Archive
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Weeley: Robbers hold man captive
A service station assistant was held captive as two robbers stole cash and phone cards from the store. The robbers struck at about 1am on Sunday at the Q8 Tendring Park service station, on Colchester Road, Weeley. A spokesman for Essex Police said Jim
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Great Saling: Visitors enjoy Blast from the Past
Visitors to the Grove Estate in Great Saling stepped back in time for a weekend of vintage fun. On Saturday and yesterday the venue hosted the Blasts from the Past Festival. More than 2,000 visitors attended the festival which included Carter's Vintage
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Brentwood: Musical tribute to raise charity cash
A Brentwood mother and actress is putting on a charity show to raise money for cancer care in memory of her mum who was killed by the disease. Natalie Cleverly, 39, of Rayleigh Road, Hutton, is organising Westenders, an all-singing, all-dancing compilation
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Soccer: Tes - best is yet to come
Substitute striker Tes Bramble said the best was yet to come after grabbing Southend United's last minute equaliser during Saturday's 2-2 draw at Hull City. The Shrimpers' opening game of the new Third Division campaign got off to a bad start when midfielder
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Brentwood: Dogs saved in house fire
Two dogs had to be rescued from a burning house after neighbours spotted smoke. The dogs had been locked in the kitchen of the home in Ongar Road, Brentwood, while the owners went out. But a fire started on the cooker and the dogs were not able to escape
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Mid-Essex: Group claims 20 per cent of trains run late
Nearly 20 per cent of trains have run late this year, according to a rail watchdog group. The Witham and Braintree Rail Users' Association said its figures show just under 18 per cent of trains travelling the route from Witham to London ran late in July
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Southend: Town centre trade hit by floods
Town centre trading was dealt a major blow as the floods deluged Southend High Street, sparking a power failure. Stores were forced to close and others battled to mop up on Saturday - the busiest trading day of the week. An electricity blackout also meant
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Soccer: U's fans are well-behaved
Fans of Colchester United are some of the best-behaved in the country. The club is bucking the national trend of a 15 per cent increase in football hooliganism in the First and Second Divisions, according to new Government figures. Only three of the Layer
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Soccer round-up: West Ham too strong for Swifts
A crowd of over 600 watched Heybridge Swifts lose 3-0 to a West Ham United XI at Scraley Road. Dave Greene's side competed with the youthful Hammers team for long periods and only lapses in concentration let them down. West Ham went ahead in the first
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East Bergholt: Cash problem may see pool's closure
East Bergholt High School's swimming pool is facing closure. Now all the parish councils within the school's catchment area are each being asked to pay £500 a year for the next three years towards the upkeep of the pool, which opens for public use. But
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Westcliff: Pub loses day's trade through floods
A landlord today told how he lost a whole day's trade after six feet of flood water deluged into his cellar. Fred Spring, of the Cricketers pub in London Road, Westcliff, said: "It has been terrible. We couldn't open on Saturday because there was so much
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Abberton: Drivers airlifted after crash
Two drivers were today airlifted to hospital after a head-on collision. Both drivers were trapped in their cars for more than an hour and had to be freed by firefighters. The accident happened near Abberton Reservoir at 8.40am at Birch Road, between Birch
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Walton: Charity crabbing competition draws in the crowds
Crabbing, duck-racing and plate smashing all raised money for charity at an annual fun day. About £1,700 was raised for the RNLI yesterday at the event, hosted at Walton and Frinton Yacht Club, Mill Lane, Walton. Valerie Bloom, chairman of Walton and
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Basildon: Pizza delivery stopped
A pizza delivery company will not deliver to a Basildon estate because it is concerned for the safety of its staff. Pizza Hut refuses delivery to Craylands because there are "people intent on endangering their safety". The company will not say what has
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Southend: Hospital hit by power cut
Southend Hospital's intensive care unit had to be transferred to emergency power when electricity failed as a result of the floods. It took 90 minutes for the fire service to pump all the water out of the affected areas at the hospital in Prittlewell
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Colchester: Assault in town centre
A teenage girl was indecently assaulted by a stranger in Colchester. The girl was walking alone in Sir Issacs Walk on Saturday after 10pm when the man accosted her. He tried to chat her up in the busy street and then went to kiss her as she attempted
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Colchester: Hundreds see 'royalty'
A right royal time was had by all at the annual procession on a Colchester estate. Almost 300 people took part in the the St Anne's procession, with hundreds more watching and waving as the spectacle passed by. Royal theme - some of the participants in
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Cricket: Shepherd Neame Essex League results
PREMIER DIVISION Loughton 134-9 dec Fives & Heronians 24 (Match abandoned) Hainault & Clayhall 236-5 Colchester & East Essex 93 (Hainault won by 143 runs) Orsett 135 Saffron Walden 136-4 (Saffron won by 6 wickets) Shenfield 0 South Woodford
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Southend: Tears as tributes flow for pilot
Mourners choked back tears as they gathered to pay tribute to Southend pilot Philip Dearden whose helicopter plunged into the North Sea last month. Family, friends and colleagues packed into St Mary's Baptist Church, Norwich, for the funeral of the 32
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Athletics: Veterans progress despite defeats
Southend AC have progressed to the finals of the Eastern Veterans league at Bedford on September 7. The result follows the final south-east division match at Garon Park which saw Chelmsford beat Southend in both the men's and women's matches. Southend
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Southend: Park concert defies vandals and thieves
Southend's popular Concert in the Park extravaganza will continue, despite the vandals who ran riot at this year's event. The future of the show, held in Priory Park at the end of each June, was thrown into doubt after the yobs' spree of theft and destruction
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Clacton: Thousands make it carnival to cherish
Clacton stepped back in time to celebrate 50 years of the best of British in its carnival procession. An all-time high of £6,100 was raised for charity, £185 up on the previous record year two years ago. Flower power, the swinging 60s, Elvis look-a-likes
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Cricket: Blackmore's total in vain
In one of the few games to beat the weather, Old Southendian were left wishing they hadn't bothered after picking up just one point. Ironically they would have been better off sharing the points for an abandoned fixture as they fell to the new league
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South Woodham Ferrers: Flats and shops a 'perfect finish'
A proposed multi-million pound shop and flats complex would be a fine finish to a town centre's modernisation, a council leader said. Plans have been submitted to Chelmsford Borough Council for the big development in South Woodham Ferrers. Developers
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PIC??Essex: Crash causes traffic delays
Tailbacks built up today after a crash on the A12. Police said a vehicle had been involved in a collision with the central reservation of the busy road, near the Ardleigh interchange. One lane of the London-bound carriageway was closed off while officers
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Essex: Michael's magic Big Brother visit
Essex magician Michael J Fitch has been rubbing shoulders with the Big Brother stars at the famous house. The 23-year-old, who has performed for Posh and Becks and counts Rolf Harris as a good friend, was a hit at a special reunion party and award ceremony
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Kelvedon: Driver hurt as concrete flies through windscreen
A driver was seriously injured when a piece of concrete flew up from the road, smashed through his windscreen and hit him in the face. The man, who was alone in the car, was driving along the A12 Kelvedon bypass at about 3.30pm on Friday. The A12 was
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Basildon: Repair our pavements
Holes and cracks in the pavement are causing havoc for fed-up pedestrians. The walkways in the Chalvedon area of Basildon are a danger to residents, according to David Hutson. He lives in Beambridge, Chalvedon, and says holes and cracks in the pavement
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Essex: Driver hit by concrete block
A driver was hit in the face by a piece of concrete that smashed through his windscreen, causing eight-mile tailbacks on the A12 The man, alone in his car at the time, was driving along the Kelvedon bypass on the Colchester-bound carriageway when the
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Soccer: Positive start for Essex sides
Both Essex soccer teams have made a good start to the new season, with Colchester United bagging an opening day win and Southend United snatching a late draw. Colchester United made full use of home advantage yesterday afternoon, running out 1-0 winners
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Southend: Search for burglars
Police are trying to trace suspects seen near the scene of two attempted burglaries in the same Southend road. In the first attempt, the metal framework around the windows and patio doors of a house in Trinity Road were tampered with, causing £200 in
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Soccer: Colchester United 1 - 0 Stockport County (Nationwide Division Two)
Thomas Pinault has a reputation in training for not being able to hit the proverbial barn door. But French ace 'Kermit' turned the poor Stockport defenders green with a 58th-minute match-winner that was so clinical and fierce when it really mattered.
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Canvey: Cat left for dead on milkman's float
A cat lover today told how a desperately ill moggy with a huge liver tumour was left for dead in a plastic bag on the back of a Canvey milk float. Lindsey Woods, who single-handedly runs her own cat rescue charity, was contacted after the stunned milkman
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Basildon: Hockey tribute to IRA victim
Skate hockey teams from as far afield as London and Birmingham converged on Basildon at the weekend to pay tribute to a girl killed by an IRA bomb. Danielle Carter, 15, was killed in an explosion at the Baltic Exchange in London on April 10, 1992. Ten
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Colchester: Children with time on their hands
Time was of the essence for children at a Colchester museum. The hands-on children created their own versions of sundials, originally used in ancient Egypt, with modern materials. About 50 youngsters a day turned up at Tymperleys Clock Museum to try their
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Athletics: Wilkin's a great Scot on international debut
Southend AC's Mitchell Wilkin made a triumphant international debut for Scotland at the Celtic Games in Tullamore, Ireland. Mitchell won the under-17 long jump against lads from Ulster, Wales and Ireland with a leap of 6.78m. This was more than 40cm ahead
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Colchester: Council shakes up its service
Public services, including leisure, environmental health, activity centres and CCTV, could be given the chop by Colchester Council A range of services have ended up in the firing line because they do not meet the priorities of the council, laid out in
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Benfleet: Mayor to target wood's dumpers
Benfleet homeowners "using and abusing" a popular piece of woodland were told today to stop taking liberties by the mayor of Castle Point. Nature enthusiast Charles Smith's warning was aimed at people using North Benfleet Hall Wood as a dumping ground
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Essex: Villages hit by freak weather
Freak weather came to north Essex with flash floods and a twister all in one day. The twister went through a number of villages, leaving a trail of damage in its wake. The dark circling cloud was first spotted on Saturday morning over Abberton Reservoir
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Southend: Disqualified motorist jailed for driving
A man was today starting four months behind bars after admitting driving while disqualified. Christopher Farrell, 19, of Newington Avenue, Southend, also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and failing to surrender to custody. Southend magistrates
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Motorsport: Andy back on track after injury nightmare
Southend's Andy Blueman confirmed his return from a broken limb by making his mark on the Bemsee Motorcycle Club championship at Snetterton. The 24-year-old motorcyclist broke his leg in a horror crash two years ago and has slowly been rebuilding his
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Southend: Flooding chaos in town
Southend was thrown into chaos on Saturday morning as homes and businesses flooded, roads were closed and events were cancelled. A power cut put many traffic lights around the town out-of-action and most shops in the High Street were forced to close.
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Soccer: Tes strike earns Blues a draw
Substitute striker Tes Bramble's last gasp goal earned gutsy Southend United a deserved share of the Third Division spoils at Hull City on Saturday. The 22-year-old frontman pounced in the dying seconds against the basement league promotion favourites
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Soccer: Gravesend and Northfleet 5 - 2 Canvey Island (Friendly)
Gulls ended their pre-season campaign with a battling defeat against the team who pipped them for Ryman Premier Division honours last term. Yet despite the heavy scoreline it was by no means a one-sided game -- Canvey made wholesale changes to give their
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Chelmsford: Bank clerk admits theft
A naive bank clerk fell prey to a man on the internet and transferred £20,000 to his account from another customer's funds, a court heard. Safia Choudhary, 20, of Lady Lane, Chelmsford, admitted stealing a credit balance while employed at Lloyds bank
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Pitsea: Bungling thief jailed
Robber Barry Peart, who bungled a raid on a Pitsea jewellers, has been locked up for four years and nine months. Peart, 20, terrified women assistants at Frederick James jewellers in Pitsea. Peart, of no fixed address, was chased and caught, but another
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Doddinghurst: Gunman tries to hijack car
Police were today hunting a gunman who tried to steal a man's car. The victim was sitting in his Audi in Doddinghurst when a man brandishing what appeared to be a handgun told him to wind down his window. The would-be car jacker then lunged for the keys
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Great Warley: Council wants business park
The odds seem to be stacking up against a Great Warley pallet company after councillors gave their backing to proposals for an extensive business park. Brentwood Borough Council's planning development control committee recently agreed an office complex
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Southend: Children illustrate how creative they are
Children had the chance to put the picture stories created in their minds onto paper at a workshop in Southend Central Library. Called Words and Pictures, the workshop was for any children aged between eight and 12. Illustrator and designer Richard Lord
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Cricket: Smith's crisp bowling destroys Orsett
Orsett will be nervously looking over their shoulders in the Premier Division after this loss saw them slip down the table. They still remain 23 points ahead of ninth-placed South Woodford, but there's no doubt the tally of two points here was way below
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Soccer: Billericay Town 3 - 1 Enfield Town (Friendly)
Martin Carthy scored twice as Billericay continued their fine pre-season form with a comfortable victory at New Lodge. Carthy, Town's top scorer from midfield last term, was on the mark in either half, but could have had several more in common with his
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Soccer: Walsall 0 - 2 Ipswich Town (Nationwide Division One)
This success against Walsall was just what the doctor ordered for Ipswich Town. Two goals, a clean sheet and professional display, not to mention starring roles for two teenage rookies, made it an encouraging afternoon at the Bescot Stadium. Thomas Gaardsoe
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Cricket: Victory for Essex
Essex have beaten Derbyshire by 140 runs in their County Championship Division Two match. Having made 324 in their second innings, it was left to the Essex bowling attack to secure the win in the final day of the four-day match at Derby. The pick of Essex's
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Rochford: £34,000 boost for transport schemes
A boost of £34,000 will improve transport opportunities for the people of the Rochford area following a partnership agreement launched by the district council. The authority has finalised a partnership agreement with Essex County Council, which will provide
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Colchester: Shoppers upset by blunder
Shoppers cheered and clapped when a Tesco store announced that missing ten-year-olds Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells had been found. But they were appalled when they found that the announcement was a blunder. The message came over the in-store Tannoy
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Essex: Police to issue on-the-spot fines
Essex Police were today beginning to hand out on-the-spot fines to law breakers as part of the Government's drive to curb anti-social behaviour. The force is one of four across the country taking part in the pilot scheme which aims to halt the rise in
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Cricket: Big-hitting Dakin answers critics
Jon Dakin emerged with the major honours as Essex returned to the winning trail in yesterday's Norwich Union duel against Derbyshire. Dakin has not had the happiest of seasons both on and off the field, but it was his unbeaten 45 from 41 balls that gave
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Southend: Our 100 degree nightmare
Temperatures soared to over 100 degrees in a Southend clothes store which has failed to fix its broken air conditioning system for three months. Frustrated staff at Topman, who lost monthly bonuses because of lower sales, are blaming bosses for keeping
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Colchester: Archive boost for disabled
A new resource room is to be created at Colchester Castle to ensure disabled people can look through the town's paper archives As part of Colchester Museum Service's aim of improving access to all its buildings, about £8,000 will be spent on creating
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Walton: New moves to improve seaside market
New moves are being made to improve a seaside market following concerns about its future. The plans were drawn up after a meeting was held between a working party from Frinton and Walton Town Council and Andy Morris, the South East area manager of Town
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Shoebury: Dartsman in charity bull's-eye
Shoebury Conservative Club darts team were the winners this year of the Southend East Rotary Club's darts marathon, and hosted the Bobby George Roadshow for their presentation. Runners-up were the Westcliff Club and the competition raised £1,400 which
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Cricket: Essex sides hit by downpour
Heavy rain hit the Shepherd Neame Essex League fixture list on Saturday with many games being abandoned. A number of matches failed to start, while others fell foul of the weather after events had got under way. Benfleet were particularly disappointed
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Soccer: Hermann off to Albion
George Burley today hailed the impact of Hermann Hreidarsson as the Ipswich Town defender looked poised for a move to Premiership new boys West Bromwich Albion. Town and the Baggies have already agreed a fee - thought to be in the region of £4 million
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Billericay: Businesses asked to back heritage project
Billericay businesses and individuals are being invited to support a project to preserve the town's heritage for future generations. The Cater Museum in the High Street has launched the 'Maintain a Memory' scheme to enable specialist preservation and
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Southend: Landslide closes seafront
A landslide prompted the closure of Chalkwell seafront as flood waters battered the area. The sheer volume of water flooding from Seaforth Road caused the cliff to collapsed, scattering soil onto the road below. But much of the debris was washed straight
