Stories for 5 October 2005

Echo,Basildon News

Basildon: Parents support school merger

PARENTS had a surprise change of heart last night and threw their full weight behind plans to merge two Basildon schools.  more...

Pitsea: Stadium plan threat to school's PE

A PRIMARY school has joined the campaign to stop a 3,000-capacity football stadium consuming a sports field its pupils have used for PE lessons for more than 25 years.  more...

Billericay: Council stalwart retires

BILLERICAY Town Council's first ever chairman has been forced to retire from his role through ill health.  more...

Wickford: Travellers' plea for their human rights

ILLEGALLY camped travellers today began the second day of their battle to remain living on former grazing land at Hovefields.  more...

Wickford: Voice your view on parish council plan

CONCERNED residents will soon get the chance to have their say on the possibility of a new parish council in Wickford.  more...

Laindon: Soccer tournament success

MORE than 20 young footballers from across Basildon dropped in on Laindon's Markhams Chase Leisure Centre for a special six-a-side tournament.  more...

Echo,Basildon,Southend News

South Essex: London bomb compensation payout

SOUTH Essex families affected by the devastating London suicide bombings should this week finally receive their compensation pay outs.  more...

Echo,Southend News

Southend: A joker's farewell

A CHICKEN costume and a clown's outfit were among the more traditional black suits at a funeral of a fun-loving dad who died of cancer at the age of 37.  more...

Shobury: 12-ft snake on the loose

PARENTS have been told to keep a close eye on children after a 12ft long snake was spotted in Shoebury.  more...

Southend: Fishing festival feast

A FEAST of whitebait was enjoyed by scores of people at an annual festival.  more...

Rayleigh: Train mural wins Lisa a railway award

A 13 METRE mural of a train has won an artist from Rayleigh a national award.  more...

Southend: Going wild for Doherty

FRENZIED fans went wild last night for Pete Doherty and his band, Babyshambles.  more...

Echo,Thurrock News

Grays: Popular doctor retires

A POPULAR doctor has said a fond farewell to his patients after 30 years of care.  more...

Eveninggazette News

Coggeshall: Heart attack man left without heat

A pensioner who has suffered two heart attacks is accusing a council of neglecting him by leaving him without heating for six weeks.   more...

Colchester: Mystery over dog in pond

A dead dog was found wrapped in a sheet which was sunk with weights in a pond.   more...

Maldon: Boss says salt claims are false

Claims consumers are putting their health at risk by switching to sea salt are "misleading", according to the head of world famous Maldon Salt Company.   more...

Colchester: Contract picket at bank

A row over new employment contracts for financial advisers has led to workers picketing outside Colchester's Co-op bank.   more...

Colchester: £277k lottery win for charity

Staff and volunteers at an Essex charity are celebrating news of a major lottery windfall.   more...

Braintree: 23 employees to lose their jobs

Staff at a long-standing Braintree business are to lose their jobs.   more...

Thorpe: Man dies in flat hours before fire

Residents on a council housing estate told how a man had died in a flat hours before a suspicious blaze broke out in the property.   more...

Clacton: Schoolgirls help mugged woman

Police want to talk to a group of schoolgirls who helped a woman who had just been mugged.   more...

Walton: Cliff charity auctions antique doll over internet

Going, going ...click! Volunteers at Walton's Save the Naze shop are more used to delving back millions of years giving their expert advice about fossils.   more...

Tendring: Widows' pension battle

Police widows in Tendring are fighting moves that strip them of their pensions if they find love again.   more...

Harwich: Job losses after ferry route axed

A ferry company has admitted there will be job losses following the closure of a route.   more...

Thorpe: Police launch hunt after girl attacked

Police today appealed for information after a teenage girl was assaulted at Thorpe railway station.   more...

Maldon: Shutters ban `cost 11 jobs'

Strict planning laws which forbid shutters on Maldon shopfronts and the expansion of supermarket services are blamed for the sudden closure of another Maldon High Street store.   more...

Colchester: Bid to tempt in jobs

An ambitious bid to lure 500 City jobs to Colchester, giving the town a huge employment boost, is set to be unveiled.   more...

Chelmsford: Wrong way traffic chaos

Traffic chaos followed a crash believed to have been caused by a car driver going the wrong way on a roundabout.   more...

Colchester: GMC suspends Essex consultant

A Colchester consultant has been suspended by the General Medical Council (GMC).   more...

Chelmsford: Wife claims hospital tried to use dirty water

A woman has claimed nurses at a mid-Essex hospital were going to use dirty water to bathe her husband's facial wound - 14 hours after he waited for a surgeon to stitch it.   more...

Colchester: £2m contract is fan-tastic

Fan manufacturer Flakt Woods is celebrating a major £2 million contract.   more...

Colchester: 80-year-old jailed for sex ordeals

A pensioner was today starting a four-year prison sentence after being convicted of a string of sexual offences against young girls.   more...

Eveninggazette Sport

Cyclo-cross: Aldous joins the elite

Last year's Eastern Cyclo-Cross League champion Shaun Aldous had a great ride in the first round of the 2005/06 Cyclo-Cross National Trophy Series at Cheltenham.   more...

Motor racing: Galpin makes top-ten target

Wivenhoe racing driver Martin Galpin continued his run of good results with a top-ten finish in the final at the latest round of the UK Formula Vee Championship held at Cadwell Park.   more...

Soccer: Injury hell is over

Richard Garcia is ready to step out of his injury nightmare to shoot Colchester United up the Coca-Cola League One table.   more...

Soccer: Halstead Town 2-0 Harwich and Parkeston (Ridgeons League Premier Division)

Former Harwich and Parkeston striker Matt Carmichael heaped more misery on his old club by scoring a brace in Halstead Town's 2-0 victory.   more...

Soccer: U's stadium still in balance

There is still no guarantee that a deal can be done to bring a 10,000-seater community stadium to Colchester.   more...

Women's soccer: Colchester United 1-1 Enfield (Women's South East Combination League)

Colchester continued to learn valuable lessons as they played their seventh match of the season.   more...

Thurrock Sport

Dockers in dip

Hullbridge Sports 2, Tilbury 1  more...