Archive
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Blaze-hit mechanic may sue over arrest
THE owner of a garage which burned down has threatened to sue Essex Police for wrongful arrest. Ray Neal, who owned RA Autos, in Commerce Way, Colchester, was arrested in July after the building went up in flames. The site, on the Whitehall
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Thousands turn out for V Festival
OASIS, the Killers, Lily Allen, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga are among the acts performing at Virgin Media's V Festival this weekend. Thousands of festival-goers have already descended upon Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Staffordshire's Weston Park to
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Rugged and Bald put their twist on R’n’B
IT’S R’n’B all the way at Route every Friday, and we’re not just talking about the style of music. That’s because the very astute people at the Queen Street nightclub have recruited one of the county’s top DJ and MC acts to take over their Friday night
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Hero dad recalls latest sea drama
A SWIMMER who battled to save a drowning teenager near where tragic Stella Akanbi lost her life has told how he struggled to reach the youngster a quarter of a mile off the Clacton shoreline. Richard Wilson risked his life after spotting the autistic
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Chef row sacking claim dismissed at fresh tribunal
A RESTAURANT has been cleared of unfairly sacking a kitchen porter who was sworn at by a chef in a heated argument. Sandra Cooke was awarded £1,500 in damages last October, in a default judgment, as Matt Yates, her former boss at Great Tey’s Barn Brasserie
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Armed robbers flee in Colchester
ARMED robbers have raided a jewellers in Colchester. Four men armed with an assortment of weapons, possibly including hammers and a small handgun, threatened staff in the shop in Priory Street at about 2.40pm. They fled with the loot
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Plea to pump house sale cash into history project
CASH from the sale of a £1million townhouse could pay for Colchester’s Roman Circus visitor centre, the town’s culture spokesman suggested. Essex County Council is looking to put 12 Lexden Road on the market, and has given tenant Colchester Archaeological
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Combine harvester blaze
FIREFIGHTERS are investigating after they were called out to a combine harvester that was on fire in Clacton. Crews found the machinery well alight today at 3.12am near fields in West Road, near Jaywick Lane. The blaze was extinguished after an
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Help the campaign to ban primate testing
I urge compassionate readers to support a oncein- a-generation opportunity to ease the suffering of thousands of lab animals, and demand their MEP backs changes to the laws on animal testing across Europe. Historic measures to save primates
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Questioning the swim pool rules
What a shame – yet another shortcoming for the Braintree Swimming Centre. I have recently discovered that children between the ages of eight and 16 are forbidden from using the Leisure Waters facility at Braintree Swimming Centre. This is the
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Mystery of new road markings
Having lived in Wivenhoe for 20 years, I love the traffic and the folk passing by. However, there seems to be newly sprayed lines on our road, outlines of cars. I know Wivenhoe is blessed with excellent transport. Neighbours and myself can only
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EU funds should help pay for A120 upgrade
I have read the long running, tedious debates on the exorbitant cost to upgrade the A120 extension to the A12. This should have been planned, funded and built at the time of the building of the road from Stansted to Galleys Corner. Now with
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Help the campaign to ban primate testing
I urge compassionate readers to support a oncein- a-generation opportunity to ease the suffering of thousands of lab animals, and demand their MEP backs changes to the laws on animal testing across Europe. Historic measures to save primates
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Students modify their way to exam success
THERE were tears and cheers at Hedingham School as teenagers ripped open envelopes containing their A-level results. Students at the school, in Yeldham Road, Sible Hedingham, achieved a 95 per cent pass rate. A total of 34 per cent of the passes were
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Improved results for sixth formers at Clacton schools
SIXTH Forms in Clacton saw improved A-level results across the board. Colbayns High School had 51 students who sat A-level exams or equivalents. All candidates gained at least one grade A to E, with an average score of 217 UCAS points – up from last
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Symons admits he is interested in vacant U's position
KIT Symons is ‘very interested’ in becoming Colchester United’s new manager. And if he is given the job, he wants Joe Dunne to work alongside him. The 38-year-old former Wales international (pictured) had a brief spell in temporary charge of the U’s
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River body was 23-year-old man, say police
POLICE say the body found in a river in Colchester was that of a 23-year-old man from Rowhedge. They have not named the man, but say his family have been informed. Tributes have been left close to the spot in the river Colne, near East Street
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Greenstead unemployment office swamped in recession
AN unemployment centre in Colchester’s Greenstead estate has been overwhelmed by visitors and is appealing for volunteers to help out. The number of new visitors coming to the Signpost resource centre at Greenstead Library, in Hawthorn Avenue, has risen
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Tributes to tragic beach girl Stella sent to her mum
MESSAGES of grief and support for the family of Stella Akanbi have been collected to give to her family. The ten-year-old disappeared in the sea off Clacton on Sunday afternoon, after getting into difficulty while swimming with a friend.
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£25m being spent on home upgrades
THOUSANDS of homes will be getting new bathrooms and kitchens, thanks to a £25million upgrade project. Greenfields houses and flats across Halstead and the surrounding villages will be benefiting from a five-year decent homes improvement programme.
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Please give us a new home... soon
A FRUSTRATED family has called on Colchester Council to hurry up with plans to rebuild crumbling homeless accommodation. Colchester Council is in talks with a housing association it hopes will demolish Ascott House, in Lexden, and replace it with a new
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Work to start on drop-in centre
WORK is set to begin on the interior of a youth drop-in centre. It was hoped the Hub, in The Lane, Manningtree, would open during the summer holidays. But the youth centre’s committee has only just obtained the keys for the building, a former shop, and
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Students celebrate A-level successes
SIXTH form students in Colchester are celebrating record results in their A-levels. Every student at Colchester Royal Grammar School (CRGS) and Colchester County High School for Girls (CCHS) passed all of their exams. A total of 96 students
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Look, we’ve made our own robots
KIDS, parents and grandparents got creative with empty cardboard boxes and tin foil. More than 30 families attended a free two-day event at Vibe Youth Centre, Dovercourt, and made robots from household items. Diane Warner, who organises out-of-school
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Petrol station sells booze to U18s...and gets a two-day ban
A PETROL station that sold alcohol to underage children has been banned from selling booze...for two days. Plaistow Broadway Filling Station, in Rayne Road, Braintree, was given the short suspension after a licence review hearing was told managers had
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Call to council to water trees
A TREE lover has taken up the task of watering saplings herself amid claims Tendring Council has neglected them. Marianne Lungley, a tree warden for Harwich and Dovercourt, said she had been taking gallons of water to sites where the authority has planted
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Fun day raises £1,350 for St Luke’s
A FAMILY fun day raised £1,350 for church funds. The Friends of St Luke’s event, sponsored by Wilkins and Sons jam-makers, was held on Grove Road playing field in Tiptree. The Essex Samba Band and a fairground organ provided the music and a “mad scientist
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Hundreds pack out funeral of biker Dave
BETWEEN 600 and 800 people showed their respects at the funeral of a much-loved biker, who died after an accident at a motocross event. St Andrew’s Church, Great Yeldham, was packed at the service for Dave Roper, 57, and there was standing room only
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School closures will cost £500,000 in transport
CLOSING two schools in Colchester will cost taxpayers nearly £500,000 in transport costs a year, it has been revealed. About 300 children on Mersea Island will face a likely trek to Thurstable School, in Tiptree, instead of Thomas, Lord Audley
