Stories for 16 January 2008

Braintree And Witham Times News

Swan killed by discarded litter

A young swan that lived on a stream in Braintree has died following an injury caused by discarded litter.   more...

Hospice volunteer will take to the wheel

A volunteer who has dedicated over a decade to Farleigh Hospice will take to the wheel of the new service when it hits the road.   more...

"Urgent" need for more drug and alcohol support services

More drug and alcohol support services are "desperately needed" in Braintree.   more...

Lead thieves cause over £20,000 damage to medieval church

SHOCKED parishioners have launched an emergency appeal to repair thousands of pounds worth of damage after their medieval church became the latest victim of lead thieves.   more...

Maternity care to stay in Braintree

HEALTH bosses have confirmed they are committed to keeping a birthing unit in Braintree, after they revealed the town's existing maternity services will not move to a proposed new community hospital.   more...

Crews tackle two flood rescue operations

Three people had to be rescued from the roofs of their vehicles today after they got trapped in 4ft of floodwater from a nearby brook.   more...

Concerns raised new post office will not be ready in time

Concerns have been raised a new Braintree post office will not be open by the time the current branch closes.   more...

Braintree And Witham Times Sport

Cup competitions go down to the wire

In what must be a unique occurrence, the Braintree Table Tennis League's two cup competitions were both decided in the fifth game of the final set.   more...

O'Donnell vows to return

Ken O'Donnell has said he is looking for a return to football management in the near future after quitting Witham Town.   more...

Braintree boss offered new deal

Braintree Town are set to reward manager Lee Patterson with a new contract.   more...

Braintree book date with Conference leaders

Braintree Town have booked a trip to play Blue Square Premier leaders Aldershot Town in the FA Trophy after securing a superb win over Workington in a second-round replay.   more...

Brentwood Weekly News News

Neglected horses recover at Hopefield

TWO neglected horses found by the RSPCA last week are recuperating at an animal sanctuary in Brentwood.   more...

Stations to get extra security

A RAIL operator has drafted in security staff to combat youth nuisance at Brentwood and Shenfield stations.   more...

Drama covering mentally ill care comes to Brentwood

AN interactive play which will portray the stresses and strains of living with someone with mental illness is being performed in Brentwood today.   more...

Chelmsford Weekly News News

Police hunt for rapists continue

POLICE are hunting two men after a woman was raped in a central Chelmsford park.   more...

Chelmsford bookworms come third in the country

CHELMSFORD is home to some of the busiest bookworms in the country.   more...

Jobs exhibition

A JOBS exhibition organised by Newsquest is taking place in Chelmsford.   more...

Hospital trust to become patient led

A HEALTH trust - that recently got the go ahead for a £140 million PFI hospital in Chelsmford - is heading towards becoming a patient led service.   more...

Chelmsford jobs figures - a mixed bag

WEST Chelmsford MP Simon Burns said he is disappointed by the town's latest unemployment figures.   more...

Hope for Chelmsford private school up for sale

A PARENT of a pupil at a Chelmsford private school on sale is "optimistic" it will remain a school.   more...

Clacton And Frinton Gazette Sport

GB call-up for athlete Holden

Clacton athlete Michael Holden has made a dream start to the winter indoor season.   more...

Echo News

Toddler hurt in A127 crash

A 20-month-old child and its mother were taken to hospital after being hit by a car on the A127 in Southend.   more...

I want to talk you into being healthy!

A GP is hitting the road to give free talks highlighting the importance of health awareness.   more...

Posh, size zero and the rise in eating disorders

WHEN it comes to models and celebrities, the super-skinny look remains very much in vogue. But over in the real world, it has been causing controversy.   more...

Meet the giant Marathon-runner

A FUNDRAISER and a talented Laindon sculptor have teamed up to make this year's London Marathon a robotic race to remember.   more...

Richard proud to be a villain on TV cop show

A TEENAGER has returned to Thurrock to announce he is proud to be a villain.   more...

Castle Point fishermen want better quota deal

FISHERMEN have met with a Government minister to argue for a better deal on quotas.   more...

Charity high-flyers needed by Havens

THRILLSEEKERS are needed to throw themselves out of a plane for charity.   more...

Mother and toddler injured in A127 collision

A TODDLER and her mother were injured when the car they were travelling in was involved in a crash on the A127.   more...

Former soldier avoids jail term

A FORMER soldier viciously attacked two of his friends, leaving one with a broken nose and jaw after an unprovoked outburst of rage.   more...

Hunt for Bo Peep bad guys

A LITTLE lamb is pining for her sister after she was stolen from a rare breeds centre.   more...

Dancer Richard’s final bow

TRIBUTES have been paid to a talented ballet dancer from Southend who has died from meningitis at the age of 38.   more...

Services are getting better says survey

A MID-year survey on the performance of Rochford District Council has shown it is meeting most Government targets.   more...

Town’s waste will go to a new contractor this year

RECYCLING rates in Southend could rise to 60 per cent when a new waste contract starts in April.   more...

Teacher's pet not to be sniffed at

LOOK who might soon be kicking up a stink at a school near you...   more...

4.95 per cent council tax rise

SOUTHEND council's cabinet members have approved a 4.95 per cent council tax rise, along with a raft of projects for the coming year.   more...

Council looks at new ways to rub out graffiti

BASILDON Council is planning a series of new measures to combat vandalism which is costing it £500,000 a year.   more...

Musical...with no live music

A TOURING show coming to the Cliffs Pavilion has defended itself against criticism its music is not played live.   more...

Active way to win school an award

A SCHOOL is celebrating sporting success after being praised by the Government.   more...

Workers' TV gift to centre

CHILDREN at a youth club can now watch all the action on a big screen, thanks to a donation.   more...

Trees to get their own name plates

PLAQUES are to be attached to trees in Lake Meadows park explaining to visitors what variety each tree is.   more...

Crook strolls off with telly

A BRAZEN shoplifter helped himself to a TV set from a Basildon supermarket.   more...

Travellers must go

TRAVELLERS have been ordered out of illegal homes on a notorious caravan site.   more...

Relief at last for shoppers

A public toilet is to be put up in the car park behind Woolworth's Billericay store.   more...

Shoebury allergy sufferer cured by goat's milk

A GIRL who suffered a hacking cough every night for three years finally found out her allergy was caused by cow's milk.   more...

Young builders' practical lesson in health and safety

PUPILS at a Canvey school took advantage of a revamp at a local supermarket to study health and safety in the building trade at first hand.   more...

Two vehicle smash brings jams to A127

A RUSH hour collision between a car and a motorbike brought tailbacks to the A127.   more...

Partnership puts its services on the web

A GROUP which provides a link between schools on Canvey has launched a new website.   more...

£200,000 to give Shoeburyness High more teaching space

A SCHOOL has been forced to spend £200,000 on temporary buildings to help cope with growing pupil numbers and their desire to study more subjects.   more...

Woman attacked by pitbull

A WOMAN was dragged to the ground and bitten in a vicious attack by what may have been an illegal pitbull terrier.   more...

Suicidal man's tragic final text

A MAN who suffered mental health problems sent a text message to a friend before he died, an inquest was told.   more...

Fakes show is a nice little earner for Del Boy's No 1 fan

A LOVELY jubbly motor turned up in Basildon yesterday - but without driver Del Boy.   more...

Jamie Oliver protege shuts pub

JAMIE Oliver protege Aaron Craze has been offered another job in the celebrity chef's empire, after his "struggling" pub closed.   more...

Diesal spillage causes disruption for motorists

MOTORISTS had to be diverted after after a tank full of diesel fell off a lorry in a Basildon road.   more...

£2m grant for new airport rail station

SOUTHEND Council will pay out £2million towards a new rail station at the town's airport, it has been revealed.   more...

Fire crews tackle chemical spill

A FIRE chief explained how his crews had to wear specialised   more...

CCTV girls might have been last to see man alive

POLICE are anxious to speak with two girls who could have been the last people to see a man before he was hit by a train and killed.   more...

Updated: c2c rail delays

COMMUTERS have been suffering long delays on the c2c rail line.   more...

Optician inundated with children's toys

AN OPTICIAN has praised his customers for supporting his hugely successful campaign to give new toys to underprivileged children.   more...

Major chemical spill outside Tilbury docks

EMERGENCY services turned out in force on Tuesday evening to combat a major chemical spillage in Tilbury.   more...

Civic events to remember survivors of the Holocaust

THOSE who suffered at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust are to be remembered through a series of events in Thurrock.   more...

Community spirit of builders merchants

A LEADING builders merchants is celebrating the success of its community spirit' scheme which saw good causes across the district given a boost.   more...

Ongoing delays on c2c line to London

C2C train services to London are being disrupted because of ongoing overhead wire problems around Pitsea.   more...

Echo Sport

Foster earns England call

JAMES Foster is ready to roar back into international cricket after winning a call-up to the England Lions squad.   more...

Horndon pair make fine start to season

THE two Horndon-on-the-Hill teams chalked up big wins to collect 20-point hauls in their opening Thurrock Indoor Cricket League Midweek Division matches.   more...

Gazette Features

It’s a dirty job, but Rita loved to do it

Dragging yourself out of bed on a Monday morning to go to work is hard enough.   more...

Gazette News

Colchester: There’s nothing like a shave!

It was a case of "I'm gonna wash the hair right off of that man" for two singers.   more...

Clacton: Drug dealers jailed

Another two people have been jailed for their part in a police drugs clampdown in Clacton.   more...

Clacton: Hoteliers are calling it a day

A hotelier who fulfilled his ambition by running a guest house is selling up.   more...

Clacton: Court tells woman to forfeit cannabis

A 40-year-old woman was found with nearly a pound of cannabis resin at her house in Clacton.   more...

Serial killer trial starts

An alleged serial killer cruised the streets of Ipswich's red light district looking for victims while his partner worked night shifts, a court heard.   more...

Clacton: Teenager tells of hit-and-run shock

An injured teenage boy today spoke out about the "cruel-hearted" driver who struck him then sped off without stopping.   more...

Colchester: Man arrested after girls approached

A man has been arrested after reports young girls were being approached on a Colchester estate.   more...

North Essex: Problem pupils given a taste of prison

Problem schoolchildren are being taken to prisons as part of shock tactics.   more...

Home Information Packs are ‘a waste of money’

CONTROVERSIAL Home Improvement Packs (HIPs) have been branded "a waste of money", after one Colchester estate agent reported only one potential buyer had bothered to look at them.   more...

Stansted: Airport price controls to stay

A Government decision not to remove price controls at Stansted Airport has been welcomed by airlines and a campaign group.   more...

Suffolk: Prostitutes murder trial delayed

THE start of the trial of a man accused of murdering five Ipswich prostitutes has been delayed.   more...

Colchester: Cocaine pair are jailed

Two men have been jailed for trying to sell drugs in Colchester.   more...

Colchester: Open verdict on hanged man

A cable engineer who had trouble with money had consumed a large amount of drugs and some alcohol before he died, an inquest heard.   more...

Colchester: Toby’s sinking feeling

He's helped on a Hollywood blockbuster, and directed two award-winning short films, but now Colchester film maker Toby Roberts is doing his best to raise the profile of a sink cleaner.   more...

Mid-Essex: Jamie pub turns away customers

A gastro-pub belonging to one of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's proteges appears to have shut without warning.   more...

Clacton: double celebration for West Cliff

THE stage is set for a double whammy of celebrations at the West Cliff Theatre, Clacton.   more...

Alresford: Warehouse suffers raid

A bike and a tool box were taken from a warehouse.   more...

Ingatestone: Woman loses legs on track

A woman has lost both her legs after being struck by a train.   more...

Colchester: Can women build a new career?

WOMEN in the Colchester area are being encouraged into the building industry with a career conference with a difference.   more...

Thorrington: Playful wanderer Percy’s as happy as a pig in space!

Percy, the pig that caused havoc on a council estate, has been rehomed at a wildlife centre in Thorrington.   more...

Colchester: Olympic bid nears the finishing post

D-Day is looming for Colchester's bid for Olympic glory.   more...

Colchester: Body found at home

Emergency services were called to reports of a body in a house in Waterside Lane, off Distillery Lane, Colchester.   more...

Colchester: Watermain damage could close North Hill

COMMUTERS face the possibility of North Hill being closed during rush hour after a watermain leaked underground.   more...

Chelmsford: Woman raped in park

A woman was raped by two men in an Essex park in the early hours of the morning.   more...

Kelvedon: Cyclist died in lorry collision

A cyclist travelling around Europe died after a collision with a lorry, an inquest heard.   more...

Colchester: Planning delay for airfield museum

GAS masks, radios and part of a V2 rocket have been donated for a new museum project, dedicated to the history of one of the county's wartime airfields.   more...

Colchester: Pupils mark a golden anniversary with 1950s magic

The 1950s is the destination for a Colchester school as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.   more...

Colchester: Seven-floor flats coming to Hythe

A seven-storey block of flats could be built on derelict land next to the River Colne as part of the ongoing regeneration of the area.   more...

Campaign to cut sleeping road deaths

A NEW campaign to cut road accidents caused by tiredness has been launched by the Essex Casualty Reduction Board.   more...

Essex: schools boss gets new post

Essex education supremo Tracey Chapman has lost her role in a cabinet shakeup.   more...

Clacton: Council worker is paid not to work

A COUNCIL worker is still on sick pay despite being off work for more than two years.   more...

Essex: reptile group plans future

A reptile rescue centre that was spared from closure is set to give talks to Scout groups as one of a host of new ventures.   more...

Gazette Sport

Medals for Holden and Holdsworth

THE winter indoor athletics season got off to a tremendous start for Colchester Harriers athletes.   more...

Mud is order of the day for athletes

HALSTEAD Road Runners' Bob Langley and Bob Parmenter completed the off-road trail marathon between Cold Christmas and Good Easter.   more...

Positive start to New Year

COLCHESTER started their new year with a convincing 9-5 victory against Ipswich in the Water Polo Winter League.   more...

Junior football results

ESSEX PREMIER CUP round four: Barking v Hatfield Peverel postponed, Brentwood Town 4 Coggeshall Town 1, Gas Recreation 3 Canning Town 1, Manford Way 1 Dedham Old Boys 3.   more...

Old Boys lose out in centenary battle

COLCHESTER Hockey Club's centenary celebrations continued with a friendly match between the current first eleven squad and their counterparts from ten years ago.   more...

Parkes is confident

CLACTON Hockey Club are gearing-up for a much-improved second half of the season.   more...

Disappointing draw for Harwich

HARWICH began the second half of their Women's Suffolk Hockey League premier division season with a rather dissapointing goal-less draw away to Grasshoppers.   more...

Colchester consolidate position

COLCHESTER consolidated their second place in the NE14HOCKEY East Women's League Division one north with a 5-2 defeat of Norwich Union.   more...

Iron through in FA Trophy

BRAINTREE TOWN have secured a trip to play Blue Square Premier leaders Aldershot Town in the FA Trophy after securing a superb win over Workington in a second-round replay.   more...

Porter and Mansell victorious

TWO Colchester ABC boxers were in action at Harwich and both came home victorious.   more...

Halstead Gazette News

Princes Trust - and teenagers- help school plant new garden

Enterprising children and teenagers clubbed together to plant wild flowers and trees in an inter- school project.   more...

Cock Inn closes, shock

A PUB belonging to Jamie Oliver's protegé Aaron Craze has shut without warning.   more...

Harwich And Manningtree Standard News

Wrabness: Villagers Clock Dangerous Parking

VIGILANT villagers are tackling parking problems by taking photos of and putting notices on cars parked dangerously.   more...

Wrabness:Theatre Under Threat

VILLAGERS face lose losing a community theatre after its funding was slashed.   more...

Mistley: Reptile Rescue Centre Goes From Strength to Strength

A REPTILE rescue centre that was spared from closure is set to give talks to scout groups as one of a whole host of new ventures.   more...

Harwich And Manningtree Standard Sport

Harwich begin the new year with a draw

Harwich's ladies' hockey team drew 0-0 at Grasshoppers in the Suffolk League.   more...

Maldon And Burnham Standard News

Maldon public toilet closed

THE public toilets near the White Horse Lane car park in Maldon have been closed due to safety concerns.   more...

Uncertain future for Moot Hall

USE it or risk losing it.   more...

Bradwell bosses in court

BRADWELL power station bosses have appeared in court charged with eight counts relating to radioactive waste at the site.   more...

Drama group celebrate anniversary

A RESPECTED actor has revisited a role he performed 30 years ago to mark the 50th anniverary of the Latchingdon Arts and Drama Society - LADS.   more...

New late night venue for Maldon

A NEW late night venue for over-25's is being launched in Heybridge.   more...

Lock Hill development defeated

ELATED residents are celebrating after developers failed in their bid to build the controversial Lock Hill Development.   more...

Thurrock Gazette News

Bullish response as borough education figures deliver good news and bad

THURROCK Council has published its annual review of educational achievement with plenty of gold stars but a number of disturbing criticisms.   more...

Generous Bernard comes to charity's rescue

A THURROCK businessman has come to the rescue of a homeless charity.   more...

Student celebration

HIGH-flying students took centre stage at a celebration evening.   more...

Stepping put to set a healthy agenda

THURROCK people are being urged to walk their way to healthier lifestyles.   more...

Police baffled by injured man

DETECTIVES are probing the mystery surrounding a man found with serious head injuries.   more...

Chaos and delays on c2c services

COMMUTERS traveling to and from London were subject to chaos and delays today as problems with overhead wires in the Pitsea area wreaked carnage on services.   more...

More rail chaos

C2C commuters complained of inaccurate timetables,misleading website information and wrong announcements as the rail service suffered another day of trouble.   more...

Thurrock Gazette Sport

Tilbury game at Ilford is on

TILBURY'S vital Ryman Division One North clash at Ilford tonight goes ahead after the ground passed a lunchtime inspection.   more...

  
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