Stories for 18 January 2002

Basildon,Essex News

Wickford: Church's prayers are answered

Churchgoers have had their prayers answered by an environmental trust promising much needed cash to carry out urgent repairs on their church.   more...

Billericay: Ford man's safari tragedy

A Ford engineer was run down by a drink-driver who was more than five times over the legal limit during a luxury safari to Kenya, an inquest has heard.   more...

Billericay: Looks like royal role for Chris

For one man, Prince Harry's brush with drink and drugs has proved to be unexpectedly profitable - south Essex lookalike Chris Castle.   more...

Basildon,Essex Sport

Rugby: Gardners ensure Basildon's funding is rosy

Basildon Rugby Club are celebrating a £130,000 sponsorship deal with Gardners Insurance Services.   more...

Soccer: Feelgood factor is back at Billericay

What a difference a week can make in football.   more...

Basildon,Essex,Southend News

South Essex: Accidental verdict in A127 tragedy

An horrific car crash which claimed the lives of three young men was caused by a tragic accident which not even a Formula 1 driver could have averted, an inquest heard.   more...

Canvey: Train named after driver

A tube train pulled into Canvey's football stadium last night to celebrate the life of "larger than life" fan and London Underground worker Alan Jenkins.   more...

Benfleet: Masked gang rob man

A masked gang set about a man as he arrived at his Benfleet home, police have revealed.   more...

Canvey: School bids for hall cash

The head of Canvey's Winter Gardens Junior School is hopeful of finding out by the end of the month whether his bid for funding for a new hall has been successful.   more...

Basildon,Essex,Southend Sport

Soccer: Canvey see the light

Canvey Island are beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel over their big illness and injury list as they approach tomorrow's Ryman League Premier Division visit to Kingstonian.   more...

Boxing: Schoolboys aim for Essex final victories

Southend ABC's Jorden Gosling and Mikey Hanger will be hoping to taste final glory at the Essex schoolboy championships at Romford this evening.   more...

Athletics: Deacon fails to find answer to Riddell

Basildon duo Gareth Riddell and Greg Deacon fought out their own personal battle in the Essex Cross-Country League men's race at Hockley.   more...

Chelmsford,Essex News

Chelmsford: Concert for imprisoned musician

Members of the Chelmsford Amnesty International Group are joining local musicians to hold a concert raising awareness for an imprisoned Tibetan musician.   more...

Chelmsford: Police target youth nuisance

Police have mounted a special operation to combat youth nuisance in the Springfield area of Chelmsford.   more...

Howe Green: Care village plan

A self-contained "care village" for more than 100 senior citizens, the first of its kind in Essex, could be built on a horticultural nursery site at Howe Green, near Chelmsford.   more...

Chelmsford: Flu success

Chelmsford Primary Care Group is celebrating a successful winter flu vaccination campaign after figures released this week showed a five per cent improvement on last year.   more...

Braintree, Chelmsford: Freeport fear

Booming Freeport, Braintree's designer shopping village, is tempting so many shoppers from the Chelmsford area it is beginning to worry traders in the county town.   more...

Chelmsford: Self-governing hospital plans are slammed

Unions have hit out at plans to create a self-governing hospital in Chelmsford, under controverisal plans outlined by health secretary Alan Milburn.   more...

Colchester,Essex News

Colchester: Licensed to thrill!

Lara Croft, Charlie's Angels and Wonder Woman were the inspiration to turn fashion students at Colchester Institute into all-action superbabes using just a dash of secondhand charity shop panache.   more...

Colchester: Man killed after car hit tree

A man died after he lost control of his car and collided with a tree on a Colchester road.   more...

Colchester: Beard blaze linked to man's death

A man died of burns after setting fire to his beard and clothing while smoking, an inquest heard.   more...

Colchester: Former councillor forced to quit road-sweeping job

A former councillor who became a road sweeper after giving up his 10,000-voter ward has been forced to resign due to borough rules.   more...

Colchester,Essex Sport

Soccer: Peralta looking good for Derby start

Sixto Peralta is prepared to be patient in his quest to pin down a regular starting place at Ipswich Town.   more...

Soccer: U's young Gunner's play-off dream

When Colchester United win their way into the Second Division promotion play-offs Graham Barrett is one player who wants to be very much a part of them.   more...

Soccer: Halls set for U's debut

Arsenal's England Youth central defender John Halls is set to make his League debut for the Colchester United against the Spireites after signing an initial one-month loan deal today.   more...

Soccer: Marshall's patient plan

Andy Marshall is determined to prove that patience is a virtue.   more...

Soccer: Woody's monthly withdrawal

Goalkeeper Andy Woodman has today made a shock one-month loan move to Oxford United.   more...

Essex Business

Braintree, Chelmsford: Freeport fear

Booming Freeport, Braintree's designer shopping village, is tempting so many shoppers from the Chelmsford area it is beginning to worry traders in the county town.   more...

Witham: Jobs go as site closes

Workers face unemployment when a packaging company's Witham site closes today.   more...

Southend: New business park to bring jobs boom

Hundreds of new jobs are to be created at a new multi-million pound business park just unveiled.   more...

Westcliff: Tesco fined £1,200 over cheap fuel claim

Supermarket giant Tesco has been fined £1,200 for displaying misleading indications over petrol prices at its Westcliff store.   more...

Chelmsford: Snowman smile for couple

A giant American retailer has brought the smiles back to a Chelmsford couple who had their giant illuminated snowman stolen on New Year's Eve - by giving them two free replacements.   more...

Essex News

Witham: Thief steals bag from residential home

Police are appealing for help from the public in catching a burglar who stole a handbag from a Witham residential home.   more...

Maldon: Pensioner found drowned in lake

A Maldon pensioner was found drowned in a boating lake.   more...

Manningtree: School's £500,000 science bid

A school is to make a bid for specialist science college status which could bring it a windfall of more than £500,000 to improve facilities.   more...

Witham: Firefighting women graduate

Three women were among 20 new firefighters who passed out of the Essex fire service's training centre in Witham yesterday.   more...

Burnham: Charity shop deluged with donations

A charity shop in Burnham had to close for the day last week, after staff were inundated with donations from the public.   more...

Braintree: Martin is the apple of their eye...

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, schoolboy Martin Barltrop and his classmates should be a healthy bunch of children.   more...

Essex: Afghan brothers jailed for Stansted hijack

Two Afghan brothers have been jailed for five years each for the part they played in the most recent Stansted hijack.   more...

Brentwood: 'Beast' video proves little

Video footage purporting to show the Beast of Essex on the prowl has proved inconclusive.   more...

Mid-Essex: Ferrets need a home

The RSPCA animal centre at Wethersfield is looking for new homes for 12 ferrets - and despite the bad press the animals always attract, staff insist these are tame and friendly.   more...

West Bergholt: Drug abuse contributed to woman's death

Drug abuse was a contributing factor to the death of a woman killed in a road accident, an inquest heard.   more...

Mersea: Missing heir found on island

The missing heir of a reclusive woman who died without a will has been traced to Mersea Island after a national search was launched for him.   more...

Essex Obituaries

Callum Barton (Southend)

A little boy who captured the hearts of everyone he met has lost his brave fight against cerebral palsy.   more...

Barry Thomas

Businessman Barry Thomas has died aged 68.   more...

Lawrence Marshall (Colchester)

The funeral has been held at St Leonard's Church, Lexden, of Lawrence Marshall, a former Territorial Army officer and antique restorer.   more...

Essex Sevendays

Seven Days - January 12 - 18

Weekend sport   more...

Essex Sport

Golf: Paying for a round at 19th

It's enough to take the sparkle off any golfer's day - after years of trying, you finally achieve that elusive hole-in-one, only to be crippled with a hefty bar bill by elated friends and admirers on your return to the clubhouse.   more...

Karate: Manning is just champion

Lauren Manning is our latest British karate champion.   more...

Horse racing: Green light expected for £15m racetrack

A £15m race track and stadium planned for the Essex Showground at Great Leighs looks set for approval.   more...

Soccer: Tiptree ready for big Vase clash

Tiptree travel up to Yorkshire this afternoon for one of the biggest games in their recent history.   more...

Essex,Southend News

Southend: MP joins protest against scientist

Southend West Tory MP David Amess is opposing a scientist's controversial appointment to a select committee on possible human cloning.   more...

Shoebury: Shame in shock report

Plans for a youth club in Shoebury were abandoned after youngsters accused a Salvation Army officer of physical abuse "for a laugh", a shocking report has revealed.   more...

Southend: Cash call to clear travellers' rubbish

A former Southend councillor - now a Tory MP - is urging Government cash to clean up the mess left by travellers when they invade towns en masse.   more...

Westcliff: Doing time over stolen clock

Antiques collector Paul Weston thought his luck was in when two pals left an old clock at his home.   more...

Essex,Southend Sport

Soccer: Darryl dreams of third shut-out

Southend United goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan is aiming for a hat-trick of away day clean sheets at Darlington tomorrow.   more...

Essex,Thurrock News

Chadwell St Mary: Martial arts for troubled area

A martial arts and boxing club has been set up as a facility for young people in a troubled community.   more...

Thurrock: Lakeside's beautiful ambition

Lakeside Shopping Centre will become a health and beauty Mecca for two weeks as it hosts a variety of events aimed at creating a new you for the New Year.   more...

Chadwell St Mary: Police plea to curb youth nuisance

Police are urging more residents to come forward with evidence to help prosecute nuisance youths who have dogged Chadwell St Mary for the last few months.   more...

Thurrock, Grays: Service to mark Holocaust day

The Mayor of Thurrock is hosting a multi-faith service at the council offices in Grays next weekend to mark Holocaust Day.   more...

Tilbury: Danielle hunt to be scaled down

The search for missing schoolgirl Danielle Jones has been scaled down, Essex Police have revealed.   more...

Chadwell St Mary: MP gives backing to phone mast petition

Hundreds of villagers have signed a petition objecting to a mobile phone company's plans to site a huge communications mast next to a historic church and a primary school.   more...

Essex,Thurrock Sport

Athletics: Harriers fly at Hockley

Thurrock Harriers had one of their best Essex Cross Country League meetings for years with four individual and two team victories at Hockley on Saturday.   more...

Soccer: New Rocks experience on the cards!

Dave Card has his first game at home in charge of East Thurrock United and it's going to be a much tougher test than last weekend's unimpressive late-goal victory over bottom-of-the-table Romford, who have since announced their resignation from the Ryman League.   more...

Boxing: Big John happy to play waiting game

Horndon heavyweight John McDermott today played down the hype building up around his professional career.   more...

  
Restrict search to 18 January 2002