Archive
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Witham: New loos for Newlands
Witham's extended wait for new public toilets is almost over. The Newlands Drive public toilets closed last autumn to be rebuilt, with the shiny new loos scheduled for completion in early April. But following a mix-up between the contractors and gas authorities
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Karate: Help Lane get on road to success
Karate girl Robyn Lane is on the hunt for sponsorship to boost her international hopes. The ten-year-old from St Anne's Road, Canvey, competed in Switzerland at the weekend where she added to her recent haul of medals. Now Robyn is aiming to take part
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Mid-Essex: Break free from red tape
A campaign has been launched to help staff at Mid Essex Hospitals Trust to escape red tape. The Break Free project is being run by the trust's Improving Working Lives project board throughout May. More than 3,600 staff will be given the chance to influence
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Braintree: Holiday firm bid for empty shop
Empty premises in Braintree High Street could be filled by a coach holiday company and taxi business. RS Travel Services, of Long Green, Cressing, is looking to expand in Braintree and has applied to turn the ground floor premises of 112 High Street into
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Basildon: Step into 'school' for party
Party-goers will have a chance to to give their old school uniforms an airing at a one-night only event at a top venue. Staff at Chicago Rock Cafe in Festival Leisure Park, Basildon, will be naughty school boys and girls for the day on May 25. Chefs at
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Colchester: Sponsor your own super-loo
This toilet was brought to you by ... New look unisex super-loos which clean themselves are set to be installed in Colchester town centre and beyond. It is hoped the cost of installing the hi-tech toilets will be shared by major firms who choose to advertise
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Trampolining: SEEVIC complete hat-trick
The men's trampoline team from Thundersley's SEEVIC College clinched the British Colleges Sport national title for the third year in succession, taking the number of National Championships to five in the last ten years. Top team - the SEEVIC trampolining
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Basildon: Major cash boost
Patients at Basildon Hospital are set to benefit from a better service during their recovery, thanks to a major donation of £33,000. High figure - members of the Basildon Hospital League of Friends hold aloft their latest major contribution to the wellbeing
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Southend: Bid to catch violent thieves
Detectives are appealing for information about two violent robberies in Southend. In the first, a 34-year-old man was walking along North Avenue when three men approached and asked him to hand over money When he said he didn't have any one knocked him
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Basildon: Sars fear halts China trip
A trip to China by pupils at Woodlands School in Takely End, Basildon, has been cancelled because of the deadly Sars outbreak. Instead the children are set to travel to New Zealand, with a night in Los Angeles in the United States. Twelve year 10 pupils
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Witham, Silver End: New uses for land
Some areas of Witham and Silver End have been allocated new uses after officers listened to local opinions on the recently published District Plan. A field off Blunts Hall Road, Witham, will remain in agricultural use and outside the town envelope after
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Yachting: Bill makes impressive start
Some might regard it as beginner's luck, but for Bill Woodhouse, of Harlow Blackwater Sailing Club, his introduction into cruiser racing produced one of the most dramatic results in the history of the Blackwater Joint Clubs Committee (BJRC) series. Woodhouse
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Angling: Bill enjoys an instant replay
Northlands Park continues to produce excellent hauls of bream and tench with several 50lb-plus bags for quivertip anglers. Quivertip angler Bill Chaplin took two big hauls by netting 50lb-plus catches on consecutive trips. Chaplin fished the middle spitway
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Soccer: Shrimpers exit no surprise for Broad
Stephen Broad admitted today his release from Southend United had come as no big surprise at all. The centre-half was handed a free transfer by Blues boss Steve Wignall following an injury ravaged campaign, which restricted the popular 22-year-old to
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Maldon: Katherine's name will live on thanks to new scheme
A father has taken steps to make sure his daughter's name lives on in memory by becoming the first person to buy a park bench under a new scheme. Residents' group Friends of the Prom has started an initiative to improve seating in Maldon's green spaces
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Chelmsford, Dagenham: Hospital may still be prosecuted
A hospital where a nine-year-old boy died while being prepared for a routine operation could face prosecution, the Health and Safety Executive has said. Tony Clowes died while under general anaesthetic at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex, in July
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Colchester: Bingo jackpot for lucky housewife
A lucky housewife is celebrating a jackpot bingo win of more than £200,000. And the first thing the kind-hearted grandma plans to do is pay for a much-needed operation for her sister. Patsy Kalbfell, 65, came up trumps during one of her regular visits
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Canvey: Children at risk from dirty lake
Canvey Lake needs to be urgently cleaned or it faces becoming a danger to the children who play there. Nobby Gubb, who is bailiff at the lake, off Denham Road, said he had arranged for Castle Point MP Bob Spink and Environment Agency officials to visit
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Grays, Southend: Sword killers get life
Two violent brothers who killed a man with a Samurai sword were today beginning life sentences for his murder. Danny Clarke, 28, from Southend, and brother Lee, 34, lured victim Glenn Sharpe to a south Essex pub car park and plunged the Oriental blade
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Shoebury: Caravan site plan sparks new fears
Plans to allow caravan owners to live on a site all year round have sparked fears it could become a housing estate. A report by Southend Technical Services recommends permission for 43 permanent static mobile homes to the south of East Beach, Shoebury
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Tendring: Charity dumps its director
The director director of a charity which provides vital transport for elderly and housebound residents today claimed he had been thrown off the board by colleagues. John Hughes, a former Tendring councillor, had been on the board of trustees of Tendring
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Harwich: Keep land for health service petition
A petition has been launched calling for land at Harwich Hospital to only be used for health services when it is developed. Tendring Primary Care Trust has put forward plans for a new health centre and hospital in the town, including the suggestion of
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Colchester: Most expensive bunny ops into record books
Jasmine the rescued rabbit from Colchester has become Britain's most expensive bunny after her devoted owner spent more than £2,500 on medical bills to save her. College administrator Jane Sweeting took in Jasmine after she was found locked in a garage
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Leigh: Sick Andrea's first holiday bid
A disabled girl who suffers from a rare muscle wasting disease is looking forward to her first holiday. Andrea Wood, six, from Tiptree Close in Leigh, has never been able to go away because she requires round the clock specialist care. Loving touch -
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Southend: Council pledge over homeless
Councillors have vowed to continue to reduce the number of homeless families in Southend. The Government awarded Southend Council £88,675 to reach the target of 40 families in bed and breakfast by March this year. Officers managed to surpass this figure
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Colchester: Hospice donations stolen from store
Terminally ill children will lose out after a thief stole cash donated by Colchester shoppers. The theft was from the wishing well in the entrance of Asda in Turner Rise, which has been filled with thousands of pounds in small change over the last four
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Southend: Keddies £15m scheme
A £15million scheme for a new hotel, flats, casino, offices, bars, restaurants and a nightclub today looked set to be given the go ahead. The proposals, for the rear of the former Keddies building in Southend, which will create 350 new full and part time
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Southend: Pier entrance to have grand opening
Work to the new Southend pier entrance is on track and will be open to the public on Saturday. The pier entrance and bridge have been rapidly taking shape as part of the regeneration of the seafront and the town centre. Nearing completion - the hi-tech
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Billericay: Hunt for two street robbers
Police are keen to identify these men in connection with a violent robbery outside an off-licence in Billericay. The victim, a 28-year-old man, was in Bridge Parade, near the Threshers store, on Friday May 9 at around 4.20pm when he was punched ferociously
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Southend: Credit union gets a boost
Plans for a credit union in Southend to keep hard-up borrowers out of the hands of loan sharks have been given a massive boost. The Southend Association of Voluntary Services has been awarded more than £311,000 to set up the "people's bank". It is hoped
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Athletics: Kevin is top at triathlon training event
Kevin Partridge dominated Trisport Epping's training Triathlon last Sunday. The 400m swim, 21k bike and 7k run was completed in a staggering 1hr 8 minutes and 53 seconds. He was fastest in all three disciplines. Despite a winning margin of almost four
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Southend: Councillors back compulsory leasing
Councillors are backing the compulsory leasing of empty homes to tackle a rising tide of homelessness. The proposals, in which councils would be given the right to take over empty private properties, refurbish them and lease them to homeless people or
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Tendring: Charity dumps its director
Darren Bent had reason to celebrate after his late call-up by England Under-21s. The Ipswich Town striker has flown out to join David Platt's squad at a training camp in Sardinia. Ironically, he got the call after illness looked to have ruled out best
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Soccer: Edinburgh springs in to Town action
New Billericay Town boss Justin Edinburgh was soon in action on the first day of his job as manager of the Ryman Premier club. The former Southend United and Spurs defender had meetings with club chairman Rod Moore and other officials at New Lodge last
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Soccer: Anne Line are top of the cops
Basildon's St Anne Line Junior School proved themselves tops with the cops when they competed in the new town police force's football and netball tournament. Champion display - the year six soccer team Picture: MAXINE CLARKE The boys won the year six
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Brentwood: Walkers to give children's charity a boost
Walkers from across Essex will be converging on Brentwood Cathedral to help raise money for a charity based in the town. The Brentwood Catholic Children's Society (BCCS) is holding its annual sponsored fun walk on Saturday, May 31 and it is hoped hundreds
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Cricket: Grasshoppers stay top of league
Current Osborne League leaders Elmstead Grasshoppers maintained their 100 per cent record with a win against Great Bromley. Peter Brinkley's 71 helped Great Bromley achieve 167 for eight, but with their opponents amassing 171 for four they were defeated
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Soccer: Stew was Sutch bad news for Rob
Daryl Sutch today claimed that Southend United's decision to appoint Stewart Robson as head coach last season had cost Rob Newman his job as Blues' manager. The 31-year-old joined the Shrimpers' Third Division rivals Boston this week, following his Roots
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Southend: Nine years for burglar
A drug addict who went into a "frenzy" and committed "appalling crimes against the community" was today behind bars. In one burglary, Neil McCormack pinned an 80-year-old disabled woman to her bed and shook her. Jailing him for a total of nine years,
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Chelmsford: Gang steal boy's bike
A Chelmsford boy was pushed into bushes by a gang of youths who stole his bike. The youngster, who was riding through an alleyway in Duke Street at about half past midnight on May 5, when the gang pushed him into hedges, before making off with his bike
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Soccer: White warns Scott
Alan White threw down a challenge to his Colchester United captain Scott Fitzgerald today - 'I want your skipper's armband'. But Fitzgerald insisted: "Alan's going to have to wait until the manager takes it off me. "The captain's job is mine as long as
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Angling: Long haul worth it for Kent Bob
Bob Brogden travelled from Kent to fish Rochford's Doggetts fishery and was rewarded with an 18.12lb mirror plus a common of 14lb. Chris Lyndsay from Westcliff fished the long arm and found most of his fish tight to the reeds. Besides numerous tench and
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Basildon: Garage in planning protest
A garage is appealing to the Deputy Prime Minister because it says Basildon Council will not allow it to sell or hire out vehicles. Blow Stop Exhaust Systems in East Mayne, Basildon, wants to build a new workshop and offices. The council has given planning
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Parkeston: Couple hit by arson
An elderly couple today told how they could only stand and watch as hundreds of pounds worth of property went up in smoke after arsonists struck at their home. Pensioners Edna and Ron Greenfield lost the disabled scooter they shared, along with bikes,
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Rochford: Fire rips through old hospital site
Fire investigators were today probing the cause of a blaze which ripped through the former Rochford Hospital site. Fifteen firefighters fought the flames at the derelict site, which is believed to have been started deliberately. Crews were called at 6.15pm
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Brentwood: New life for training centre?
A council run training centre axed as part of tough money saving measures may be given a new lease of life. Brentwood Borough Council chiefs are holding talks with the Mid Essex Adult Community College which believes the defunct Brentwood Training Centre
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Grays: Vandals hit stadium again
Thurrock Harriers' vandal-plagued stadium has been targeted again. Louts broke into the stadium in Blackshots Lane, Grays, and used breeze blocks to smash dozens of windows. Harriers vice-chairman Graham Spring estimated the damage to be "at least £2,000
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Wickford: Head throws out trainers after 17 years for fun walk
Dedicated headteacher Maggie Angele has had to buy herself a new pair of trainers to take part in a fun walk after realising her old ones were 17 years old. The 55-year-old acting head at Castledon School, Wickford, says the fences at the Bromfords Drive
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Athletics: Best foot forward for marathon
Ideal conditions greeted athletes for the Halstead Marathon. The Halstead event is the only race of this distance still to be run in Essex and it attracted competitors from across the area. Runners in the Halstead Marathon The athletes had to battle some
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Basildon, Grays: Inquest sparks hospital pledge
Basildon Hospital has vowed to review its procedures constantly, following the inquest on schoolboy Tony Clowes, who died during a routine operation. The hospital was one of a number investigated by four police forces under the joint Operation Orcadian
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Canvey: Flood garden donors appeal
Time is running out for contributions to a living tribute to loved ones lost in the 1953 Canvey floods. The memorial garden being established by the regeneration group Canvey 2000 at Eastern Esplanade, Canvey, is due to open at the end of this month.
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Southend: Millie checks out chicks
More than half British children now believe that food comes from supermarkets, and have no clear idea exactly what a farm is or does. Look mum - little Millie Baines inspects these fluffy chicks Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY It was a supermarket that set out
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Cricket: Napier takes four Surrey wickets
Essex started brightly in their Frizzell County Championship division one game against Surrey at Chelmsford before the visitors batted their way back into the game. Essex won the toss and elected to field on day one of the match and it soon appeared to
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Hadleigh: A hitch over hitches
Couples wanting to get married in a posh restaurant will have to wait as planning bosses look into the parking situation. La Quinta, in Benfleet Road, Hadleigh, has achieved popularity since it opened in a former clothing factory. It is now keen to expand
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Clacton: Police pledge to punish vandals
Police are launching a new crackdown on vandals in Clacton. There have been a number of reports of criminal damage to cars and windows being smashed and police say the culprits will be caught and dealt with. Insp Paul Morton, of Clacton police, said:
