Archive
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Brentwood: High Street rat run storm
An outbreak of rat running and traffic problems caused by the closure of Brentwood High Street has prompted anti-pedestrianisation campaigners to say we told you so. On Friday July 30 barricades went up at Wilson's Corner, at the London Road and Kings
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Southend: Hospital has doubts at Trust status plans
Southend Hospital's hopes of becoming an NHS Foundation Trust could be shattered if more people do not register as prospective members, bosses have warned. Chief executive David Brackenbury said he hoped the historically supportive community would pull
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Benfleet: Man had a knife in car
A man caught in possession of a kitchen knife owned by his mother was sentenced to 40 hours' community service. Jon-Paul Webb, 19, of Oakfield Road, Benfleet, was stopped by police while travelling in a car with friends on June 23, in Watlington Road,
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Braintree: Road traders to stay
No immediate action will be taken on market traders who use the pavement and road to sell goods, despite safety fears. Members of the Town Centre Strategy Group were told by Peter Tattersley of Braintree council at a meeting that nothing would be done
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Cricket: Hadleigh and Thundersley 267-2 Colchester and EE 167 (Essex League Division One)
Another awesome batting display by skipper Dev Gandhi helped Hadleigh to a suberb Division One win. Gandhi, who made 168, received massive support from Paul Tibbenham (77) as Hadleigh chalked up a 20-point haul. They bowled the opposition, who could only
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Stansted: Court date for runway challenges
A coalition of local authorities, including Uttlesford District Council, have been given a court date to present their legal challenge opposing the expansion of Stansted and Luton airports. It will join forces with Essex and Hertfordshire county councils
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Kirby: Investigators launch probe into warehouse fire
Investigations are under way to find out what caused a fire in a business storage unit. Firefighters from Frinton were called to the incident in Claire's Road industrial estate, Kirby. The garage, used to store domestic electrical appliances, was smoke-logged
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Soccer: Leicester City 0-0 West Ham United (Championship)
The first day of football's new term was wrecked by an over-officious referee who seemed more interested in doling out drudgery than enlightening the crowds. Mike Ryan resembled a new teacher straining for authority as he sent Dion Dublin and then Rufus
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Cricket: Billericay 251-6 Stanford 132 (Essex League Division Two)
Billericay recorded a comfortable 119 run victory over lowly Stanford on Saturday following another strong batting display. Leading the way, was the in form Paul Wakefield who fired a fine 90 as Billericay, who batted first, ended their innings on an
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Soccer: Great Wakering Rovers 0-3 Heybridge Swifts (Friendly)
Wakering held their Essex rivals for the first-half at Burroughs Park, but found the power of the Ryman Premier visitors too strong after the break and lost 3-0. Rovers were due to finish their friendlies at home to Essex Senior League champions Concord
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Great Leighs: Showground proposals halted by land hitch
A world class race course and showground hoped to provide a back-up training facility for equestrian events if London is successful in its Olympic bid, have been stalled. Work has already started on the management complex for an improved Essex Showground
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Cricket: Captain denies sledging claims
Essex skipper Ronnie Irani has denied newspaper reports that Aussie star Shane Warne made derogatory comments about his mother during a bout of verbal fisticuffs while he was batting in last week's Championship clash against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl
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South Essex: Call to get rid of Fortune of War
A campaigning MP today demanded the removal of a former roundabout on the A127 which has become an accident blackspot. Angela Smith has written to county roads chiefs calling for the old Fortune of War roundabout to be taken away and the road simply straightened
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Soccer: Southend United 0-2 Cheltenham Town (League Two)
Southend United crashed to their first opening day defeat in nine years on Saturday as Cheltenham Town recorded a comfortable 2-0 triumph at a scorching hot Roots Hall. Race to goal - Blues' substitute frontman Tes Bramble, centre, races past Cheltenham
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Tendring: Hi-tech police
Police officers have gone hi-tech. Airwave is the name of a new police digital radio system which has been launched in Tendring to replace out-dated analogue radio systems. The new handsets look like mobile phones and are multi-functioning as they can
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Stanway: Youths tried doors
Police were called after three youths were seen looking into vehicles. They were seen in the early hours of Friday morning at Peartree Business Centre, Stanway. The day before, two men were spotted walking up and down Hawkins Road in the Hythe area of
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Clacton: Police rule out crime
Police say there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the collapse of an 84-year-old woman in her home. Gas was smelt coming from the house and when firefighters arrived it appeared the property had been ransacked. They alerted police and paramedics
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Colchester: Rappers crack into town with anti-drugs message
Clubbers were targeted by an anti-drugs message during a night out in Colchester. Rappers Juvenile and Shadie performed their track Crack Under Pressure at the Hippodrome as part of a police and Crimestoppers campaign, also called Crack Under Pressure
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Westcliff: Jazz festival goes with a swing
Jazz fans crammed in to Westcliff's Cliffs Pavilion for the Echo's charity jazz night. On a high - Jazz Hopper Will Gaines Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY The second Evening Echo-backed event was part of the third International Southend Jazz Festival and included
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Southend: Seafront king in renewed pier bid
Seafront king Philip Miller has again thrown his hat into the ring to take charge of the revitalisation of Southend Pier. But he said he was quite happy to let someone else do the work - as long as the landmark gets its much-needed facelift. Mr Miller
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Purfleet: Teenager unconscious after fight
A teenager was today still unconscious in hospital with a fractured skull after allegedly being punched to the floor in a drunken brawl. Police are waiting for the 19-year-old to come round so they can piece together what happened when a fight broke out
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Southend: That's the way to do it
The annual three-day Grand Puppet Festival at Southend Pier attracted about 15,000 visitors. Enjoying the show - Joshua Penn with Chris Gasper Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL Six puppeteers put on three or four daily performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
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Benfleet: Field blaze tackled by 40 firemen
Forty firefighters battled a vast field fire in a desperate effort to make sure the flames didn't spread to nearby homes. The fire started at about 4pm on Friday and quickly took hold of the bone dry field on Dollyman's Farm, Benfleet. Plumes of smoke
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Wickford: Fresh lick for tennis club
A tennis pavilion in desperate need of repair has been given a new lease of life. The Wickford Lawn Tennis Club Pavilion has benefited from a £10,000 revamp partly funded by the Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust and Basildon Sports Council. The clubhouse
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Rayleigh Weir: Store to pay for roadway
Sainsbury's is to contribute £50,000 to the cost of the highway amendments that will be required after their new extension at Rayleigh Weir is complete. The agreement comes just days after Castle Point council unanimously granted the store, in Stadium
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Witham: Deaf pensioner duped
A bogus caller preyed on an elderly deaf woman by claiming to be a carer. Witham police are now appealing for information after the 85-year-old woman was duped into letting the woman in and she stole hundreds of pounds. The 85-year-old woman, who is deaf
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Colchester: Signs of times for lost tourists
New tourist signs have started popping up in Colchester to stop confused visitors getting lost. Council leisure chiefs are spending £115,000 on 25 new signposts in the town centre to help bewildered tourists. That works out at £4,600 each. But Colchester
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Colchester: Teenager nearly loses eye in drive-by shooting
A teenager nearly lost an eye when he was shot and wounded with a ball-bearing gun. Recovering - Kevin with mum, Angela Picture: STEVE ARGENT Kevin Meldrum was in Harwich Road, Colchester, with one of his friends when two men pulled up in a car and asked
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Cressing, Witham: Goodwill errand ended in death
A motorcyclist who died after a road accident in Cressing last week was on his way back from delivering a present to a friend. Robert Batty, 37, of Barwell Way, Witham, died following a collision on Witham Road, involving his motorcycle and a Ford Fiesta
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Brentwood, Ongar: Labour selects candidate
Brentwood and Ongar Labour Party has selected its prospective parliamentary candidate for the next General Election. John Adams, 35, is a financial journalist and former Bank of England economist. He said: "We will campaign hard on the local issues that
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Colchester: Man arrested in flat fire probe
A mental health patient has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire wrecked his flat The blaze started on bedding in the front bedroom of the first floor home in Butt Road, Colchester. A 24-year-old, who police said was under mental health service
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Southend: Chief Rabbi's wife at Day Centre
The wife of the Chief Rabbi has paid her first visit to the Southend and Westcliff Day Centre, in Cobham Road. Chatting to Day Centre visitors - Chief Rabbi's wife, Elaine Sax Picture: DAVE HENDERSON Elaine Sacks, whose husband Professor Jonathan Sacks
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Cricket: Upminster 253-4 Leigh 242 (Essex League Division Two)
Catches win matches as they say and that certainly proved to be the case in this exciting tussle. Batting first, Upminster lost their opening three wickets for just four runs when M Rath walked to the crease. He was carelessly dropped when he had yet
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Southend: Swimmer dies
A swimmer has died despite the efforts of a member of the public who pulled him from the sea after seeing him in difficulty. A couple were walking along the seafront at the Western Esplanade, Westliff, when they noticed a swimmer having trouble opposite
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Soccer: What dreams are made of
Colchester United's Sam Stockley was buzzing after his second goal helped send the U's to the top of the Coca-Cola League One table with their 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday. "It's what dreams are made of," said Stockley as he described his 30-yard
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Soccer: Canvey Island 3-2 East Thurrock United (Friendly)
Ex-Football League midfielder Ben Sedgemore soon made his mark for Nationwide Conference newcomers Canvey after signing a two-year deal before the kick-off. He scored two goals as Jeff King's men pulled off a 3-2 home success over Southern League Eastern
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Canvey: Traffic hell as road to close
Canvey is today bracing itself for a summer meltdown and traffic mayhem after it was revealed the island's busiest road will close for four weeks. Emergency work is needed underneath Long Road, near Thames Road, because the island's main sewage trunk
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Southend: Concern at HIV growth
A senior councillor today questioned whether dispersing asylum seekers to towns like Southend could be to blame for increases in HIV cases. Verina Weaver, Southend executive councillor for health, spoke after a study said doctors feared the dispersal
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Soccer: Redbridge 2-1 Billericay Town (Friendly)
Billericay ended their pre-season build-up with a 2-1 defeat at newly-named Redbridge. The match was a testimonial for defender Jeff Woolsey, who included both clubs among those he played for during a career that has been cut short due to injury. Billericay
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Witham: Deaf pensioner duped
A bogus caller preyed on an elderly deaf woman by claiming to be a carer. Witham police are now appealing for information after the 85-year-old woman was duped into letting the woman in and she stole hundreds of pounds. The 85-year-old woman, who is deaf
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Dedham: Hollywood A-lister in children's charity bid
Hollywood star Kristen Scott Thomas has joined forces with Essex fund-raisers Len and Jane Meakin to launch an appeal for a charity which supports children worldwide. Len Meakin, of Dedham, is urging people to watch a special programme about the work
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St Lawrence: Here comes the bride...and her 46 young helpers
Ask any bride what they wish for most on their wedding day, and you may get any number of answers. Dream day - Mandy outside the church with her large entourage Picture: DEREK ARGENT But for Mandy Reader, who got married on Saturday in St Lawrence, it
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Soccer: Ipswich Town 2-1 Gillingham (Championship)
They say first impressions are all-important and, on the evidence of this entertaining showdown, that could be stirring news for Ipswich Town. The opening day of any season is a time for early assessments, judging new players and spotting potential for
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Cricket: Wickford 306-3 Hornchurch 176-4 (Essex League Division One)
Wickford moved closer to a second successive promotion after going on a run spree in this drawn game with one of their main Division One rivals. With only four games to go, and lowly Harlow due to visit the Patmore Ground next Saturday, last season's
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Chelmsford: Protest at station
Protesters stood outside Chelmsford train station to demonstrate against the British National Party (BNP), whose leader, Nick Griffin, was rumoured to arrive in the county town for a "secret" meeting. About 20 supporters of the anti-fascist group Unite
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Billericay: Speed camera arson
Vandals have torched a speed camera in Billericay. The hooligans threw a tyre on top of the camera in Southend Road and set fire to it, police said. An Essex Police spokesman said: "It's a sad reflection on whoever carried out this act and it's particularly
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Soccer: Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Colchester United (League One)
Three superb goals, each unique and of fine quality, saw Colchester United race to the top of the table, while Sheffield Wednesday and the rest of the teams in Coca-Cola League One were left trailing in their wake. Craig Fagan, Sam Stockley and Joe Keith
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Essex: Looking for commercial NHS ideas
Alan Barrell, a leading businessman in the eastern region, is to head up the board of a new company aiming to turn exciting new concepts or products developed in the NHS into commercial ventures. Health Enterprise East has been designed to unlock the
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Westcliff: Girlfriend's text to tragic firefighter
The girlfriend of brave Westcliff firefighter Adam Meere sent him a good luck text message as he battled his first blaze since starting his dream job. But Natalie Day never got a response because Adam was killed when the floor gave way at the three storey
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Colchester: Youth hurt in BB gun attack
A teenager has been shot in the eye and wounded with a ball-bearing gun. The 17-year-old was in Harwich Road, Colchester, when two men pulled up in a car and asked him directions. Then the driver of the car, thought to be a dark blue Vauxhall Nova, shot
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Essex: Biker killed on road
An Essex motorcyclist has been killed following an accident near Ipswich. The biker, whose details have not been released, was travelling along the A137 at Tattingstone at 5.40pm yesterday when he was in collision with a Hyundai car. He was thrown from
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Colchester: Emergency crews in rescue dramas
An elderly man was rescued from a pond in Colchester's Castle Park after slipping in and getting stuck. Then, the following day, a 25-year-old suffering from hypothermia and the influence of alcohol had to be pulled from mud after being trapped for four
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Cricket: Old Southendian 239-7 Basildon and Pitsea 227-9 (Essex League Division Three)
Basildon and Pitsea and Old Southendian & Southchurch were both happy with a share of the spoils under the blazing hot sun at Mopsies Park. The old boys won the toss and saw Mark Hope hit 110 and Aaron Lucas get 57 as they reached 239-7 and declared
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Clacton: Group to put pride back into resort
A group which represents traders and businesses in Clacton is to be relaunched in a bid to restore an extra sense of pride and community in the seaside resort. Two key figures have stood down from Clacton and District Chamber of Trade and it is felt the
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Wivenhoe: Police appeal for witnesses to fatal accident
A woman involved in a collision with a car near Colchester died from multiple injuries, a post-mortem examination has shown. The pedestrian, who has not been named, died on Thursday night after the collision on the B1027 near Wivenhoe Park Corner, Wivenhoe
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Rayleigh: Taxi firm may lose office
A recently-established taxi firm could have to look for a new office a few weeks after moving in. Elite Taxis has been working from a small former geneology shop in London Road, Rayleigh, but Rochford district councillors are being recommended to refuse
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Cricket: Lancs test is tough for Essex
Essex continue their fight against relegation when they take on high-flying Lancashire in today's day-night Totesport League clash at Chelmsford. Even though they won their last match against Northants at Southend, the county find themselves at the foot
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Soccer: Dunstable Town 1-5 Thurrock (Bryco Cup Final)
Thurrock quickly picked up their first silverware of the new campaign when they won last season's delayed Ryman League Bryco Cup with a 5-1 success at Bishop's Stortford. In a final of four penalties, only good saves from Dunstable keeper Paul Taylor
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Wickford: Lower speed limit to help save cats
A vet today urged motorists to slow down after a dramatic rise in the number of cats getting knocked down on a busy stretch in Wickford. Workload overload - Glen Cousquer has seen loads of cats run over Picture: ROB BROWNE Glen Cousquer, from South Beech
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Colchester: Family flee fire in house
Two children are lucky to be alive after a fire started in their home as they lay asleep in bed. The youngsters and their mother managed to escape from the blaze, thought to have been caused by a cigarette, but were left homeless. Witnesses reported the
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Basildon: New doctors will ease the workload
Basildon Hospital has helped significantly reduce junior doctors' working hours by creating five new posts. But in the wake of the European Working Time Directive - which limits junior doctors' hours to 58 per week - Southend Hospital has admitted it
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Soccer: Parkinson keeps feet on ground
Colchester United boss Phil Parkinson was refusing to get carried away as his side marched to the top of the Coca-Cola League One table with a 3-0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday. Get in - Craig Fagan celebrates opening the scoring for the U's The U's
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South Essex: Albanian's goodbye to his English family
After seven years living in south Essex, a 27-year-old Albanian is bidding a fond farewell to the friends who have become his family. Kas - sad to be leaving south Essex and his new-made friends Picture: LUAN MARSHALL Kastriot Masha, of Southend Road,
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Dedham: Man exposed himself
A man indecently exposed himself to girls as they played on swings in a park in Dedham. Police said the man started to walk around looking at the youngsters then exposed himself to them. He was described as being about 40, white, 5ft 8ins to 5ft 10ins
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Basildon: Armed police at court
Mystery surrounds the sight of 12 armed police standing guard at Basildon Magistrates' Court. Police are remaining tight-lipped about the heavy security although they confirmed it was in place to protect a defendant who was in custody. The defendant is
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Cricket: Benfleet 174-9 Southend 178-5 (Essex League Division Three)
Southend picked up 18 points at Southchurch Park against a Benfleet side that was thankful its late order batsmen gave their innings some credibility. Hitting out - Benfleet's Chris Webb at the crease against Southend The visitors won the toss and opted
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Soccer: Skipper blasts blunt Southend
Southend United skipper Kevin Maher slammed his Shrimpers team-mates following a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Cheltenham Town on Saturday. No exit - Kevin Maher finds his path forward blocked The Seasiders started their League Two season sluggishly
