Archive
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Rochford: £22m hospital plan is backed
A £22million bid to breathe new life into Rochford Hospital has been hailed by councillors as the most significant development in the town for years. The plans to redevelop part of the old hospital site into a new mental health unit have been well received
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Soccer: On the Ball
Stanway boss Steve Ball has challenged his promotion-chasing players to get over their first league defeat in almost four months. Rovers had gone unbeaten in 12 games before last Saturday's shock 2-1 home reverse to Kings Lynn's second-string. Ball admits
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Witham: Bridge work plans criticised
Plans for strengthening work on an historic bridge in Witham have been criticised by councillors. Saul's Bridge, which carries Maldon Road over the River Brain in Witham, was built in 1814 and is the oldest cast iron bridge still in use in Essex. But
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Essex: Chaos on trains as points fail
Hundreds of commuters faced rail chaos today after a points failure and a broken down train caused delays on the Southend to Liverpool Street line. Problems at Gidea Park, near Romford, meant trains into and out of London were delayed as engineers worked
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Soccer: Blades sharpen knives for cup clash
Ipswich Town will be looking to put one over Sheffield United in the FA Cup following the Blades heartbreaking loss at Anfield on Tuesday against Ipswich. Neil Warnock's men went out of the Worthington Cup in extra-time, so they won't want to be eliminated
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Soccer: Money talks Reuser walks
Joe Royle today blamed 'purely financial reasons' for his surprise decision to offload Martijn Reuser. The Dutch midfielder has been told he can leave Portman Road on a free transfer - the fourth player dealt that news in 24 hours. As part of the Blues
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Table Tennis: Police cannot arrest Forum win run
Forum A increased their lead at the top with an emphatic 8-1 win over Southend Police in the Premier Division of the Southend Table Tennis League. Tony Halling and Kevin Lally scored hat-tricks for the top dogs. Rawreth B beat bottom club Lentern A 7-
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Abridge: Michael rewarded for outstanding service
An Abridge schoolboy has been honoured with a Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Award for his outstanding service to the community. Michael Austin first hit the headlines at the age of 13 when he rallied a group of his peers to speak out at a public meeting
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Southend: Jive at charity dance
Movers and shakers will be jiving down to a Valentine's charity ball in Southend for Little Haven children's hospice in Daws Heath. The dance has been organised by Jive night club which teaches at Ambleside Social Club on Thursday evenings. The ball at
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Basildon: Russians visit hospital
A Russian delegation of professors has just visited Basildon Hospital's mental health unit - in a bid to help the service in their own country. Following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, the Regional European Academic Programme Project was set up and has
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Canvey: Health chance for islanders
Families living on Canvey are to be given another chance to voice their views on future health provision on the island. Two meetings arranged earlier this month to discuss how to beat the chronic GP shortage, which has hit the island as hard as anywhere
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Brentwood: Pay rise test for council
Councillors are wrestling with their consciences this week and deciding whether to take a four per cent rise in their allowances. Just weeks after approving plans for an independent review of members and mayoral allowances, councillors were faced with
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Ingatestone: Rail passengers unhappy
Angry rail passengers are striving to bring train company chiefs onto the public platform to explain an alleged winter of discontent on the railways. Ingatestone Rail Users' Association claims services are 'disastrous' and has invited managers from First
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Essex: Motorists face the music
New cameras could be set up to take pictures of the faces of speeding motorists. Speed cameras currently only take pictures of the number plates of speeding cars. But now a pilot scheme could be started where pictures would also be taken of drivers' faces
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Harold Wood: Posties to benefit from safety measures
Increased safety measures by Royal Mail will soon mean cycling posties in Harold will be wearing crash helmets. The initiative is being introduced across the country and will result in 37,000 postmen who deliver their rounds on bike wearing the safety
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Soccer: Ten-goal aim for on-loan Williams
New boy Gareth Williams is aiming for a ten-goal haul with Colchester United. Snapped up from First Division Crystal Palace on a month's loan by U's boss Steve Whitton, the South African-born Welsh striker is already relishing the prospect of making his
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Athletics: Hayley delighted with schools success
Basildon athlete Hayley Stibbs was part of a remarkable success story in the intermediate girls' race at the Essex Schools Cross-Country Championships. The first three home at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, were all first year intermediates who will be eligible
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Colchester: Councillor upset site unchanged after a year
A metal fence around the footpath and wall of the former Paxmans Social Club in Colchester has been in place for a year. A furious councillor has posted a "Not a Happy Birthday" card on the fence of the Edward Paxman Memorial Club site on Hythe Hill.
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Thurrock: Bigger bins for flats
A council has granted itself planning permission to increase the size of waste bin areas at two blocks of flats. Thurrock's development control committee gave the go-ahead for extensions to the refuse areas at two blocks of nine flats in Bellmaine Avenue
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Bowls: Reed pipped in county bowls final
Woodlands School pupil Dominic Reed was pipped to the post when the Essex under-18 singles national qualifying competition was held at Basildon's Eversley Centre. He was narrowly beaten by Andrew Faulty from Hainault in a competition featuring 12 juniors
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Southend: Engineer's inspiration
Young woman engineer Helena Hutt gave pupils an insight into her work as she presented prizes at a prize day at Southend High School for Girls. Prized girls - Helena and acting headteacher Alison Clewlow, presented prizes to Charlotte Palmer, Lucy Holmes
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Basketball: Leopards hoping to ground Eagles
After the disappointment of a late defeat at the Scottish Rocks the Leopards return to Brentwood twice during the coming week. Today the Newcastle Eagles fly into town. The Eagles won at Brentwood earlier in the season but since then the Leopards are
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Rugby Union: Ipswich test for Thurrock
Thurrock's home game with Ipswich in London Two North highlights the local rugby programme. Both Rochford, at Brentwood, and Basildon, visiting Romford and Gidea Park, face tricky away games in London Three North-East. Rochford will be looking to improve
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Brentwood: Watchdog investigation reveals bed blocking
A new watchdog body headed by a county councillor from Brentwood has revealed that scores of hospital beds for acutely ill patients and accident victims in Essex are being blocked by elderly people who do not need to be in hospital. The disturbing fact
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Soccer: Sutch is life
Southend United's very own Mr Flexible, Daryl Sutch, urged his team mates to keep talking their way to victory at Scunthorpe tomorrow. The 31-year-old has played in central midfield and defence, plus right-back, since joining Blues on a month long contract
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Canoeing: Ice can't halt Chelmsford
Chelmsford Canoe Club held its annual Winter Series Race and despite the recent floods subsiding, the recent cold spell bought an new problem in the form of ice. Large areas of ice further down the usual course meant a last minute change of plan and a
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Southend: Bill could spell 'death of live music'
A Heybridge musician has hit out at a Government bill, which could "see the death of live music". Rick Christian, of Cooper's Avenue, says the licensing bill will kill live music because it would discourage smaller venues from booking live acts because
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Mid-Essex: Trust smashes its waiting list target
A Mid-Essex care Trust has smashed Government targets by getting a waiting list for assessments down to zero. The Witham, Braintree and Halstead Care Trust has reorganised the way it carries out care assessments on the elderly and now people are being
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Southminster: Inquiry call over food poisoning treatment
A Southminster man who almost died from salmonella food poisoning is calling for an investigation into the way doctors handled his case. Barry English, 55, claims his distraught wife Sharon was told to take him to Burnham or Southminster surgery when
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Southend: Consultation to decide Essex future
The people of Essex are being asked for their views on how the county should develop in many different aspects of life over the next 20 years. As part of the review of the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Structure Plan a variety of ideas are being put forward
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Indoor Cricket: Double joy for Eastwood indoor cricket squads
Eastwood picked up a maximum 18 points from their Southend Indoor Cricket League clash with Old Southendian and Southchurch. Both Harper and Bartlett scored 29 for Eastwood, the latter being unbeaten, in a 105-5 total. Southendian collected six points
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Laindon: Murder victim named
Detectives were today still questioning a man arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery of a body in Laindon. The dead man has been named as Sean Hand, in his 50s, who was found in a pool of blood at his home in Kathleen Ferrier Crescent
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Basketball: Seven-foot Tendai
International basketball player Tendai Simbai has signed for the Colchester United Community Sports Trust team. This is a great boost for the newly-affiliated side as they prepare for their first game. Standing at an amazing seven feet and two inches,
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Soccer: Douglas injury blow for Billericay
Billericay Town could well be without striker Andy Douglas as they attempt to step up their Ryman Premier title bid with two key home games in four days. In the tightest championship chase for years, neither tomorrow's visitors Hayes nor St Albans, who
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Leigh: School launches building cash bid
A Leigh school is launching an ambitious project to raise £90,000 to fund vital building works, including major new facilities for children with learning difficulties. West Leigh Junior School, in Ronald Hill Grove, is celebrating its 90th anniversary
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Leigh: Traders are left powerless
Traders in Leigh who have lost thousands of pounds from a spate of powers cuts are threatening to take action if they continue to be blighted by daily blackouts. Businesses lost power again on Wednesday afternoon plunging stores into darkness and causing
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North Weald: Appeal for minibus drivers
An urgent appeal for volunteer drivers has gone out from a community minibus service catering for elderly and disabled residents of the Ongar and North Weald area. Since becoming fully operational six month ago, the Epping Forest Community Transport service
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Soccer: Ladies look to Blues link-up
Southend Ladies football club could be enjoying a brighter future if closer links with Southend United come to fruition. The 14-year-old club may be having a tough time in this season's Greater London Premier League, but off the field the first steps
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Canvey: Guide's accolade for hotel
The boss of a Canvey hotel is celebrating after making it into a prestigious national guide for the fourth year running. Chris Fenwick, owner of Canvey's Oysterfleet Hotel, was overjoyed when he heard the news that his hotel had made it into the Michelin
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Soccer: Trophy takes back seat for Canvey
Canvey may be building up for their bid to get through to the last 16 of the FA Trophy against Nationwide Conference Northwich Victoria a week today. But they will not start thinking about that clash until after two key Ryman Premier away games being
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Soccer: Rovers hoping to return to form
Great Wakering Rovers will be happy to be avoiding opposition from the Thurrock area when they step out in Ryman Division One action at Burroughs Park. The village side's only two defeats in an otherwise impressive run of eight matches without loss have
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Canvey: Halt the rat-run lorries
Fed-up residents have called for tough action to be taken on lorry drivers who use their residential street as a shortcut through Canvey. People living in the island's May Avenue have complained of heavy congestion and have asked Castle Point councillors
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Thaxted: Plane flap near miss for woman
A Thaxted woman was lucky to escape injury when the tail flap of a cargo plane plunged into her garden. Helen Radford, of Wedow Road, had fortunately parked her £20,000 Astra convertible car on the road last Wednesday night when the five by two foot chunk
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Essex: Death driver is jailed
A hit-and-run driver who caused the death of a champion cyclist in Stanford-le-Hope has been jailed for five years. Marios Theoklitou, from Hertford, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court for sentencing after pleading guilty at a hearing in October to causing
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Sport: Sport award in record nominations
Southend Sports Council chiefs have been amazed by the number of entries their annual Sports Personality of the Year awards have attracted for 2002. Around 40 nominations have been received for the awards, which will be presented at the mayor's parlour
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Squash: Juicy finals in prospect
The Essex closed squash and racketball competition is being held at Basildon's Club Kingswood this weekend. The tournament attracted 130 players at the preliminary stage, but the action hots up for real tomorrow with competitors battling it out for a
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Shoebury: Mum wants son to give cash back
A mother is suing her son who allegedly influenced her to hand over £70,000 in life savings when she was sick. Widow Gwendolyne Wild, 77, claims her son John Cann influenced her to give him the cash while she was suffering from severe depression, Parkinson's
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Chelmsford: Tragic Dad at court hearing
A man has appeared in court charged with falsely obtaining thousands of pounds from two families searching for their missing children. Michael Hills, 59, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court yesterday to face two charges of obtaining property by
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Billericay: Cheers as flats plan is refused
More than 100 Billericay residents cheered triumphantly last night as plans to build 12 new flats in Western Road were thrown out. The town's area committeeand local residents voicedstrong opposition to the multi-million pound development for over an
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Essex: Putting a police pressence back on the streets
Putting a police presence back on the streets of Essex is one of the aims of new community support officers who could soon become commonplace across the county. These officers will be given a range of powers including confiscation of alcohol, dealing
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Silver End: Yob drivers carve up soccer pitch
Village footballers struggling to find enough ground to play on have been dealt a further blow by yobs who drove a car over their only pitch. The playing field, off Silver Street, Silver End, is home to Silver End Youth Football Club's 13 teams, along
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Soccer: Whitts wants end to home hoodo
Underfire U's boss Steve Whitton is desperate for three points after seeing his team go eight games without a win at Layer Road. It seems a very long time since the Kem Izzet-inspired 2-0 win over Chesterfield in fact, it was more than three months ago
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Rayleigh: Taxi fare battle goes to court
A bitter dispute over taxi fare increases in Rayleigh and Rochford is to be decided by a court. Taxi operators and Rochford District Council have been at the centre of a war of words over the authority's fares rise planned for the end of last year. Owners
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Soccer: Lee is bargain for Fleet
Purfleet have always had an eye for a bargain and look to have picked up another in striker Kris Lee. A couple of seasons ago he was the leading striker in the Ryman League and as a result Chelmsford City paid £15,000 to Heybridge for his services. However
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Soccer: Glenn says cup holds no fear
West Ham boss Glenn Roeder insists his team will be taking the FA Cup seriously despite their precarious league position. Bottom-of-the-table Hammers face a daunting trip to Manchester United for Sunday's televised fourth round tie with most people anticipating
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Colchester: Bus bosses questioned
Residents in Colchester have called on bus chiefs to lay on a new service between one of the town's major estates, Colchester General Hospital and Leisure World. The idea was touted at a meeting between disgruntled bus users in Greenstead and bosses at
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Harwich: Trinity House plan to create 60 jobs
Up to 60 new jobs will be created as part of Trinity House's multi-million pound expansion in Harwich. About 150 jobs have already been saved as a grant of £2.5 million from the the East of England Development Agency has been secured. Following major
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Soccer: Reviving Rocks in derby tester
Tomorrow's Thurrock derby highlights the ups-and-downs of a league campaign. Aveley entertain East Thurrock and just a few weeks ago you'd have given Rocks next to no chance. It's a different scenario now. After their depressing run of just one victory
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Billericay: Argos set for town centre
The face of Billericay High Street is set to change with the arrival of Britain's largest catalogue shop - creating 35 new jobs. Argos will be opening a new store at the Dowdall and Jordan site in the town in March as part of the company's three-year
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Mid-Essex: Hospital in nurse recruitment drive
A team from Mid Essex Hospitals Trust is heading to India next month in an attempt to recruit about 100 nurses. It is the first major overseas recruitment drive by the trust, which must employ 130 extra nurses this year to meet new NHS targets. The trust
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Southend: Parking charges freeze welcomed
Motorists have welcomed a freeze on parking charges in Southend town centre next year. The move was announced by Roger Weaver, Southend's executive councillor for transport, despite a battle to balance his budget. Roger Glover, 56, a window cleaner from
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Castle Point: Boarding parks one step nearer
Campaigning youngsters are celebrating after plans for two new skateboard parks in Castle Point got the green light. For years, youngsters have used town centres to hone their skateboarding skills but two dedicated centres are now in the pipeline. Castle
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Athletics: Hickey off sickbed for Reebok exam
Southend athlete Adam Hickey shook off a viral infection to step up his bid bid to retain the Reebok Cross-Country Challenge under-15 boys overall title. Hickey had three days off school in the run up to the event but his performance in Wales means he
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Great Totham: Residents hit out over house development
Neighbours are up in arms over the building of a house just two feet away from their gardens. Cyril Hammond, who lives in Harvey Road, Great Totham, and his neighbour Tanya Byford, have hit out at a development which they claim when fully built, will
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Essex: Four hurt in A131 crash
Four cars today crashed on an icy mid Essex road. Four people were slightly injured in the pile-up on the A131 Great Notley bypass at 7.30am. All motorists managed to get out of their vehicles before the emergency services arrived. The driver of a Ford
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Braintree: Warning over cash machine con trick
A senior Braintree police officer has thwarted a con trick at a cash machine in the town. Insp Joe Wrigley was using the machine at the Nationwide Building Society in Bank Street when his card and cash were not returned. He examined the slot and found
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Thurrock: Chalets set for eyesore site
A council has agreed to relax regulations and allow four new homes in the green belt to get rid of an eyesore commercial site. Thurrock Council's development control committee granted planning permission for the four chalet-style houses at Lower Dunton
