Archive
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Southend: Woman's agony in A and E
A Southend woman believes she is lucky to be alive after it took doctors 22 hours to determined she was suffering from a ruptured appendix. Fury - April Jones F5DP52 The complaint comes just days after a leading Southend councillor attacked delays in
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Clacton: Lord Lichfield's royal picture secret
Royal photographer Lord Lichfield has blown the whistle on the secret behind the perfect picture he snapped of the royal family at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Lord Lichfield reveals a trade secret or two while speaking at Clacton It
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Billericay: Trigger-happy gunman fear
A sniper who is risking lives by shooting an air rifle at passengers and bus drivers is being hunted by police. Officers are "extremely concerned" about a spate of incidents which has seen the windows of moving vehicles smashed in Billericay. Acting Sgt
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Soccer: No let up as Blues chase Trophy
Southend United manager Rob Newman made it crystal clear he is taking tonight's LDV Vans Trophy first round trip to Swindon Town very seriously. Newman, a trophy winner in 1986, said he would take great satisfaction from seeing Blues emulate his success
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Chelmsford: Flyover closure move defended
Difficult decisions lie ahead. That was the message from a highways boss as the closure of the Army and Navy flyover in Chelmsford caused traffic chaos. Commuters from across Essex were affected by the shutdown, due to continue until Friday morning for
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Brentwood: Laptop snatched
A laptop computer was stolen from the backseat of a VW Golf parked outside the Little Chef at the Brook Street roundabout in Brentwood. Thieves smashed the rear drivers side window and grabbed the computer, which was worth £1,000. £150 of damage was caused
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Soccer: Clarets riding crest of a wave
Ipswich Town face opposition riding on the crest of a wave tonight when Burnley visit Portman Road. The Clarets claimed the prized scalp of Leicester on Saturday, thanks to a second-half strike from Ian Moore. Defeat cost the Foxes their position in the
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Southend: Fury over revamp delay
Transport boss Roger Weaver has slammed contractors for not completing work to revamp Southend town centre quickly enough. Mr Weaver, cabinet member for transport at Southend Council, said he was angry contractors Alfred McAlpine were not on course to
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Colchester: Road rage appeal
Police have appealed for witnesses after road rage left a motorist shaken. The driver of a Peugeot estate car was involved in a collision with a purple VW Golf Cabriolet car on Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, outside car dealers HR Owen. A police spokesman
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Clacton: Sign crash car ignored police
A car collided with a road sign early today, minutes after allegedly failing to stop when asked to by police officers in a marked vehicle. The driver and his passenger had to be cut free after the accident at about 4.30am on the A133 Little Clacton bypass
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Frinton: We're on the move
Pupils at Frinton Primary School are looking forward to moving into their new £1.5m purpose-built school when they come back from an extended half-term in two weeks' time. Work began last summer to replace the overcrowded school, which dated back to Victorian
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Dovercourt: Bill's new book is the best of Brittain
A talented writer is waxing lyrical about the publication of his first book of poems. Bill Brittain, of Oakland Road, Dovercourt, wrote The Little Book of Religious Poetry and has had to order more after its popularity. The 73-year-old has been writing
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Chelmsford: Michaela's at Moulsham for green launch
Michaela Strachan, star of the BBC's Really Wild Show, has launched Chelmsford Borough Council's Watch Your Waste Line kerbside recycling scheme at Moulsham Junior School. Michaela Strachan with some of the pupils from Moulsham Junior School, Chelmsford
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Harwich: New pension PIN system slammed
Harwich MP Ivan Henderson has criticised his own government over changes in the pension system which he fears will cause major problems for thousands of elderly people. From April, pensioners will have to key in their own PIN number via an electronic
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Soccer: Foster earns Trinidad call
An internet plea has led to a Southend teenager jetting out to the Caribbean to keep goal for Trinidad and Tobago's under-17 international youth team. Andre Foster, 16, has just started studying for his A-levels at Westcliff's St Thomas More RC High School
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Clacton: Fire damage to shop door
Fire caused smoke and heat damage to a family-run shop in Clacton after someone apparently tried to set light to the bottom of the entrance door. The blaze at the Happy Shopper store on the corner of Eastcliff Avenue and Holland Road started at 9.45pm
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Braintree: Tornado storming towards title
A tabby found in Braintree is in the running to become the rescue cat of the year. Cat in a million - Tornado with Deborah and Simon Deborah Lord and her son Simon first found Tornado, when he was a 12-week-old kitten. Now the family are so proud of their
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Rugby: Basildon's Luke wins World Cup
Basildon Rugby Club's Luke Hamm has returned from New Zealand proudly clutching a World Cup winners' medal. The 19-year-old flanker was called up to the Wales squad for the first-ever Deaf Rugby World Cup. And he did his nation proud as the team won through
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Southend: Have you seen Precious?
A distraught cat owner is racing against the clock to find his missing moggie before fireworks night. Mark Davies's cat, named Precious, went missing on October 13 after he had her for just two days. Now Mr Davies has been frantically trying to find his
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Essex: Fireworks night fears as firemen prepare to strike
Organisers of Essex fireworks displays are being urged to get in touch with their local fire stations now before the national firefighters' strike takes hold. Peter Wilson of the National Campaign for Firework Safety said: "Now that the firemen's strike
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Braintree: Train gang yob may be jailed
Two Braintree brothers were left terrified after they were trapped on a train and robbed. A teenager could be locked up after being found guilty for his part in the robbery and false imprisonment, after stopping the young pair from getting off in their
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Colchester: Castle chugs into rail world
Colchester Castle has chugged its way into railway posterity. The ancient building from the country's oldest town has given its name to a new train. Chuffed to pieces - Bob Russell MP with Tim Clarke, managing director of Anglia Railways, at the naming
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Colchester: Old Heath residents set to oppose siting of travellers' site
Hundreds of people are expected to take part in a march in opposition to a possible travellers' site at Colchester's Old Heath. A march has been organised by the Old Heath Environmental Protection Association (OHEPA) from the Old Heath Co-op to The Bell
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Billericay: Snubbed store's vow to hunt for new site
Developers hoping to build a supermarket by knocking down a village pub have vowed to continue searching for a home in the town. More than 200 people opposing German firm Aldi's scheme packed the South Green Memorial Hall last Wednesday to hear that the
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Essex: Fire chiefs join BT in anti-hoax campaign
Fire chiefs have joined forces with the phone company BT in a bid to curb the number of hoax 999 calls being made from phone boxes. Figures just released show that Essex is one of the worst-affected parts of the country outside the metropolitan areas
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Soccer: McKinney gets Trophy chance
Richard McKinney will get another chance in goal as Colchester United open their quest for LDV Vans Trophy glory at Cheltenham Town. Starting between the stricks for U's - Richard McKinney And there will be another new face in the U's squad at Whaddon
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Colchester: Crash passenger 'serious'
A Colchester man is in hospital with a broken neck after the car he was travelling in hit a tree. The 22-year-old passenger was taken to Colchester General Hospital, where he is in a serious condition. A spokesman for Stanway Traffic Police said his injuries
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Harold: Money experts lend elbow-grease to hospice
Finance workers from Havering gave up some of their spare time to help out at a Harold charity. Staff from JP Morgan Fleming Asset Management in Romford spent a day at Saint Francis Hospice in Havering-atte-Bower carrying out a major re-varnishing programme
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Mid-Essex: Give Biff a new home
A loving new home is needed for friendly dog, Biff, a five-year-old staffordshire bull terrier who has been at the RSPCA Danaher Centre, in Wethersfield, near Braintree, for three weeks. He was taken in by the centre after his owner became too ill to
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Canvey: Drivers escape injury
Two men narrowly escaped serious injury after their cars collided in a Canvey road, firefighters revealed today. Both of the island's crews were called to the smash in Link Road just after 11pm on Sunday night. When the firefighters arrived they found
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Soccer: Boreham Wood 1-3 Canvey Island (Ryman League Premier Division)
Two goals in the last five minutes saw Canvey Island climb three places to seventh in the Ryman League Premier Division last night with victory at Boreham Wood. The triumph means Gulls, who've now lost just once in 12 games, trail leaders St Albans by
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Soccer: Wedding bells slow Rovers progress...
Great Wakering Rovers will be keen to improve on a disappointing home record when they host Wingate and Finchley tonight in the Ryman League Division One North. The village side have won just once in six starts on home territory - in stark contrast to
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Soccer: U's out to protect proud record
Colchester United have a proud cup record to maintain when they take on Cheltenham Town in the LDV Vans Trophy first round at Whaddon Road tonight. The U's have never lost a cup game to the Robins in their 65-year professional history. But you have to
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Soccer: Calder's plea to fans
Billericay Town boss Gary Calder has issued a "come out and support us and make a noise" appeal to fans prior to tonight's Ryman League Premier Division home game with Enfield. Victory tonight would see Town take over top spot if current leaders St Albans
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Brentwood: Flying start for green drive
Brentwood's free green waste collection service has got off to a great start with more than 38 tonnes collected in the first week. The service has come about through a £106,000 grant from central government's National Waste Minimisation and Recycling
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Chelmsford: Possible name change for school
A school could have a name change as part of a £2m facelift. Westlands Primary School, in Beeches Close, Chelmsford, will see its intake rise from the present 420 to 630 capacity. It will have seven extra classrooms, a new hall, office block and an all-weather
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Squash: Fine start for trophy defence
SEEVIC students began the defence of their Clifford Dixon Trophy in style with multiple success in the racquets competition. Top of the class for the Thundersley college was Philippa Kneller. The 16-year-old swept aside all before her as she took gold
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West Mersea: Missing sailor found safe
A man feared missing off West Mersea has been found safe and well. The Coastguard launched a helicopter and lifeboat search for an inexperienced yachtsman after he failed to make contact with his mother as arranged. The 51-year-old man, whose mother lives
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Basildon: Award for Depeche Mode
Basildon's Depeche Mode proved there's life in the old rockers yet by scooping a top music industry award. The electro pop pioneers, who became a huge stadium act in the US despite an often lukewarm response in the UK, were recognised with the Q Innovation
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Clacton: Pair cut out of crash car
A driver and his passenger had a lucky escape after the car they were travelling in collided with a lamppost and they had to be cut free from the vehicle. The accident happened around 4.50am today on the A133 Little Clacton Bypass, just after the St John's
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Basildon: Pupils get all fruity for charity
Lumpy gravy and spotted dick were off the menu at a Basildon school, but it was all for a good cause. Pupils at Janet Duke Junior School, in Markhams Chase, ditched the stodge in favour of healthy dinners to raise money for the Marie Curie cancer charity
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Colchester: Lights go out on town's music fest
Organisers have pulled the plug on the hugely-popular Colchester Free Festival. The event has grown to such an extent in the three years that it has been running that it has become a victim of its own success. Organisers announced that it has become impossible
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Chelmsford: Better treatment for kidney patients
Services for kidney patients who need dialysis are to be increased and improved at Broomfield Hospital thanks to an allocation of £490,600 from the Department of Health Eastern Region. Unit expansion: Looking forward to the expansion of the kidney dialysis
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Soccer: Cash netted for appeal by Blues
Southend United fans have helped raise cash for a fund in memory of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the two murdered Soham schoolgirls. Supporters who turned up to Saturday's game against York City at Roots Hall dipped into their pockets and raised £831
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Colchester: Man robbed of wallet
A man was robbed of his wallet by two men armed with a scaffolding pole. The victim was walking along Harwich Road, Colchester, at about 1am on Saturday when a dark coloured Ford Sierra or Granada car pulled up alongside him. A man got out of the car
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Canvey: Court hears fire was murder cover-up bid
A Canvey man strangled his brother's girlfriend and tried to cover up the murder by setting fire to her flat, a court heard. Ian Jarvis is on trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, facing a charge of murdering Ann Marie Couldridge between May 11 and 14 last
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Grays: Troubled club is closed again
A nightclub in difficulties was today closed once again as rent payments fell behind. More than 1,000 youngsters were expected to pile into the aQua club in Grays tonight to see top pop band Blazing Squad. But gig organiser Dean Lambert has had to reorganise
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South Essex: Danielle's friends give evidence
Two of Danielle's closest friends have appeared at court to give evidence against the man accused of her abduction and murder. Stuart Campbell, 44, of Meadow Road, Grays, sat in the dock as the two 16-year-old girls - both of whom cannot be named for
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Witham: 'Do not leave donations outside' plea
A charity is pleading with people not to leave donations or rubbish outside its shops. Clothes have been ruined by rain and removing the discarded rubbish is using up valuable funds. Sue Gilham, retail manager for the Farleigh Hospice, said the charity's
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Brentwood: 'Channel-swim' race between teachers and pupils
Splash-happy swimmers at Woodlands School in Brentwood are diving in to swim the channel for charity. But don't worry - they will be taking on the challenge in the comfort of the school's own swimming pool! From September to December pupils will be clocking
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Colchester: Hospital gets new cancer info centre
A cancer information centre is being set up at Colchester General Hospital for patients, their families and carers. The centre is scheduled to open in early 2003, inside the hospital's main entrance, and it is to be staffed by volunteers. It is the idea
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Hadleigh: Getting cross at crossing
Weary pedestrians in Hadleigh are seeing red after having to wait 15 minutes to cross the road due to a high-tech crossing system which went haywire. The pelican crossing in London Road, at the junction with Chapel Lane and New Road, boasts sensors to
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Soccer: Reid is favourite for Blues top job
Chris Makin has welcomed news that former boss Peter Reid is the new favourite to take over at Ipswich Town. The ex-Sunderland chief is thought to have met chairman David Sheepshanks for secret talks in London. And it is believed Reid - recently sacked
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Vange: Seeing the wood from the trees
Groups navigated their way through the countryside as part of a special orienteering day. We're all set - the Scooby team of Julie, Mark, Bobby, Rianna, Daryl and dog Tess ready to have fun and test their map-reading skills. Picture: MAXINE CLARKE EQKDW7
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Westcliff: Birthday party for Palace
Supporters of the Palace Theatre were in party mood when they held a special event at the Edwardian building, in London Road, Westcliff. Cheers! Palace Theatre Club secretary, Paddi Cole and chairman Peter Warden, toast another 90 years of history. Picture
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Rayleigh: TXU buyout saves jobs
More than 200 jobs have been spared in Rayleigh after electricity supplier Powergen bought the UK branch of troubled energy firm TXU for £1.37bn. Staff at TXU's London Road office faced bleak outlook yesterday morning when Scottish & Southern Energy
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Essex: More deaths on county roads
Two men have become the latest fatal victim's of Essex's roads. Part-time firefighter Ashley Butcher, 22, from Little Clacton, was killed after he was thrown from his motorbike on the old A133 Clacton Road, Weeley Heath. Paul Harrington, of Braintree,
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Colchester: Traders in 'halt the roadworks' plea
Disgruntled Colchester traders are calling for roadworks to be halted in the run-up to Christmas. Bottleneck - the roadworks which Colchester traders want halted for Christmas Traders near the Northern Approaches roadworks in Mile End said their takings
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Wickford: Cycle shop gears up for relaunch
The final lick of paint is being added to complete a £75,000 revamp of one of the county's oldest cycle shops. Cycle King - formerly Prentice's - in Wickford, will reopen on November 2 after an 11-week closure. The store, in London Road, has been entirely
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Billericay: Ice hockey stars light up half term
Firefighters and ice hockey players joined forces to help brighten up the start of half-term for a group of children. Day of thrills - London Knights players were joined by the fire brigade for the fun day. Picture: TERENCE BUNCH ETJ4B2 Stars of the London
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Colchester: DNA search to find sex attacker
Police have launched a huge DNA screening operation to catch a sex attacker who struck in Colchester. Samples are to be taken from anyone resembling the description of the man who seriously sexually assaulted a teenager. The move will include some 20
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Frinton: Punter wins £34,000
An anonymous lucky punter in north Essex has scooped a bookie's biggest ever winnings. The man, who does not want to be named, put down a stake of just £26 and won £34,067.57 from Bobby Swift Bookmakers, Ashlyns Road, Frinton, on Saturday. He selected
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Braintree: Nikki goes back to her old school
A former Braintree pupil is going back to school - this time as a teacher. Nikki Coles joined John Ray Infants School in Notley Road, Braintree, as a pupil in 1983. And now she's back on the other side of the desk after recently starting her first position
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South Ockendon: Betting shop robbers hunt
Police are hunting two robbers who escaped with a "substantial amount of money" after raiding a betting shop. The pair struck at Stanley Racing, in Derry Avenue, South Ockendon, just after the shop opened at about 11.45am on Sunday. A police spokesman
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Gymnastics: Carousel girls have rivals in a spin
Wickford-based Carousel Gym Club had another successful competition at the Essex Levels Four, Three and Fig Championships at Colchester. Winning line-up -- Charlie Atkins, Chloe Morton and Jessica Downes. Picture: LUAN MARSHALL EPHR63 The event is also
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Thundersley: Grant bid leaves clubs out in cold
A college ousted nine clubs from its Thundersley hall while bidding to boost its own sports facilities, it has emerged. Several of the organisations have now decamped to Waterside Farm Sports Centre, Canvey, after being turned away from Runnymede Sports
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North Essex: Police may have disturbed evidence, Bamber appeal hears
An appeal hearing against the conviction of Jeremy Bamber has heard vital evidence at the murder scene could have been disturbed by armed police. As counsel seek to prove six of the ten points which led to Bamber being jailed for life for the murder of
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Southend: Killer's potential path to freedom
An ongoing legal tussle that could pave the way for a Southend serial killer to seek freedom has taken a fresh twist. Defence lawyers argued in the House of Lords that fixing minimum jail "tariffs" was the job of judges, not politicians. The lawyers want
