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Stories for 17 January 2008
Billericay Weekly News News
Relief at last for shoppers
A public toilet is to be put up in the car park behind Woolworth's Billericay store. more...
Braintree And Witham Times News
Prosecutors appeal against cousins' acquittal
TWO cousins acquitted of involvement in a fatal road crash will find out in the next few weeks if the judges' decision in the original trial will be overturned. more...
Residents' group branded 'small-minded' as barrier still stands
A residents' group has been branded "small-minded" for failing to re-open a shortcut. more...
Braintree And Witham Times Sport
Deane impresses for Braintree
Adrian Deane looks set to land a longer contract with Braintree Town after impressing on his debut for the club. more...
Last set to get tough
Witham's caretaker manager Tony Last has vowed to get tough with the club's players in the wake of Ken O'Donnell's departure as boss. more...
Witham recapture Essex Indoor Cup
Witham Hockey Club's Men's first team have recaptured the Essex Indoor Cup. more...
Winslow ready for return to Oz
Witham driver James Winslow will make his A1 Grand Prix debut this month after being called up by Team GBR for the competition's next two races. more...
Brentwood Weekly News News
Residents celebrate pub plan failure
PEOPLE in a residential area of Hutton are celebrating after councillors turned down an application for the refurbishment of a nearby pub. more...
New £2.9million mental health resource for Brentwood
A NEW £2.9million mental health centre will be built in Brentwood to continue providing resources for local people following the closure of Highwoods Hospital. more...
Chelmsford Weekly News News
Chas and Dave in concert
CHAS and Dave in Concert at the Civic Theatre. more...
Clacton And Frinton Gazette News
Kirby: Ethel amazing at 107
Ethel Wood was honoured with countless visitors, flowers and cards on the morning of her birthday. And she certainly deserved all the attention, as she had reached the grand old age of 107. more...
Walton, Frinton: Bowls club sues council
A bowls club is suing a town council after members were locked out of the building it uses. more...
Clacton: The gang's back together
A group of Clacton girlfriends who all married American servicemen in the 50s have met up for the first time since moving to the States. more...
Frinton: No TalkTalk for Ted
A great-grandad is furious with a telephone company for leaving him out of service for a week. more...
Harwich: Victim found in crucifix pose
The body of the Essex victim of an alleged Ipswich serial killer was discovered lying in a crucifix pose, a court heard. more...
Comment January 17: Variety is the key
Variety is certainly the spice of life working on a local newspaper. more...
Clacton: Off work for two years - and we're paying for it
A council worker is still on sick pay despite being off work for more than two years. more...
Tendring: Will new plans appease residents?
Controversial plans for an extension to a mental health unit have been resubmitted to Tendring Council. 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...
Clacton: Mystery of the missing glasses
When Ronald Smith left his glasses on a train in September 2006, he thought that was the last he'd seen of them. more...
Jaywick: Petition started to save Little Pals
A Jaywick mum upset at the forthcoming closure of a pre-school has started a petition to save it. more...
Clacton: Survey reveals opinions about town centre
The majority of visitors to Clacton town centre are disappointed with the changes made in the last year. more...
Clacton: Website award for garage
A Clacton community website has honoured a car service company for being the best small business in town. more...
Clacton: Dangers of smoking investigated by teens
A group of students have been teaching their peers about the dangers of smoking. more...
Clacton And Frinton Gazette Sport
Parkes confident for second half of season
Clacton Hockey Club are gearing-up for a much-improved second half of the season. more...
Coyle confident of keeping red-hot Matt
David Coyle is hopeful of keeping phenomenal' talent Matt Waters - despite the midfielder's red-hot form for FC Clacton. more...
Echo News
Policing with local support
COMMUNITY policing teams are getting to the heart of the community by holding regular surgeries around Castle Point. more...
Farmer wants a field path to be relocated
A FARMER is battling to have a public footpath which runs through his land moved. more...
Be on look-out for crooks
POLICE are urging people to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity following a spate of burglaries on Canvey. more...
Setback for green belt campaigners
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to stop a beauty spot being turned into a housing estate have suffered a setback. more...
Our sweet sixteen!
TWO giant dogs have produced a monster litter. more...
£17,000 raised by Round Table
A CHARITY is celebrating its best ever year, benefiting hundreds of under-privileged children. more...
School's search for celebrity autographs
A PRIMARY school is planning to hold a celebrity autograph auction for charity in the wake of last month's successful fete. more...
Basildon and Thurrock police hit charity beat
A TEAM of bobbies will be pounding more than just their beats - during a gruelling 630-mile trek. more...
£100,000 to remind us about town revamp
A PRIVATE firm is being paid £100,000 to advertise the proposed £1billion rebuild of Basildon. more...
Funeral for Basildon crash victim
A TEENAGER killed in a horrific road smash will be buried next week. more...
Lessons in life
YOUNGSTERS have been taught some valuable lessons in life, thanks to three sessions with the Basildon-based theatre group, Bards in Black. more...
Teens rescued from ship by Gravesend lifeboat
A lifeboat rescued two teenagers who had become cut off by the tide. more...
Rayleigh Asda bus service extended - for now
A BUS service enabling people to get to the Asda store in Rayleigh has now been extended until April 4. more...
Thurrock police hunt thug caught on camera
DETECTIVES hunting a thug who racially abused a shop worker have released CCTV images of the man. more...
Schools compete for Olympic spot
PUPILS will start the day the oriental way when they compete to win a trip to the Beijing Olympics. more...
Borough's 500th Neighbourhood Watch group started
CROOKS had better watch out... Castle Point's 500th Neighbourhood Watch scheme has been launched. more...
Tony tells of his Zulu war hero ancestor
THE heroics of Basildon historian Tony Jones's great-grandfather will be the subject of a lecture at Purfleet Heritage and Military Centre next week. more...
Basildon told it must take more traveller pitches
BASILDON must provide more homes for travellers - with some in the green belt - a Government inspector has ruled. more...
Suicidal man stabbed himself with breadknife he'd just bought
A MAN suffering mental health problems bought a breadknife from Tesco and used it to stab himself to death, an inquest heard. more...
Blaze flat hit by burglars
A FAMILY left homeless by fire have suffered a double heartbreak after burglars stole £3,000 worth of goods from their flat. more...
Popular book store to shut
ONE of south Essex's best known independent bookshops is closing after more than 60 years in business. more...
A lady in waiting?
OK, so she's no Eliza Doolittle, yet despite her obvious lack of charm, a binge-drinking Basildon girl is about to become one of the stars of a hit TV series. more...
Pensioners want better bus services
PENSIONERS have demanded better bus services, complaining cuts to transport subsidies have left them stranded in their homes. more...
My op to remove my huge tumour
DESPITE suffering nagging abdominal pain since a teenager, nothing prepared Nikki Stevens for the revelation she had a tumour the size of a melon growing from her liver. more...
£50k boost for heritage centre
AN appeal to improve the appearance of one of Canvey's most historic buildings has received a £50,000 boost. more...
Get married...in Castle Point
COUPLES can soon tie the knot at Castle Point Council's headquarters, with a register office set to open within weeks. more...
Burgled while I was at funeral
A MAN was shocked to find his home had been burgled while he was at his twin sister's funeral. more...
Westcliff sixth form pupils set £10k charity target
TEENAGERS are organising a number of charity events at their school to help children's charities. more...
Man found in street
DETECTIVES are probing the mystery surrounding a man found with serious head injuries. more...
Hospital says no to girl's hysterectomy
A HOSPITAL has refused to perform a controversial hysterectomy on a severely disabled teenage girl. more...
Diesel tank falls off lorry
MOTORISTS had to be diverted after a tank of diesel fell off a lorry in a Basildon road. more...
Ex-BNP man in CS gas probe
A FORMER BNP candidate was arrested and released on police bail on suspicion of possessing CS gas. more...
You, too can enjoy U2's concert in 3D!
AUDIENCES at Southend's Odeon Cinema are preparing to get a whole new perspective on going to the movies - quite literally. more...
Wanted: Young adults' holdiay memories
HAPPY memories of holidays and festive events will be welcome at the Focal Point Gallery in Southend Central Library. more...
Ex-boxer's £5,000 for station assault
A FORMER world champion boxer has accepted £5,000 in compensation after two ticket inspectors attacked him. more...
Why Poles love to live and work in Southend
ONE of Monika Lozinsdka's favourite pastimes is reading about Tudor England. more...
Two men charged with pub murder
POLICE have charged two men with the murder of a cleaner in a Southend bar last summer. more...
Man trapped in cafe collapse
A MAN was trapped after a lorry caused a cafe chimney breast to collapse. more...
Essex County Standard News
Four women and a gorilla - immortalised
Chariot circus mosaic to be unveiled
Campaign launched to beat bogus callers
A NEW campaign has been launched to warn the elderly about the dangers of bogus callers. more...
Safety work at Wivenhoe station
MS group wins cash windfall
Poor response to TB jab
Jumbo plans on the way
Gazette Features
‘I’m here for the pupils, ... education comes first’
Between 11am and 1pm on Monday, January 7, Jonathan Tippett spoke to all 465 pupils at Colchester's Alderman Blaxill School. more...
Gazette News
Clacton: Hotel set to turn into care home
A former hotel looks set to be turned into a residential care home. more...
Holland-on-Sea: Patients and staff are safe
More than 2,000 patients at a Holland-on-Sea GP surgery will be invited to join a practice about 70 metres away from the one set to close. more...
North Essex: More woes for travellers
Coastal commuters could face more travel woe in the next two weeks. more...
Walton, Frinton: Locked out: bowls club sues council
A bowls club is suing a town council after members were locked out of the building it uses. more...
Tendring: Pupils caught with cannabis expelled
TWO pupils have been expelled from a school in Thorpe after they were found in possession of cannabis. more...
Fund-raising phenomenon Jake gets reward for his hard work
A boy has personally helped boost record collection levels by helping his Rotary Club. more...
Colchester, Clacton: Man bought ‘dodgy’ Porsche
A former pub landlord has escaped a jail sentence for driving a stolen Porsche convertible. more...
Tendring: 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...
Colchester: New pipe laying work set to start
Work gets under way next month on the gas pipe network in part of Colchester town centre. more...
Colchester: Weight loss was a marathon haul
Shedding six stones in weight led a woman to develop a love of running - and she's about to take on the toughest race of them all. more...
Colchester: Report bid delays murder trial
The trial of a woman accused of murdering her partner at their Colchester home has been delayed. more...
Colchester: Leaking water main fixed
Overnight work to fix a water main leaking into private properties was carried out successfully last night - despite fears that North Hill would remain closed today. more...
Mid-Essex: Fire crews rescue flood victims
Three people had to be rescued from the roofs of their vehicles after they were trapped in 4ft of floodwater from a nearby brook. more...
Colchester: U’s fans face £10 parking charge
Tough parking restrictions at the new home of football in Colchester will be a "bolt from the blue" for many fans, it was claimed today. more...
Brightlingsea: Father wanted to see children
A father-of-two who failed to attend meetings for unpaid work hours said he only did to see his children. more...
Colchester: Ready for a new brew? We’re just here for the beer!
Ale-lovers will be cheering for beer this week with the first Colchester Winter Ale Festival, which starts today. more...
Colchester: town may have rise in US visitors
The number of American visitors to Colchester could be on the up. more...
Colchester: Keyhole surgery is the key to fast recovery
Patients needing bowel surgery in Colchester stay in hospital around four days less than other hospitals. more...
Jaywick: 'Save our pre-school'
A Jaywick mum upset at the forthcoming closure of a pre-school has started a petition to save it. more...
Colchester: Jumbo plans in pipeline
EAGERLY-awaited plans for the transformation and restoration of Colchester's famous water tower are set to go to Colchester Council by the end of March. more...
Ipswich murders: Court hears DNA evidence
DNA from a suspected serial killer can only have been left on the body of Colchester vice girl Anneli Alderton "at or about the time of her death", a court heard today. more...
Colchester: Roadworks not affecting traffic
Drivers got to work without major jams today when North Hill remained open to traffic. more...
Colchester: campaign revived to tackle conmen
A NEW campaign has been launched to warn the elderly about the dangers of bogus callers. more...
Colchester: Parents ignoring TB questionnaire
AN immunisation programme against a potentially deadly disease has had a poor response. more...
Gazette Sport
Indoor action returns to Frinton
Cricket returned to Frinton with the first week of the 2008 Indoor League season. more...
Seven Sirens are on song
The Imps took on Purple Seven Sirens in their latest Colchester Netball League match. more...
Comfortable victory for Lexden Wood trio
Lexden Wood Golf Club's captain's drive-in team event was won by Richard Schultz, Lee Abrehart and Simon Longman by a comfortable five-point margin. more...
Rooster Smith is still unbeaten
Mark Smith began 2008 in division three of the Clacton and District Table Tennis League as he ended 2007 - unbeaten. more...
Stalwart Nobby decides to call it a day
Stalwart Anthony Nobby' Clark has retired from West Bergholt Cricket Club after a long and distinguished half-century in the game. more...
Halstead Gazette News
Battle for broadband in rural areas
A villager has voiced his frustration over the lack of broadband in rural areas. more...
Aaron offered job with Jamie, after Cock closure
Jamie Oliver protegé Aaron Craze has been offered another job in Mr Oliver's empire, after his "struggling" Cock Inn closed. more...
Church bells ring for the first time in a century
Church bells, which have been silent for a century, will ring out this weekend. more...
Pupils to play on the brighter side of the world
Sporty teenagers have their sights set on netball Caribbean-style, after being chosen to accompany a team trip. more...
Work of pioneering naturalist kept in limelight
A local historian is keeping naturalist John Ray's little-known pupil in the limelight with his talks. more...
Couple's farm building conversion - best in country
A beautifully converted 17th century barn, housing three thriving businesses, has been judged best in the country. more...
Primary school joy at new hall
A primary school is celebrating the opening of its long-awaited school hall. more...
Halstead Gazette Sport
Free sessions for golfers
Earls Colne's Colne Valley Golf Club is offering free golf coaching taster sessions. more...
Cooper in line for Halstead start
Daniel Cooper is likely to be handed a rare start when Halstead Town travel to take on struggling Long Melford on Saturday. more...
Halstead boss wants momentum
Keep smiling! more...
Harwich And Manningtree Standard News
Tendring: Off work for two years - and we're still paying for it
A COUNCIL worker is still on sick pay despite being off work for more than two years. more...
Parkeston: Reunion Plans
A REUNION is being held for those who worked at or were involved with Marine Shops. more...
Dovercourt: Mini-Bus Funds Grow
A CHILDREN'S home has said a big thank you to a man who gave a generous donation for a new mini-bus. more...
Essex Vice-Girl: Body Posed Like Crucifix
THE body of the Essex victim of an alleged Ipswich serial killer was discovered lying in a crucifix pose, a court heard. more...
Harwich And Manningtree Standard Sport
Shrimpers quartet represent Essex
Four of Harwich and Parkeston's under-18 footballers were selected to represent Essex in a match against Suffolk, which they lost 4-1. more...
Maldon And Burnham Standard News
Woman airlifted to hospital after crash in Althorne
AN elderly woman had to be cut out of her car and airlifted to hospital after she was involved in a road crash. more...
Warning after bogus phone calls
A WARNING has been issues after residents received suspicious phone calls from people claiming to work for a security firm. more...
New look for Burnham school?
THERE could be a change of look for a Burnham school. more...
Panto kicks off in Dengie
IT'S behind you! more...
New mast for Saint FM thanks to power station
BRADWELL power station is lending a hand to the district's radio station. more...
Graffiti victims could have to pay up
OWNERS of graffiti-daubed walls could be forced to pay up if they fail to have them cleaned. more...
New gardens for South Woodham Ferrers
TWO new gardens have been unveiled to residents of South Woodham Ferrers. more...
Parking proposals for Burnham
STRICT new parking restrictions are being proposed for Burnham's roads. more...
We want lights off too!
"WE are also suffering." more...
Scriptwriter to pass on expertise
A WRITER who has written for film, radio and TV is starting up courses to encourage students into scriptwriting. more...
Memorial plans put on hold
HOPES for a memorial to three members of the same Burnham family who died in a plane crash have been put on hold. more...
Thurrock Gazette News
Troubled man bought breadknife and stabbed himself to death
A MAN suffering from mental health problems bought a bread knife from Tesco before stabbed himself to death with it, an Inquest heard. more...
Cops step out for Aaron
MORE than 50 police officers are to face the toughest beat of their careers in a 630-mile marathon walk to raise money to help a seriously injured colleague. more...
Texting mum died in Christmas Day crash
A WOMAN sent a text message to her mum shortly before losing control of her car, an inquest was told. more...
Baby unit's appeal for lifesaving equipment
A TINY baby, its miniature fists squeezed tight into angry balls, lets out the sort of wail which pierces the air with its intensity. more...
Conservative leader warns councillors against extremist views and demands comprehensive election cam
THURROCK Council leader Terry Hipsey has sent a "back me or sack me" message to Conservative councillors and warned them they risk the party's wrath if they bend to "populist, knee jerk" policies. more...
Cops release picture of abusive shopper they are hunting
DETECTIVES hunting a man who racially abused a shop worker have released CCTV images of the man they are hunting. more...
Anti-social neighbours drove woman to drink and hammer attack, court is told
A WOMAN was driven to drink by abusive neighbours and cracked, breaking down a door to attack one of them, a court has heard. more...
Metal thieves blamed for rail disruption
METAL thieves appear to be the cause for the latest disruption on the c2c line from Shoebury to London Fenchurch Street. more...
Retrial for man accused of armed raid
A MAN accused of threatening a leisure centre supervisor with a handgun during a burglary is to be retried. more...
Lifeboat crew in Grays rescue
GRAVESEND RNLI lifeboat was called out on Wednesday evening to assist two Thurrock teenagers who had become cut off by the tide. more...
Doctor says mum told him baby died in car
A DOCTOR claims the mother of a baby alleged to have been shaken to death by her partner told him the child died in the back of a car. more...
Paramedic tells of accused's distress over lifeless baby
A PARAMEDIC told how a man accused of killing his girlfriend's baby seemed genuinely concerned. more...
Views sought on new masterplan
RESIDENTS in East Thurrock are being given the chance to comment on plans for the area. more...
Trace your family
LOCAL family history expert Meryl Catty will be on hand to give advice at a Family History Quest' day on Saturday, February 9 at the Thameside Complex, Orsett Road, Grays from 10am to 4pm. more...
Thurrock Gazette Sport
Kurt's late, late show wins vital match for Tilbury
Ilford 1, Tilbury 2 more...
Veteran Howard switches to Maldon
VETERAN Thurrock midfielder Gary Howard has joined Ryman League Premier Division outfit Maldon Town on a non-contract basis. more...
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