Archive
-
Date
Essex: Firefighters slammed
Shadow Defence Secretary Bernard Jenkin today launched a bitter attack on fire union leaders. He has called on the Government to ask the Attorney General to outlaw the strike in the run-up to potential war with Iraq. Soldiers from Colchester-based 3 Para
-
Date
Soccer: No doubting Thomas - Joe
Thomas Gaardsoe has the pedigree to become a top-class international with Denmark. That was the glowing assessment from Ipswich Town boss Joe Royle, reflecting on the inspired form of his stylish centre-half. Gaardsoe has been touted as a possible international
-
Date
Soccer: Striker deal finally making progress
Les Ferdinand could be unveiled as West Ham's latest signing today after Spurs gave Glenn Roeder and managing director Paul Aldridge permission to talk to the striker. The former England international has been a target for a while as Roeder looks to bring
-
Date
Witham: Old fire station goes back on the market
Witham's old fire station is back on the market after a deal to buy it fell through. The Guithavon Street building had been offered for sale on a sealed bid basis by Braintree Council, which is selling off surplus land and buildings. A buyer was found
-
Date
Soccer: Rocks' derby test follows shock win
East Thurrock United and Great Wakering Rovers will be going into action on the back of splendid weekend successes when they clash at Rookery Hill tonight in Ryman Division One North. While Rovers -- who have lost just once in seven league games -- climbed
-
Date
Rugby: Rochford Hundred 14 - 42 Chingford (London Three NE)
Rochford started the second half of their season on a low note when they succumbed to a well-organised Chingford at Magnolia Road. It looked as if it would be Rochford's day as they laid into Chingford from the start with wave after wave of good attacking
-
Date
Speedway: Dutch flier to complete Arena line-up
Arena Essex promoter Ronnie Russell hit back at critics of his squad rebuilding as he completed the 2003 line-up with the arrival of Maik Groen. The 27-year-old Dutchman has a wealth of long track and grass track experience and is set to fill the reserve
-
Date
Castle Point: Labour's hijacked my Bill claims MP
Castle Point MP Bob Spink has accused the Government of hijacking his popular 1997 Bill allowing police to take alcohol from youngsters. The news emerged while Mr Spink was reintroducing his Bill in Parliament in an effort to stop under-age drinking in
-
Date
Southend: Thieves strike at blaze-hit family
A family who narrowly escaped with their lives after their home went up in flames have been dealt a second blow after burglars broke into the damaged house and stole hundreds of pounds worth of goods. Four teenagers had to scramble through a bathroom
-
Date
Basketball: Revenge mission for Greensward girls
Hockley's Greensward College are again on the trail of major success in the national schools' basketball competition. Their under-15 teams won through the last 16 stage when they beat Surrey's Salacian School 76-52 and will now be enjoying home advantage
-
Date
Benfleet: Don't ruin my business
An anxious shopkeeper fears his business could be demolished as part of a controversial new road scheme in Benfleet. Jason White, of JD Cycles in London Road, Benfleet, runs one of three shops affected by the proposal, designed to cut congestion near
-
Date
Basildon: New waste run builds on recycling success
Basildon hopes to double its level of recycling in the next three years by running doorstep collections for plastic, cans and textiles. The "dry recyclables" service will be available to 12,000 households throughout the district as a pilot scheme. In
-
Date
South Essex: Energy firm to cull jobs
South Essex was today counting the cost of 210 job losses as part of a programme of cutbacks at electricity company TXU Energi. Powergen, which bought TXU Energi in December last year, announced plans to shed the staff at its retail centre in London Road
-
Date
Canvey: Island honours flood dead of 50 years ago
Castle Point Council is pulling out all the stops later this month to commemorate the terrible floods of 1953. Fifty-nine islanders died in the tragedy 50 yeats ago on Saturday, January 31. Thousands of others lost their homes and their possessions as
-
Date
Southend: Teenager threatened by knifeman
A knife-wielding thug was left empty handed after a teenager refused to hand over his wallet. The 16-year-old boy was walking along Church Road, Southend, on Saturday afternoon when a man approached him, threatened him with a three-inch blade and demanded
-
Date
Essex: Fire staff on one-day walkout
Striking firefighters today vowed to step up their fight for better pay as they walked out for the fourth time. The Fire Brigades' Union (FBU) called the 24-hour strike after talks with the Government over pay and modernisation broke down again. Out on
-
Date
Colchester: Soldiers kit up as new war looms
Soldiers in Colchester are stocking up on extra kit in readiness a conflict in Iraq. Shops with specialist Army departments have reported an increase in sales of kit to soldiers. Outdoors in Short Wyre Street has sold 20 sleeping bags at £125 designed
-
Date
Soccer: U's transfer news gloomy
Underfire Colchester United boss Steve Whitton has been let down again - twice. But on the brighter side, there is better news for the U's chief concerning young Arsenal central defender Liam Chilvers. Whitton told the Evening Gazette: "I tried to bring
-
Date
South Ockendon: Ken's wiping out window cleaners!
The world's fastest window cleaner, Terry Burrows, has taken a swipe at London mayor Ken Livingstone over his traffic congestion charge. The £5-a-day levy may cost window cleaners their jobs, says Terry, of South Ock-endon, who has rewritten George Formby's
-
Date
Essex: V2003 headline acts announced
Essex's biggest music festival - V2003 - today announced its two headline acts - Britain's own Coldplay and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Coldplay, who's debut album Parachutes has made them one of the world's biggest bands, will play the main stage at Hylands
-
Date
Colchester: Under the limit man is guilty
A man has admitted drink-driving even though he was under the limit when tested. Dean Drury was tested for alcohol in his blood after driving along the B1508 Colchester Road, near Wormingford. The test found he had 71mgs of alcohol in 100mls of blood
-
Date
Southend: Freed mother raps sentence
Romaine Sabini, 34, of Cambridge Road, Southend, freed after serving half of a 28-day jail sentence for failing to send her daughter Lois to school, hit out today at her sentence. "My case wasn't the most serious in court but I was jailed and others weren't
-
Date
Colchester: Fires first and then the Gulf
Paratroopers are heading for the Gulf - after they have provided cover for striking firefighters. Soldiers from Colchester-based 3 Para were told yesterday they will be joining others from town-based 16 Air Assault Brigade in preparation for action against
-
Date
Soccer: Fleet's credentials tested
If Purfleet are to remain serious contenders in the Ryman Premier title race, tonight's visit to relegation-threatened Ford United is the sort of match they must win. Despite still being second, Fleet have fallen away in recent times and suffered a major
-
Date
Westcliff: Paul's TV game gamble wins £50,000 haul
A football coach today spoke of his shock after scooping £50,000 of prizes on a national TV show fronted by Ant and Dec. Paul Westwood, of Westborough Road, Westcliff, said he was "gobsmacked" after winning the prizes - including three holidays and two
-
Date
Swimming: Foster targets medal
Former Borough of Southend swimmer Mark Foster is in action today as the FINA World Cup moves to Stockholm. Billericay-born Foster will be aiming to follow up the 50m freestyle gold he won in the Paris leg on Saturday. The Swedish capital is hosting the
-
Date
Southend: Crushing blow for road tax dodgers
There's one flat rate for all tax dodgers. That was the message splashed across a giant crusher which literally flattened cars in Southend High Street yesterday. The crushing demonstration gave motorists a clear warning of what will happening to their
-
Date
Boreham, Great Baddow: Man broke firearms ban
A young man who worked his way up to become manager of a Boreham leisure and field sports shop was in the wrong job, a court heard. Christopher Orriss had served a custodial sentence meaning he was barred from possessing firearms or ammunition within
-
Date
Colchester: New fight against second Tesco bid
A second bid to build a Tesco store in a residential road is set to meet a new wave of objections. An application to build a Tesco Express store on the corner of Maldon Road and Drury Road, Colchester, has been fiercely fought since last June, when it
-
Date
Colchester: Pupils help make wish come true for charity
Pupils and staff at Philip Morant school showed that charity really does start at home when they raised cash for two prominent charities. The school decided to make the Wish Upon A Star charity the focus of its Christmas fundraising and collected £5,000
-
Date
Braintree, Witham: Pensioners call for action group
Campaigners are calling for volunteers to start an action group for pensioners in Witham. Leaders of the thriving Braintree branch of the Pensioners' Action Group are urging retired people in Witham to come forward and set up a similar group to fight
-
Date
Rugby: Rochford Jay on song after England call up
Steven Jay has been called up for the England under-18 rugby squad for the home international series to be held in Edinburgh from April 19 to 25. The 16-year-old Greensward College student plays for Rochford Hundred and also turns out for Northampton
-
Date
Dedham: Painting up for £1,000
A painting of Dedham Church is expected to be sold for just under £1,000. The painting by John Aldridge is one of several pictures for sale at Sworders Fine Art Sale in Stansted on February 4. The artist, who lived in Essex, died in 1983 and painted the
-
Date
Wickford: Shoplifter said store detective confused her
A confused shopper blamed a store detective for stalking her and causing her to be arrested for theft. Linda Banks, 37, claimed she was distracted by the detective and walked out without paying. She pleaded not guilty to stealing a £10.95 can of warts
-
Date
Lexden: Posters step up hunt for attacker
A poster campaign is being launched to aid the hunt for a Lexden sex attacker. Detectives are investigating three terrifying incidents in the same area, including a serious sexual assault on a 19-year-old woman. Hoping to jog memories - PC Katrina Smith
-
Date
Soccer: Billericay striker light for cup tie
Billericay Town are likely to have severe striking problems for tonight's Ryman League Bryco Cup fourth round tie with fellow Premier side Bishop's Stortford at New Lodge. Recent signings Andy Douglas and Gary Ansell are both cup-tied -- as is Paul Fewings
-
Date
Snooker: Bingham facing Rocket hot seat
Basildon snooker professional Stuart Bingham will be hoping that Irish eyes will be smiling on him when he takes on world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan in the Citywest Irish Masters in March. Having successfully negotiated three qualifying rounds in Blackpool
-
Date
Basildon: Women get help to solve problems
Basildon and East Thurrock MP Angela Smith has launched the new Essex Youth Mentoring Service, a project for young women in Basildon. The service, funded by the Community Fund from the National Lottery, will allocate mentors to young women in need across
-
Date
Colchester: Festival scrapped as funding refused
Colchester's street festival is to be scrapped. The Colchester Festival Association has decided to end the festival after being declined funding from Colchester Council and the Colchester Town Partnership. But the town partnership has said it would be
-
Date
Southend: Rape bid man is jailed
A man who tried to rape a 43-year-old woman started an eight-and-a-half year jail term today. Kosova-born Dritton Kamberi, 26, offered the woman two red roses before pushing her to the ground and jumping on top of her after she left a Southend club. As
-
Date
Soccer: Newman calls for win treble
Southend United boss Rob Newman wants his team to continue their Third Division progress against Oxford at Roots Hall tonight. Blues have won their last two games, keeping clean sheets in both matches, and the Shrimpers chief urged his players to make
-
Date
Essex: V2003 headline acts announced
Essex's biggest music festival - V2003 - today announced its two headline acts - Britain's own Coldplay and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Coldplay, who's debut album Parachutes has made them one of the world's biggest bands, will play the main stage at Hylands
-
Date
Rochford: School friends pray for Simon
Former school friends of helicopter crash victim Simon Kennedy have taken part in a special assembly to remember his short life. Pupils at the King Edmund School in Vaughan Close, Rochford, said a prayer for the 15-year-old after they were told of his
-
Date
Soccer: Swifts not getting rub of the Greene
Heybridge Swifts are not flying at the moment. A disappointing run of form has seen the club win only two of their last 13 matches and drop just one place above the relegation zone of the Ryman League premier division. Manager Dave Greene hasn't been
-
Date
Purfleet: Trailer leaks chemical
Four members of the public were treated by paramedics for breathing difficulties following a chemical leak from a trailer. Acid and solution was found leaking from a split drum in the back of a trailer parked inside the DSDS warehouse in Stonehouse Lane
-
Date
Essex: Llama hit by vehicle
A llama which stopped traffic on a sponsored walk on Essex roads has died after being hit by a car. Pacha, a brown and white llama, was bought by Rosita Apasa from a Norfolk farmer for £200. She was walking Pacha to Plymouth to join two female llamas
-
Date
Canvey: Laptop goes missing from school
Police on Canvey are investigating the theft of a school's laptop computer worth more than £1,000. The machine was stolen from a classroom in Winter Garden Junior school in Hilton Road, Canvey. Sgt Kevin Diable-White said: "One of the cleaners at the
-
Date
Basildon: Police hunt special people
Basildon police are after some special people to help keep the community safe. To achieve this task there will be an open evening on Wednesday on the work of the Special Constabulary in an effort to recruit new officers. Basildon currently has 26 Special
-
Date
Wickford: Head's heartbreak over school pupils
The headteacher at a Wickford school has described how it "breaks his heart" to see the distress of parents who fear their children may not get a place at the school. Philip Bell has been leading Beauchamps High in a battle to increase its first year
-
Date
South Benfleet: Cathedral tribute to beloved head
Hundreds turned out to pay tribute to a beloved former headteacher at a memorial service to give thanks for her life. Around 350 children and adults made their way to Chelmsford Cathedral to remember Cyndy Batty, who was head of South Benfleet Primary
-
Date
Rugby: Southend 24 - 13 London Nigerians (London One)
The phrase a game of two halves never had a truer meaning than in this Powergen London Division One game at Warners Park. Table-topping hosts Southend seemed quite unable to create scoring chances in the first-half. London Nigerians built on the penalty
-
Date
Pitsea: Leap of faith for orphans
A couple in their 50s have sold their bungalow to emigrate to the bitter cold of the old Soviet Union to help look after street children. Len Joy, 53, and his wife, Pat, 53, of Eastbrooks, Pitsea - who has never been abroad - are to make a huge leap of
-
Date
Hockey: Old Boys claim thrilling derby win
The resumption of the Printwize Hockey League after the Christmas break brought mixed fortunes for Southend. The men's first team took part in an eight-goal thriller against local rivals Old Southendian. The Old Boys took an early two-goal lead after
