Stories for 20 June 2007

Billericay Weekly News News

Ambulance staff prepared for Dale Farm emergency

AMBULANCE staff have visited travellers at Crays Hill to make sure they are prepared for an emergency at the site.   more...

Singing a rainbow

MORE than 500 youngsters poured into church to sing songs celebrating animals in zoos.   more...

Braintree And Witham Times News

Motorist crashes in shopping centre

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an elderly motorist crashed in a pedestrian area of a shopping centre.   more...

Brentwood Weekly News News

Churches hold barbecue for shoppers

THERE's no such thing as a free lunch - or at least that's what people thought until they enjoyed a street barbecue.   more...

Chelmsford Weekly News News

MP demands answers

CHELMSFORD'S MP has criticised access problems for the proposed WH Smith post office in Chelmsford.   more...

Torrential rain hits Chelmsford

A DOWNPOUR of rain swept through Chelmsford last week and nearly left homes in the gutter.   more...

School bids farewell to trio

A CHELMSFORD school is saying goodbye to three well-loved staff this summer.   more...

Echo News

Spink hands over 100 protest letters

CASTLE Point MP Bob Spink has handed over more than 100 objection letters to the planning inspectorate ahead of an inquiry into Calor Gas's controversial expansion scheme.   more...

Arty way to mix and match at school

PUPILS showed off their artistic talent during an exhibition to mark the finale of their art week.   more...

Mayor to attend Enterprise awards

CASTLE Point mayor Beverley Egan will visit a special awards ceremony to mark the achievements of young people with disabilities.   more...

Another blow for kids club

A BELEAGUERED respite club for kids with special needs has been burgled.   more...

End of island traffic jams?

A £26MILLION road extension on Canvey could soon go out to public consultation if councillors agree.   more...

Blues join the circus!

SOME of Southend United's favourite football stars were on hand to help a school celebrate its birthday.   more...

Mural marks 4oth year of school

A COLOURFUL mural depicting historic world events alongside pupils' own sporting triumphs has been unveiled to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a school.   more...

Council ignores gipsy's plea to stay

A GIPSY says she set up home on an unauthorised site in Wickford after being "burned out" by travellers resentful of her job with a local council.   more...

Brooke puts fellow pupils on screen in her pop promo

SCHOOLGIRL singer Brooke Glover has joined by classmates to shoot a promotional video for her first single.   more...

School cuts lunch break to half hour

A SCHOOL has shortened its lunch break in an effort to improve pupils' performance and curb playground bullying.   more...

Station work is completed

SOUTHEND Central station is now fully up and running following a £460,000 upgrade.   more...

Kevin’s run has raised £910 for Bust

A KEEN jogger's marathon effort has turned out to be a runaway success for a charity.   more...

Council may resurrect old coat of arms

MEMBERS of a parish council have agreed to look into resurrecting a disused coat of arms to use as their emblem.   more...

Parking restriction will remain in place

CALLS for changes to parking restrictions in a Rayleigh street have been rejected by Essex County Council.   more...

Children brush up their art

PUPILS have been getting out their paint brushes to bring a splash of colour to a supermarket.   more...

Schoolgirl footballers banned from presentation evening

SCHOOLGIRL footballers have been left heartbroken after being banned from their team's annual presentation.   more...

It's carnival number 45 for George

A MAN who joined the Basildon and Pitsea Carnival team as a "general dogsbody" decades ago is still fighting for its future 45 years later.   more...

Olympic year ‘means chaos for commuters’

COMMUTERS could face chaos at the time of the 2012 Olympics, just after a rail company's franchise runs out, an MP has claimed.   more...

Rise of Rochford

RESIDENTS in the Rochford district are among the happiest in Essex.   more...

We’re all potty about potatoes!

CHILDREN from a school gardening club grew their own potatoes.   more...

Police act to stop defections to Met

Eight officers a month defected from Essex Police to join the Met last year.   more...

That’s the way to do it

PUPILS at Runwell Primary School got a visit from the long arm of the law when a puppet workshop rolled up to the school.   more...

On your marks, get set, run for hospice

IT'S the time of year to dig out those shorts and put on your running shoes for the Little Havens 5K race.   more...

Angler’s ordeal at the hands of thugs

AN ANGLER who was robbed and beaten by thugs in a local park has spoken about the terrifying attack.   more...

999 staff get the Dale Farm lowdown

AMBULANCE staff have visited travellers at Crays Hill to make sure they are prepared for an emergency at the site.   more...

Girls crash out to raise charity cash

A GROUP of young girls have been getting their heads down for charity.   more...

Family unites in charity bid

A FAMILY got together to complete a ten-mile walk in memory of a loving husband and father.   more...

Jobs boom for Basildon?

ANOTHER 14,000 jobs could be created across Basildon over the next decade, the Echo can reveal.   more...

Major changes to road scheme

SOUTHEND Council has revealed major changes to the Priory Crescent road scheme which will cut its cost by more than half.   more...

Calor Gas inquiry date set

A SHOWDOWN to decide whether to allow a huge liquefied natural gas operation on Canvey has been set for October 30.   more...

Pensioner praises paramedics

A PENSIONER has praised paramedics and hospital staff for coming to his rescue five times in just 15 days.   more...

Orsett Hall prepares to rise from the ashes

THE level ground where Orsett Hall once proudly stood is a sad sight.   more...

Kittens found dumped near lake

TWO kittens are looking for new homes after being found dumped in a plastic bag by a lake.   more...

Rheanna's family turns shock into hope

THE tragic death of a teenager has brought hope to others through the donation of her organs.   more...

School uniform prices under scrutiny

PARENTS are being surveyed on whether or not school uniforms are fairly priced.   more...

Taxi fares on the rise

TAXI fares in the Rochford district are set to rise from September.   more...

Forget Glastonbury, I’m playing Burnham

A GUITARIST tipped for the big time is to star in a new documentary.   more...

Battered by a flying fish!

A SAILOR was left floundering when a massive airborne sea bass hit him in the chest.   more...

Priory Crescent rethink

SOUTHEND Council has revealed major changes to the Priory Crescent road scheme, which will cut its cost by more than half.   more...

Caught on camera: Thug who attacked man in tights

A THUG caught on camera head-butting and viciously attacking a man dressed in fishnet tights and stiletto heels has avoided jail.   more...

Freed: Man who burnt my girl's body

A GRANDMOTHER told how she is living in fear after the monster who burnt her murdered daughter's body is back on the streets.   more...

The Lost City... of Canvey?

CANVEY could be wiped out, while Basildon gets its own beach and joins with Southend to become a water city... if ideas in a madcap new report become a reality.   more...

Youngsters' invitation to raise cash

PARTY invitations for Nicole Lanning and Taylor Archer's joint 11th birthday party were a bit different.   more...

Councillors crush flats applications

COUNCILLORS faced the biggest number of flats applications ever to go before them - and refused virtually all of them.   more...

Redundant church is finally for sale

A PROMINENT church in the centre of Southend is on the market with a price tag in excess of £750,000.   more...

Caring for elderly people

AN innovative new scheme will use state-of-the-art technology to help elderly people carry on living independently at home.   more...

Echo Sport

Essex head north for semi showdown

ESSEX head to Durham today knowing victory will take them into their first Lord's final since 2002.   more...

Gazette Features

Overweight youngsters on the Mend

When children started to pick on her ten-year-old son because of his weight, Sue knew she had to do something about it.   more...

Gazette News

Clacton: New application upsets residents

Campaigning residents have reacted angrily to a fifth bid to build homes on a former school field.   more...

Clacton: Video pupils to grill minister

Youngsters at a coastal school have got an appointment with a government minister to discuss the demise of seaside towns.   more...

Dovercourt: Age law backfires on elderly’s lesson

A pensioner says her yoga class has been abolished because of changes brought in to stop age discrimination.   more...

Dovercourt: Drive for better driving

Police have been cracking down on careless drivers as part of a day-long awareness campaign.   more...

Colchester: Axe fears over school

A Colchester secondary school has been threatened with closure.   more...

St Osyth: Cygnets 'killed by water-bikers'

A volunteer wildlife warden believes cygnets were killed by water bikers during a "sickening" attack at a boating lake.   more...

Colchester: Outcry as vandals strike in subway

A subway is causing a stink - after its walls were smeared with human excrement.   more...

Colchester: Crash victim came from town

A man killed in a horrific crash on the A12 has been identified as a Colchester man.   more...

Frating: Lorry sheds its load

A lorry has hit the central reservation and shed its load onto the A120.   more...

Walton: Horror of grandson's Iraq agony

The grandparents of a soldier who had his legs blown off in Iraq have spoken of their fear after he spent five days in intensive care.   more...

Wivenhoe: Grass grows as councils argue

A row over who should mow the lawn has turned a "well-groomed" grassy area into an "eyesore".   more...

Colchester: Housing 'unfit for human habitation'

The condition of a temporary accommodation unit has been condemned as "unfit for human habitation".   more...

Mid-Essex: Cars crash on A12 in thunderstorms

Seven people have been injured after two separate car crashes on the A12.   more...

Tendring: Health boss responds to study result

A health chief has defended findings released by the Health Commission this week that suggest our hospitals are not up to scratch.   more...

Clacton: Drop-in centre back in town

A lifeline for worried youngsters is back in Clacton.   more...

Essex: Tories shrug off waste protests

Council chiefs are pressing ahead with a £90 million funding bid to help pay for controversial waste treatment sites.   more...

Clacton: Extra turbines at wind farm?

Plans have been submitted for an additional 22 turbines at a wind farm to be built off Clacton.   more...

Gazette Sport

Shanghai aim for Davies

CUE king Alex Davies is gearing-up for his first taste of professional snooker.   more...

Price is right for Dragons

WIVENHOE TOWN have appointed Malcolm Price as their new manager.   more...

Halstead Gazette News

Golfers to tee off for church upkeep

A BUMPER number of golfers are preparing to tee-off to raise money for the upkeep of an historic church.   more...

Fun and freebies to celebrate leisure centre's birthday

A LEISURE centre is celebrating its third birthday with a day of family activities.   more...

Maldon And Burnham Standard News

Military show next weekend

A MILITARY show and presentation in honour of war veterans is taking place at the museum of power next weekend.   more...

Thurrock Gazette News

Riding by the river

CYCLISTS will get a chance to ride alongside the Thames this weekend in the RSPB Big Bike Ride, part of Bike Week, the UK's annual celebration of cycling'.   more...

Belt up say cops as crackdown bites

TRAFFIC cops snared nearly 300 motorists for not wearing seat belts in the last month alone.   more...

'Gypsy bias: Don't drag us backwards'

TRAVELLERS and gypsies are an emotive subject at the best of times, prompting wide and varied opinion.   more...

Alpacing 'em in

NEW arrivals on a south Essex farm have delighted their owners.   more...

In fear of arsonists

A DEVASTATED woman said she fears rebuilding her family business in case racist arsonists attack a third time.   more...

Officer cleared over 'Paki' attack

A COMMUNITY service officer accused of punching and hurling racist abuse at an offender in his care has been cleared by a jury.   more...

Raising awarenes and funds

GRAYS branch of the Movement for Democratic Change held a fundraising day at Oddfellows Hall in Dell Road, Grays, included speeches, food, drink and music.   more...

Would-be MP blasts garden planning blight

CONSERVATIVE parliamentary hopeful Stephen Metcalf has laid into the government for failing to tackle a problem that he says is ruining local neighbourhoods.   more...

Prolific thieves get 'final chance'

TWO prolific thieves who targeted two shops in their desperation for drugs were given a "final chance" to turn their lives around.   more...

Councillors blast port decision

TWO of East Thurrock's most long standing Conservative councillors have condemned the decision by the Government to grant permission for the deep-sea port at Shellhaven.   more...

Thurrock Gazette Sport

Racing on as Hammers boss enters war of words and Jonsson is lined up

LAKESIDE Hammers will definitely race-off against the Reading Bulldogs this evening after the Berkshire side completed a takeover in time for the Elite League meeting to take place.   more...

  
Restrict search to 20 June 2007