Archive
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Soccer: Gunners fun in the sun for kids
It's been sunshine all the way for soccer-mad youngsters learning to play the Arsenal way at Blenheim School in Leigh during the current school holidays. More than 100 girls and boys aged from four to 16 have been picking up top level coaching at Arsenal
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American Football: Essex Spartans 16 - 28 Cambridge Cats
Spartans head coach Dean Gibson admitted he was disappointed with the outcome of this table-topping clash -- but took several positives from the performance. After conceding an early score Spartans played some great football, but on four occasions they
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Benfleet: Carer's visit to dead dad
A bereaved family were distraught when a carer arrived on their doorstep to look after the man of the house - the day after he died. David Thorpe, 62, of Hatley Gardens, Benfleet, suffered from PSP, an illness linked to Parkinson's Disease, and was visited
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Burnham: St John Ambulance may have to quit
St John Ambulance may be forced to quit Burnham and the Dengie area due to a lack of volunteers. The division has already had to cut the number of functions it attends and has had to concentrate its duties mainly in the Burnham area. There are currently
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Castle Point: Furious bowlers turn on council
Bowls club bosses today blamed Castle Point Council after they missed the boat and failed to net thousands of pounds of Lottery funding. Castle Point Bowls Club hoped to scoop between £65,000 and £70,000 from Sport England to pay for a new clubhouse.
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Westcliff: Sporting chance at charity auction
An England football shirt signed by all the players will be up for grabs at an auction at a black tie charity ball at the Cliffs Pavilion to celebrate 20 years of Fair Havens Hospice in Westcliff. The shirt was signed by the England team at the match
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Westcliff: Granny! It's time for your medicine
Grumpy grans beware - a show is in town which tells the tale of what one boy did to his bad-tempered grandmother. Brewing trouble - actor David Ahmad stirs up a potent concoction Picture: MAXINE CLARKE George's Marvellous Medicine is being performed twice
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Southend: Green light for wine bar
A select area of Southend is set to get a new wine bar, despite bitter opposition from neighbours. The council's development control committee agreed plans to convert the former stationmaster's house at Thorpe Bay station, despite 43 letters of objection
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Great Leighs: Body found in burning car
Police were today investigating the mystery death of a man after a charred body was found in a burnt-out car. Officers were alerted by firefighters who had been called to put out a car blaze in Blackle Lane near Great Leighs at 4.40pm yesterday. Investigation
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Colchester: Mum appalled by discarded needle
A worried mum has spoken out after a hypodermic needle was found near a children's play area. The needle was found next to the bus stop in the Scarfe Way area of Greenstead, Colchester. Concerned - Jackie Lofting with her son, Joseph Wiekamp, where they
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Braintree: Closed school to return
Essex County Council has renewed its pledge to reopen a Braintree primary school in the next few years Chapel Hill School closed in July 2002, two years after a damning Ofsted report marked it as a failing school and it was placed in special measures.
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Braintree: Former champ Rod helps landlady raise funds
A Braintree landlady has raised hundreds of pounds for charity after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Julie Maguire, of the Wagon and Horses, raised £1,700 holding a fundraiser with husband Terry, daughter Hannah and regulars at the South Street
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Basildon: Blueprint for show town is probed
A bold development transforming Basildon into a 21st century urban showpiece drew one step closer as councillors ordered an investigation into the plan. The blueprint for a 90-acre regeneration scheme on Gardiners Lane South includes, shops, a business
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Essex: Education chiefs hit out at funding crisis
Essex education chiefs have attacked the Government over a funding crisis which could see at least 59 school jobs cut. In a hard-hitting letter to Education Secretary Charles Clarke, Essex County Council leader Lord Hanningfield has laid the blame for
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Canvey: Truckers facing a clamp in car park
Tough new measures are being proposed to trap noisy lorries parked illegally overnight in a Canvey car park. Castle Point Council's highways and leisure committee is to decide on Monday evening whether to call in a wheel clamping firm to tackle the problem
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Golf: Levermore set to step up workload
Clacton golfer Jason Levermore may have missed the cut at the Volvo PGA Golf Championship at Wentworth but the event has given him a taste for the big time. And the 24-year-old professional said that he now realises how much extra work he needs to put
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Billericay: Town set for fun day
Husky racing and a motorcycle display team will be the focus of Billericay's summer fun day. The event, organised by Billericay Mayflower Rotary Club, takes place on June 28 and attractions include a race between the Red Baron and Winter Dance husky racing
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Pitsea: Youth club future hangs in the balance
A youth club could expand or end up in financial crisis - depending on a decision by councillors today. The community hall in Northlands Park, Pitsea, is home to the town's only boys' club, but the group cannot get external funding without a long lease
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Coggeshall: Bridleways upgrade rejected
A bid by Essex County Council to upgrade bridleways to allow vehicular traffic across an ancient estate at Coggeshall has been rejected. Planning inspector Sue Arnott studied maps dating back to 1594 and scrutinised 70 objections at a four-day public
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Cricket: Brown's black day for Essex in trophy
A magnificent performance by Warwickshire all-rounder Dougie Brown, who blasted 108, took his side to victory by three wickets with five balls to spare at Edgbaston. Essex had looked to be cruising to a Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy quarter-final
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Basildon: Incinerators 'risk to kids'
A campaigner today warned that it would be "foolish" for people to ignore a new study claiming mothers living near incinerators have a higher risk of having a baby with spina bifida or a heart defect. The report is published in the Journal of Epidemiology
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Southend: Delay over Keddies plan
A £15million hotel, casino and nightclub in Southend's Keddies building have been put on ice until the middle of June. All 51 councillors will now be given the chance to voice their opinions. The council's development control committee approved the scheme
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Pitsea: Man has his face slashed
A man suffered severe facial injuries after being slashed across the face with a screwdriver as he chased thieves who tried to steal his car. Detectives are now hunting a man and woman, who were with a Staffordshire bull terrier, who fled from the scene
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Golf: Top-notch play on beauty of a course
Rochford Hundred held their Kindred club Shield qualifier over the weekend when the superb condition of the course was reflected in the golf played. And judging by the scores then Rochford look well set to retain the trophy when the final is held at Thorpe
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Westcliff: Lotto saves help centre staff
Jobs and services at an advice centre for the elderly have been saved at the last minute thanks to a £146,000 cash boost from the National Lottery. Redundancy letters had already been sent out to staff at the South East Essex Advocacy, in London Road,
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Essex: Healthcare cash injection
Essex is to get hundreds more nurses and healthcare staff Health bosses in the county have just approved a plan to invest heavily in front-line staff in a bid to slash waiting times. The Essex Local Delivery Plan maps out how an extra £399 million will
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Buckhurst Hill: Lake searchers find a body
Divers searching a lake at Buckhurst Hill, after a teenage boy disappeared while swimming with friends, recovered a body last night, police said. The alarm was raised shortly after 3pm yesterday, when the youngster vanished. A police spokesman said a
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Thundersley: Yobs damage leisure site
Vandals who broke into the site of a multi-million-pound sports complex and crashed a movable platform have caused thousands of pounds of damage. Police believe they entered the Rayleigh Road, Thundersley, building site where developer Virgin Active is
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Canvey: Bobbies still pound island beat
Bobbies really are out pounding the streets on Canvey, despite uproar over station opening hours. That was the message newly elected councillors were keen to reinforce at last night's Canvey West area forum. Councillors moved quickly to dispel rumours
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Canvey: Flowerpot men nab pair's prized blooms
A couple have told of their fury after thieves made off with 11 of their treasured flower pots. Norman and Margaret Denham were stunned when they opened their front door to find their plant pots had disappeared. Mrs Denham, of East Crescent, Canvey, said
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Burnham: Boy, 4, walks a mile to mum
A school is reviewing its security policy after a four-year-old boy went missing on his first day there. Joanne Bastone's son, Jake, left Burnham Primary School and turned up half-an-hour later at her work place. After just an hour he had decided he missed
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Thurrock: Lakeside puts on arts display
The writing was on the wall for youngsters when their paintings and drawings went on show at the Lakeside shopping centre. The exhibition was put on by students from Chafford Hundred campus school and the Thurrock and Basildon College under the heading
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Southend: War declared on dirty dog owners
Southend Council is waging war against unsociable dog owners who let their pets foul the street. The town is to be blitzed with posters and leaflets as part of the Paws for Thought campaign. The initiative seeks to hammer home three major points: Scoop
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Benfleet: Arsonists torch van
Arsonists were today blamed for torching a Transit van in the driveway of a house in Hazelmere Road, Benfleet. The van was gutted by the fire which was started at around 2.20am today. The blaze also spread to part of the bungalow where it melted windows
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Braintree: Royal approval for Tabor Centre
The Earl of Wessex arrived in Braintree to put the royal seal of approval on celebrations at a newly refurbished centre for physically handicapped adults. Prince Edward unveiled a plaque to officially mark the opening of the Tabor Centre's new home at
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Clacton: Repairs start to garden rocked by blast
A couple whose garden was devastated after an electrical cable exploded in a ball of flames have been told repair work will start today. Betty and George Pullen's nightmare started on Saturday afternoon when one of two cables exploded in their back garden
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Soccer: Warren is set to sign
Defender Mark Warren is set to become Steve Wignall's first new Southend United signing this week. The former Colchester United centre-half has returned from holiday and should ink a one-year Shrimp-ers contract before the weekend if he passes a medical
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Grays: Pupils' sports day treat
Children were treated to an exciting sports day laid on by students from Palmer's College in Grays. Five leisure and tourism students organised the event for ten-year-old pupils of Lansdowne School, Tilbury, as one of the projects for their intermediate
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Angling: Barry is poles apart at the park
Pole angler Martin Barry fished the Gloucester Park canal bank to include seven barbel in an enormous mixed haul. Using a pole and luncheon meat he also landed over 50 tench and crucians, several carp to a best of 8lb, and a number of quality roach. Barry
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Colchester: Threat to wardens scheme
The future of Colchester's street warden scheme is under threat. The Government stumped up half of the £125,000-a-year cost of the street wardens, who tackle a number of street issues from abandoned cars to graffiti. But that funding will stop in March
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Benfleet: Vandals put tree on car
Vandals have caused hundreds of pounds of damage to a white Fiesta in Sandbanks, Benfleet. During their bout of destruction, between midnight and 6.20am on Tuesday, the vandals dented all the car's body panels, scratched the roof and doors, smashed a
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Soccer: England call-up for Blues' Bent
Ipswich Town striker Darren Bent will travel to Hull tomorrow to join up with the England Under-21 squad. The 19-year-old has been called up for two fixtures, on June 2 and 10. Bent told the Evening Gazette: "To get called-up was great. It was a bit of
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Weightlifting: Venables eyes worlds after Euro silver
Weightlifter Dave Venables is looking forward to the world championships after securing a silver medal in the Europeans. The Langdon Hills athlete was in the medals at Bordeaux at the weekend after he lifted 275kg in the snatch, clean and jerk. And Venable's
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Great Clacton: Murdered Jean to be buried
Murdered widow Jean Dicker is to be buried next week more than four months after she was killed. The service will take place at Clacton Cemetery chapel next Thursday followed by a burial. Mrs Dicker, 58, was discovered in the hallway of her Great Clacton
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Soccer: Brown is set for fans' flack
A group of West Ham shareholders is promising to give club chairman Terence Brown a rough time at today's Emergency General Meeting. Angry fans believe the timing of this meeting, which exposes the publicity-shy chairman to the wrath of supporters just
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Wivenhoe: Yellow lines are ruining our street
Angry residents claim wibbly-wobbly double yellow lines are turning their picturesque streets into an eyesore. Bright new road markings which appeared in Wivenhoe conservation area have sparked fury. It has led to grumbles that the town's streets are
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Southend: Firms' £2m support
Fledgling businesses and new companues in some of Southend's most deprived areas are set for a £2million injection of cash to keep them afloat. Business Link for Essex, which looks after companies' interests, has scooped the Government and Euro cash to
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Braintree: Covered walk-way plan for school
Notley High School, Braintree, wants to build a covered walk-way to improve access around the bustling complex which now has 1,080 students. But the plan could be hit because of increased financial costs of the project, said assistant head Dave Lee-Allan
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Cricket: Gooch rallies Essex troops
Essex head coach Graham Gooch is looking for a positive response from his players when they meet Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge tomorrow. Gooch's men will be looking for their first County Championship win at the sixth attempt following four draws and
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Southend: Beaten for his baseball cap
A 13-year-old was beaten by a gang of youths while he walked home - all for the sake of a £20 baseball hat. Shaun Hanby was walking to his house in Eastwood Bury Lane, Southend, with his friends when the violent attack happened. Beaten - Shaun Hanby recovers
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Southend: Schoolgirl's ordeal
A teenage girl was indecently assaulted as she walked home after school. The 17-year-old was in Boston Avenue, Southend, when a man with crooked teeth started talking to her. He started to kiss her then stroked her breast. She walked away and he left
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Basildon: Witness appeal after club attack
Police are appealing for witnesses to an assault which left a man with a suspected fractured eye socket. The 34-year-old victim was standing on a balcony inside the Time nightclub in Southernhay, Basildon, at just after midnight on Saturday when another
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Clacton: Hi-tech bus sign offers low-tech timetable advice
Coastal bus queues in Clacton are looking perplexed. Tens of thousands of pounds have been spent on installing new hi-tech digital timetables around the town. Next bus? - James Hatcher, checks his timetable as advised by the digital display Picture: TERRY
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Essex: New machine flies in to save more lives
Many people attending the champagne launch of the new Essex Air Ambulance will be counting their blessings for the emergency service. For among the crowd of VIPs to watch the new helicopter sweep into Colchester's Castle Park tomorrow will be those whose
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Great Leighs: Body found in blazing car
Police launched a suspicious death inquiry last night after firefighters discovered a body in the passenger seat of a blazing car at Great Leighs. The incident happened around 4.30pm and a pall of black smoke was seen from Blackley Lane, behind the Essex
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South Woodham: Report graffiti plea
Stop moaning about graffiti and start reporting it!That was the message from South Woodham's Community Safety Forum this week. South Woodham is in the fortunate position of having Chelmsford Borough Council's graffiti clearance services for free, said
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Essex: Let battle commence
The final of the "Battle of the Bands" contest to find the best young band in Essex will be held in Colchester Town Park on Saturday. The contest is for young bands with members who live, study or work in Essex. There is a strong emphasis on originality
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Soccer: New boys sought by Signets
Signet United Lions under-eights are looking for new players after a successful season in which they won the Thundermite Mars Division after suffering just one defeat in 20 matches. If interested in joining Signet, an FA Charter club, at any of their
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Billericay: Bowled over
Naz Visram, Peter Taplin and Alan Lloyd were in striking form when they bowled the competition over to help raise money for charity. Around 100 people came to the fundraiser at the Edwardian Club in Radford Way, Billericay which was organised by the Helen
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Tennis: Westcliff Lawn grab vital points in basement battle
Westcliff Lawn gave themselves some much-needed breathing space in their Division One basement fixture with Kent Elms. The London Road club pulled off a 5-1 win over the bottom-of -the-table club to put themselves three points clear of Elms. Geoff Spillett
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Brentwood: TA soldiers on the way to Iraq
A group of Brentwood TA soldiers are preparing to say farewell to their friends, families, jobs and homes as they have been called for duty in Iraq. Although the war has faded out of the media limelight thousands of brave servicemen and women are still
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Wivenhoe: £2m shipyard sale is finally clinched
Controversial redevelopment plans look set to go ahead in Wivenhoe after the £2 million sale of a derelict quayside boatyard. Developers finally completed the purchase of the former Cook's shipyard yesterday, paving the way for a major house-building
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Southend: We've got nowhere to go says football club
Plans to transform a potato field into a football ground and clubhouse look set to be given the thumbs down. Southend football team Fairfax Rangers is desperate to find itself a permanent home and had hoped to move to land in Rochford. Nowhere to go -
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Karate: Phoenix rise to Italian champion challenge
Phoenix Karate Club only took a handful of competitors to the huge Invitational International Competition in Caorle, Italy, but still came home with a fistful of medals. With over 7,000 Italians and 500 international fighters aged from seven to 15 years
