnet Distance meet for 13-and-under age groups. The two swimmers won three golds each at the competition to spearhead the club's haul of seven
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Rugby: Mersea's shock triumph
Mersea Island pulled off a historic 5-0 Eastern Counties division one win over rugby rivals Colchester at Mill Road. Fullback Darren Tully clinched victory in the first league meeting between the clubs with a first-half try. Converted for the new archive
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Soccer: Billericay add to Grays' lowly plight
With top scorer Paul Linger absent, the chances of Billericay Town getting many goals at New Lodge on Saturday looked very slim indeed. However, recent arrival Danny Boateng and the ever-impressive Joe Baker displayed superb finishing skills in this Ryman
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Soccer: Town snatch shock Anfield win
John McGreal could be found floating somewhere between cloud nine and seventh heaven after helping Ipswich Town sink boyhood idols Liverpool. The Birkenhead-born defender clearly had no time for sentiment as he guided his troops to a shock 1-0 win at
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Soccer round-up: Southend Junior League
Matches between Trinity Juniors 2nd and Ashingdon Boys in the Southend Junior League B Division have a tradition of ending up high-scoring affairs. A few weeks ago Ashingdon pulled off a 9-3 success, but Sunday's return at Jones Memorial Ground was a
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Billericay: Phoenix trio are black belts
Three members of the Billericay based Phoenix Karate all continued over 100 per cent pass rate for juniors in the recent Brown and Black Belt course and grading held by Sensei Kawasoe seventh Dan in London. Philip Bass, 12, from Billericay who goes to
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Snooker: Tiptree ace Ali quizzed
Just over a year ago, 21-year-old Tiptree snooker ace Ali Carter won his first professional title when he beat Simon Bedford 9-4 in the final of the Benson & Hedges Championship. Earlier this year Ali beat six-times world champion Steve Davis 6-5
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Southend: Santa sabotaged
A Christmas Scrooge severed the festive lights display outside the homes of two Southend families. Last night, vandals cut through all the cables on Angela Caten's extravagant fairy light arrangement which she had put up round her house in Norwich Avenue
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Rayleigh: Swipe card meals make eating easy
School dinners at a Rayleigh school are about to go high-tech and healthy. A new swipe card system to be introduced in the new year at the Sweyne Park School in Cheapside West, will not only let pupils use it to pay for meals but will also monitor their
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Kelvedon: Silver ring could be treasure
Maybe it was the act of a spurned lover - or perhaps it just got mislaid. While we may never know how a Medieval ring found its way into a field in Kelvedon, by the end of today (Thursday) we will know where it will finish up. The finger ring, which is
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Laindon: Knife terror man gets three years
A man who held a knife to two terrified teenagers' throats was so drunk and drugged that he could not remember the attack, a court was told. Jamie Bell, 22, of Mellow Purgess Close, Laindon, appeared at Basildon Magistrates' Court for sentencing after
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White Colne: Defence project to stop village floods
Rivers chiefs are to spend tens of thousands of pounds on defences to save a village from a repeat of last month's floods. White Colne was one of the worst-hit villages with houses suffering severe damage. Now the Environment Agency is set to install
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Essex: Business hits out at postal service
Essex businesses have branded the postal service "universally unacceptable". Complaints about problems, such as late delivery, have made it a top discussion item for the Essex Chambers of Commerce Council. The group, frustrated at the Royal Mail's refusal
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Billericay: £2m lift for faulty homes
Developers expect to have repaired nearly a third of homes on Billericay's troubled Queens Park estate by the new year. Landlord The Guinness Trust hopes to have completed work on 29 of 84 properties by the middle of January, as part of its £2million
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Stanway: Complex plans set for public inquiry
About 500 new jobs could be created if a major development scheme gets the go-ahead. But Corporate Investment's application to transform open land in London Road, Stanway, into a new 12,000-square metre Homebase store, a 2,800-square metre garden centre
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Soccer: Wickford's youth soccer saved
The future of a Wickford football field used by hundreds of youngsters has been secured by a partnership between a local soccer club and the Rotary Club of Wickford. The three acre playing field in Southend Road was left in trust to the youth of Wickford
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Earls Colne: Holiday couple tell of shooting horror
A holidaymaker who was shot at point-blank range as he tried to fight off an armed robber has insisted: "I'm no hero". Les Abbie was shot in the mouth by a drug-crazed gunman in his hotel room on the holiday isle of Barbados. His wife Karen was also shot
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Tennis round-up: Minnows in the spotlight...
The first round of the Winter Cup got under way this week with a noticeable absence - the big boys. For the first time in the league's history it has not included the First Division clubs in the opening round of the competition. The aim is to give the
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Harwich, Manningtree: Seven schools without heads
Seven schools in the Harwich and Manningtree areas are still without a headteacher. A new head must be in place when the schools re-open in January and two others will not have heads until after Easter. Fiona Knapp starts at Brooklands Primary School,
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Harwich: Boxing Day party for coma victim
A big Boxing Day bash is on the cards for an accident victim who earlier this year was in a coma and had to have part of his brain removed. Aarron Todd was last week moved near to his Harwich home from the Homerton Hospital in London where he was receiving
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Golf round-up: Fowl play as Thorpe duo fly in...
Wendy Welton and Helen Morgan ensured gobbling up the major prizes in Thorpe Hall Ladies' turkey trot with a 23 points tally. Although weather conditions on the day were good, only 13 holes were open due to the appalling wet weather of recent times. Ann
