Archive
-
Date
South Woodham Ferrers: Rush hour tailbacks after crash
Rush hour traffic was thrown into chaos after a two-car collision blocked Burnham Road, South Woodham Ferrers for two hours. Commuters were diverted through the town causing substantial tailbacks as the fire service freed a man from his BMW 320. The almost
-
Date
Stansted: Holiday work's a sure thing for students
Students living near Stansted are being offered a passport to guaranteed holiday work. Would-be university students are interviewed during their last year at school and successful candidates are offered a two-year 'passport' contract guaranteeing them
-
Date
Hockey: Chelmsford 3 - 2 Barford Tigers (English Hockey League Division One)
In a nail-biting encounter at Chelmer Park on Sunday, Chelmsford hung on with 10 men for a valuable three points against Barford Tigers. With Chelmsford 3-2 up and five minutes to play, defender Rob Taylor was yellow-carded for not retreating five yards
-
Date
Tendring: Parking charges plan 'a tax on tourism'
Plans to introduce charging in council car parks which are currently free would badly affect Tendring's tourism, it has been claimed. Harwich Town Council last night said introducing charges would be a 'tax on tourism.' Tendring Council is considering
-
Date
Southend: 'Relief' as boxer cleared of assault
Former world champion boxer Steve Collins has spoken of his relief after he was cleared of punching a pensioner in the face during an alleged road rage attack in Southend. Mr Collins, 37, of Friars Street, Shoebury, was found not guilty of assaulting
-
Date
Vange: Pellet sniper targets dustman
A police investigation is under way after a council refuse worker was shot at while on his daily round in Vange. The worker, who has not been named, escaped injury after a pellet ricocheted into his van in Ravenscourt Road. PC Mark Hayes, from Laindon
-
Date
South Essex: Company pensions safe, workers told
South Essex workers have been assured that their company pensions are safe, in spite of a funding gap that could yet exceed £10bn. New figures have revealed that the economic downturn has lead to a shortfall between the current value of pension schemes
-
Date
Essex: Flower fight begins
Green-fingered communities are being invited to enter the region's premier horticultural and environmental campaign and take part in 'Anglia in Bloom' for the Jubilee year. The competition is open to every community from the smallest hamlet to the largest
-
Date
Chelmsford: Investor's status for primary school
The Cathedral Primary School has proved it cares as much for the training and development of its staff as of its pupils by achieving Investor in People status. The award recognises commitment by organisations to improving business performance through
-
Date
Maldon: Taxi driver's sentence quashed
A Maldon taxi driver who was sentenced to three months in jail for allegedly beating up a teenager who did not pay his fare, had the sentence quashed on Friday. Instead Mark Harvey, 37, of Park Drive, Maldon, was bound over to keep the peace. He appeared
-
Date
Southend: Tourists want traditional pier
A Victorian or Edwardian era design must be at the centre of plans to redevelop Southend's pier, say critics of the latest plans for the landmark. Visitors to the pier want to see a traditional redesign in sympathy with its roots and not the "modern"
-
Date
Golf: Morris and Barker win struggle for points
Forrester Park Golf Club Mens section played a betterball stableford off 3 /4 handicap and with a strong wind across the course struggled for points. The winners were Chris Morris and Eric Barker with 40 points, just edging out Danny Harrington and Kevin
-
Date
Colchester: Peter's jumping for joy
A charitably-minded man has had his plea answered. Peter Kettle, 21, has been searching for a crane and fellow daredevils in Colchester, to help bungee his way to extra funds for good cause, Scope, based in Winstree Road. Charity organiser Steve Corness
-
Date
Basildon: Disaster fears over boat
Thames coastguard officers are desperately seeking a Basildon man who plans to take his grandchildren out in a new speedboat - unaware that it could sink within ten minutes. The eight-seater craft was accidentally sold without drainage plugs, meaning
-
Date
Southend: Walking bus will help road safety
Children and parents at St Mary's Church of England Primary School in Southend will be sampling the latest form of school transport this week in a bid to improve road safety on school journeys. They will be trying out the walking bus, made up of two volunteer
-
Date
Soccer: Leyton Orient 2-1 Southend United (Nationwide Division Three)
A goal from Brian Barry-Murphy was not enough for Southend to get anything from their match with Leyton Orient last night. Kevin Nugent put the home side ahead on 12 minutes and the lead was doubled on 31 minutes with Iysden Christie beating Southend
-
Date
Benfleet: Pre-school under threat
A pre-school at a Salvation Army hall could close if the building is sold off, it has emerged. Under threat - Benfleet's Salvation Army Pre-School Staff at the Salvation Army Pre-School in Benfleet are furious at the news - which will leave hundreds of
-
Date
Maldon: April closure for pool
The swimming pool in Maldon is preparing to shut its doors for almost four months. Just as the warmer weather arrives, Blackwater Leisure Centre has confirmed that it will be closing from April 6 until July 22. The creche and Harpers gym will remain open
-
Date
Witham, Colchester: Community penalty for dangerous driver
A lunchtime spin with his college friends in Colchester spelt disaster for a Witham man. Steven Lambeth drove his Ford Orion too fast in Colchester and spun out of control, leaving him badly injured. His passengers were also hurt as were the elderly people
-
Date
Stansted: Ryanair denies 'misleading' ads claim
Stansted-based airline Ryanair has hit back at an accusation that it gives misleading information over its destinations. The Consumers' Association has claimed Ryanair "has overstepped the mark" by using airports up to 70 miles from the city advertised
-
Date
Grays: Dance show smash
Around 100 nimble students were involved in a spectacular dance show staged at a sixth form college. On their toes - the pupils' performance was a big hit. Picture: TERENCE BUNCH 7XN6 The show, at Palmer's College in Chadwell Road, Grays, was called Dance
-
Date
Colchester: Pair face jail after £2m theft of cars
Two men are facing jail for the organised theft of nearly £2m-worth of cars. The two were part of a gang who stole sets of car keys from garages in Colchester and throughout Essex and Hertfordshire before stealing expensive vehicles. In one incident,
-
Date
Horndon: Feast on Britannia theme
Rule Britannia will be the theme of this year's Horndon Feast and Fayre, organisers have just announced. The two-day fayre is Thurrock's largest summer event attracting thousands of people each year and arrangements for this year are well advanced. The
-
Date
Basildon: Green team to clear away grime
Basildon is set to be a cleaner and greener town as a new army of workers takes to the streets. Teams of cleaners, including grounds maintenance staff, are to provide a range of services to encourage residents to "rediscover a sense of community pride
-
Date
Maldon: Attempted theft at hotel
Police are looking for two males and a female after they tried to steal money from the Blue Boar Hotel in Silver Street, Maldon. They went into the hotel between 5pm and 5.30pm on Thursday, March 7, and tried to break into the cash draw in reception.
-
Date
South Ockendon: Sums fun for pupils
Budding mathematicians at Holy Cross School in South Ockendon were enjoying all sorts of numerical fun last week when the school in Daiglen Drive staged its maths week. The school opened up its maths lessons to parents, made maths games for the pupils
-
Date
Basildon: Pitch in for help
A desperate appeal has been made for cash support to replace crumbling astroturf pitches in Basildon's Gloucester Park. Basildon Council, which runs and maintains the park, is looking for around £200,000 towards repairing the popular facility. Nigel Smith
-
Date
Clacton: Sandwich filling was a bit stringy
Pieces of string are not a usual filling for a sandwich - but for one woman that was nearly what she ate. Charlotte Salmon with her stringy meal Charlotte Salmon, of Langham Drive, Clacton, had made lunch for herself and her friend Amanda Bresnan, using
-
Date
Hockley: Takeaway in doubt
Proposals to allow the sale of takeaway food from a restaurant in Main Road, Hockley, are likely to be rejected by Rochford District Council. Councillors are being recommended to refuse the scheme, which has been rejected on previous occasions. Officers
-
Date
Essex: Police hit back at violent crime
Essex Police claim to have made major inroads into violent crime in the last months of 2001, with more cases solved, and a 13 per cent drop in reported sex offences and robbery. And they expect drug fighters to crack around 369 cases against their target
-
Date
Essex: Traders welcome bank move
The banking industry's latest attempt to heal its tattered relationship with the small business sector has been welcomed by Essex traders. The British Bankers' Association's new business banking code, which comes into force at the end of this month, will
-
Date
South Essex: Strikes 'will close schools'
Thousands of pupils will be left in the lurch tomorrow as teachers stage a one-day strike over pay and conditions. Regional leaders of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) are confident many schools in Basildon, Billericay, Wickford, Thurrock and Brentwood
-
Date
Soccer: Woodbridge 0-0 Maldon Town (Jewson Eastern League)
Goalless draws featuring Maldon Town are rare events, but Saturday's game at Woodbridge was completely dominated by the weather conditions. In truth the wind not only dominating the match, it also rendered any hope of passing football near impossible.
-
Date
Rugby: Brentwood 23 - 13 Chelmsford (London NE3 League)
Brentwood entertained Chelmsford in the return fixture of this season. Since Brentwood won the away fixture last September, Chelmsford have had a poor season and are currently in bottom place with only one win while Brentwood had had a run of victories
-
Date
Hockey: Hightown 0 - 3 Chelmsford (National League Premier Division)
A goal early in each half was the key to Chelmsford securing a victory for the second week running when they completed the double over Hightown on Saturday. The scoreline was a repeat of that at Chelmer Park earlier in the season and it provided Chelmsford
-
Date
Soccer: South Essex academy for future stars
Wannabe David Beckhams are to be offered a head start on the way to a career in football, it emerged today. Thurrock and Basildon College is launching a new football academy which will enable school-leavers who live and breath football to study it too
-
Date
Soccer: Hornchurch 2-1 Aveley (Ryman League Division Three)
Steve Mosely is on the look out for players to halt Aveley's worst run of the season. Of particular interest are those formerly with East Thurrock and Witham who have both been hit by financial troubles. Defeat in a high octane derby on Tuesday night
-
Date
Soccer: Marshall calls for fighting spirit
Ipswich goalkeeper Andy Marshall has called for some fighting spirit ahead of tonight's crunch bottom-of-the-table clash with Blackburn Rovers. Town's number one is desperate to get back onto the field at Ewood Park to help put right the Blue's recent
-
Date
Essex: Young entrepreneurs gather for final
The 2002 final of the Essex Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards is due to take place at Chelmsford's County Hall next week. Ten finalists will compete for cash prizes totalling £4,000 on March 20. All finalists in the trading and pre-trading
-
Date
Billericay: Hay barn destroyed
Fire crews from across south Essex were last night called into action to tackle a fire burning its way through a large hay barn at Lawness Farm, Mountnessing Road, Billericay. When firefighters arrived they discovered 300 tonnes of hay on fire in the
-
Date
Soccer: Burley wants ten from ten
Ten points from ten games is the message that Ipswich boss George Burley is drumming into his troops as the Suffolk side aim to beat the drop. Burley said: "It's the final third of the season so this becomes a big game. It's a real chance to push away
-
Date
West Mersea: Woman, 85, foils conman
An 85-year-old woman who foiled a bogus caller in West Mersea has been described as "very lucky" by council staff. The pensioner was confronted by the man, pretending to be a council official checking her personal alarm, yesterday afternoon. A man telephoned
-
Date
Southend: Mugger spared jail term
A mugger who admitted stealing a man's bag in a terrifying attack has been spared jail despite the Lord Chancellor's hardline stance on street robberies. Keith Hudson, 23, of Southchurch Road, Southend, is to be assessed for a community rehabilitation
-
Date
Soccer: Holland's aim is to keep Blues up
For single-minded Ipswich skipper Matt Holland the World Cup in Korea and Japan doesn't even exist yet - he just wants to keep his club in the top flight. After being given the green light by Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy for a ticket to the
-
Date
Basildon, Chelmsford: £50m heart centre decision
A prestigious £50m regional heart centre is set to be based in Basildon after the town's hospital won out against a rival bid by Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford. Last week an independent team, together with health professionals from all over Essex and
-
Date
Basildon, Thurrock: Soccer academy for future stars
Wannabe David Beckhams are to be offered a head start on the way to a career in football, it emerged today. Thurrock and Basildon College is launching a new football academy which will enable school-leavers who live and breath football to study it too
-
Date
Maldon: Pat on the back and a Big Mac
Dedicated pupils who get a taste for success are being rewarded with meals at McDonald's. Youngsters at a mid-Essex primary school are being given an incentive to try harder, courtesy of the fast food giant. Instead of gold stars or merit points, the
-
Date
Essex: Gordon's been warned!
One of the UK's top accountancy firms has warned chancellor Gordon Brown to keep his hands off small businesses in next month's budget. PKF has stressed if the Chancellor "is serious" about wanting small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to thrive he
-
Date
Soccer: U's on full flu alert
Beleaguered U's boss Steve Whitton has been forced to quarantine four squad members after 'flu hit the Colchester United camp. The U's boss will be keeping a close eye on all his players over the next few days. With just one win in their last 13 games
-
Date
Soccer: Bramble believes in Premiership salvation
Ipswich Town have just ten games to maintain their Premiership status - and tonight they play Graeme Souness' Blackburn Rovers in a game many feel they can't afford to lose. Back in September the two teams fought out a 1-1 draw. Matt Jansen salvaged a
-
Date
Soccer: Horsham 3-0 Great Wakering Rovers (Ryman League Division Two)
Wakering's hopes of taking over the Ryman League Second Division leadership crashed last night when they became the latest victims of Horsham's superb home record. The Sussex side have now won 13 and drawn three of their 16 home League games so far and
-
Date
Maldon: Disastrous day for mum
A mother said she is still smiling after seeing her home catch fire and failing her driving test on the same day Sam Chatten returned to her house in St Giles' Crescent, Maldon, after failing the test. She went upstairs to change and just half an hour
-
Date
Woodham: Pension money snatched
An elderly woman had her pension money snatched just minutes after she collected it. She had been to the post office in Trinity Square in South Woodham Ferrers and picked up the cash before going into the Asda supermarket in the town. But while shopping
-
Date
Brentwood: Call to remove buskers
Brentwood and Ongar MP Eric Pickles today urged buskers to be removed from Tube trains. The shadow London minister claims they create a "threatening and lawless atmosphere". However, British Transport Police officials seemed less than enthusiastic about
-
Date
Colchester: Skateboard youth attacked by gang
A teenager is too afraid to leave his house after he was beaten up at a skateboard park. Battered - Ben Rich's face shows the effect of the beating he received by a gang of youths. Ben Rich, 17, has described the moment he was jumped from behind by a
-
Date
Billericay: Vehicles skid into garden
A van and a car skidded through the front garden of a Billericay pub and narrowly missed smashing into the glass conservatory. Near miss - the aftermath of the accident in which, luckily, the van and the car ended in the pub's front garden but narrowly
-
Date
BMX racing: Braintre dominate meeting
Dunstable BMX Club hosted the penultimate round of the Winter Series at the Royston track. As has been the pattern throughout the Series, Braintree provided the lions share of the riders, 13 of the 53 participants. In the youngest group, Formula 5, newcomer
-
Date
Soccer: Searle close to new deal
Southend United defender Damon Searle hopes to sign a new deal with the Shrimpers before the end of this week. The 30-year-old left-back is due to meet Blues boss Rob Newman and club owner Ron Martin for advanced contract talks over the next few days.
-
Date
Basildon, Thurrock: Soccer academy for future stars
Wannabe David Beckhams are to be offered a head start on the way to a career in football, it emerged today. Thurrock and Basildon College is launching a new football academy which will enable school-leavers who live and breath football to study it too
-
Date
Basildon: Pyjama pool party raises cash for sick kids
No-one could catch these fundraisers napping as they donned pyjamas and other sleepwear to help a children's charity. No sleepyheads - Club Kingswood members make fitness fun as they help charity. Picture: MAXINE CLARKE 82EHDs Members of Club Kingswood
-
Date
Braintree: Bad news for Kelly
A teenager who had a bone marrow transplant has contracted a virus. It was expected Kelly Byrne, 19, of Beech Avenue, Braintree, would be home to stay by now, having undergone the transplant operation on January 10. But she must stay in University College
-
Date
Essex: 70 officers join police shake-up protest
Around 70 off-duty police officers from across Essex were today attending a mass protest in London over the Home Secretary's plans to reform the service. The officers were to join more than 5,000 of their colleagues from across the UK outside the Houses
-
Date
Essex: Murdered gangster pictures on-line
Graphic photographs showing the bloodied bodies of notorious Essex drug barons Pat Tate, 37, Tony Tucker, 38, and Craig Rolfe, 26, have just been posted by controversial crime writer Bernard O'Mahoney on his website. This Is Essex has decided not to link
-
Date
Chelmsford: Era ends as stalwart dies
A former chairman of one of Essex's leading family-run department stores has died aged 85. The funeral of Thomas Wray Bolingbroke, former chairman of Chelmsford's Bolingbroke and Wenley has taken place at All Saints Church, Springfield Green, Chelmsford
-
Date
Dovercourt: Flats plan for historic terrace
Plans have been unveiled to restore Orwell Terrace, an historic building which collapsed in 1994. Owner John Acton has revealed plans to bring the Victorian Old Convent back to its former glory. He is aiming to submit plans to rebuild the five-storey
-
Date
Thundersley: Will Lee survive?
A plucky sales manager from Thundersley is to take centre stage in ITV's reality show Survivor - which returns tonight with 12 hopefuls fighting for the £1m prize. Named only as Lee, the 25-year-old will be marooned off the coast of Panama. Lee, a big
-
Date
Braintree: Stephanie's back - minus tongue stud
Teenager Stephanie Piscina has decided to remove her tongue piercing and return to school after more than a year at home. The 14-year-old, of Manor Street, Braintree, will start at Alec Hunter school in Stubbs Lane, Braintree, on Monday. Stephanie was
-
Date
Soccer: Cash hitch for Maher switch
Southend United midfielder Kevin Maher's future was the main topic of conversation, following Blues' 2-1 Third Division defeat at Leyton Orient last night. Coming or going? -- Blues' Kevin Maher tussles with former colleague Carl Hutchings last night
-
Date
Brentwood: Town set to welcome Uri
A mind-boggling phenomenon could be about to send shock waves through the cutlery drawers of Brentwood. Paranormalist Uri Geller is bringing his apparent mind-bending powers to a major exhibition later this month. It is exactly 30 years since Uri took
-
Date
Essex: Parents warned about sweets
Essex Trading Standards officers are warning parents and retailers to beware of potentially deadly sweets that may be on sale in the county. These products are called mini fruit gel sweets, and contain a substance called konjac. They present a serious
-
Date
Castle Point: We want more say on road cash
Castle Point residents should be given more input into how Essex County Council allocates cash for roads, a leading councillor has said. Council leader Dave Wells is hoping to question the county council's highways bosses in a special meeting on Friday
-
Date
Nayland: Sold, just one careful owner
A house built in the 1830s has been sold for the first time on the open market. The property in Court Street, Nayland, was snapped up by local property developer George Braithwaite for £270,000 after a public auction, which attracted more than 130 people
