THE weather did little to deter youngsters from Southend Carnival's teddy bears' picnic. More than 100 toddlers took their teddy bears and other soft toys to Priory Park for the event. Carnival vice-chairman Alan Jones said: "It all went very well,
BORED? Want to do something original and challenging? The Girls Venture Corps Air Cadets are looking to recruit new members to their Southend unit. The uniformed youth organisation offers a varied programme of activities for girls aged between 11
DEVELOPERS have now scrapped plans to include a swimming pool in a new flats and leisure centre development on the site of an old Westcliff hotel. Southend Council's development control committee has agreed changes to plans already approved for the
THE former chairman of Shoebury Residents' Association is making a fresh bid become a Southend councillor. Independent Mike Assenheim was beaten by Tory Pat Rayner in May's council election in the Shoeburyness ward. He will make a fresh bid next month
YOUNG offenders have been repaying their debt to society by carrying out unpaid work. The eight offenders helped remove graffiti and repaint a walkway around Crown House, in Crown Road, Grays. Thurrock Council has been working with the probation service
CONTROVERSIAL plans for six flats on a busy main road have prompted fears cars will reverse out of the site into oncoming traffic. The proposals to convert 1,825 London Road in Leigh into three flats and build three further flats on neighbouring land
CARING and sharing has been the secret to a happy marriage for a devoted couple from Thundersley. Reg Bridge, 82, and his wife Peggy, 81, have celebrated their diamond wedding surrounded by familiy members with a gourmet lunch at the Pontlands Park
HOME care costs for vulnerable and elderly people will rise sharply from next month. Thurrock councillors have given the go-ahead for the increases, which mean day care in Thurrock will rise from £1 to £7.77 in October and eventually reach £21.20 by
SUSPECTED fraudsters have been scouring people's bins and taking away documents in shopping trolleys, it has been revealed. Two men, believed to be from eastern Europe, have been spotted going through rubbish bags around Finchley Road and Satanita Road
STAFF at a college are in jubilant mood after being recognised nationally for the fourth time running. Thurrock Adult Community College has been awarded an Investors in People status after a rigorous inspection which took two days. Among the strengths
A TEENAGER had his tooth knocked out by a thug in an unprovoked attack. The 13-year-old boy was walking through the Eastgate centre, in Basildon town centre, when he was approached by a gang of older boys. One of them marched up to the boy and said:
FIREFIGHTERS claim a road block put up during a long-running row between travellers has hindered efforts to tackle two blazes. Fire engines struggled to get from the A127 into Oak Lane to deal with fires at the weekend because of rubble strewn across
PLANS to build 14 flats and two shops on the Tower Radio site in Southend have been blocked by councillors. Members of Southend Council's development control committee decided the plans to build a three-storey block in Rochford Road were too large for
A DOCTOR at Southend Hospital has helped develop a new technique to let pregnant women know within hours if their baby has Down's syndrome. Dr Khalil Razvi is one of the driving forces behind FlashFISH (fluorescent in syu hybridisation) test, which is
SOUTHEND Library was forced to close for the day after a fire broke out in the basement. A small number of library users and staff were evacuated at around 10.30am yesterday. Two fire crews attended the library in Victoria Avenue. The cause of the
High tides for Monday August 20 are at: 0344 and 1600 High tides for Tuesday August 21 are at: 0428 and 1649 High tides for Wednesday August 22 are at: 0520 and 1751 High tides for Thursday August 23 are at: 0623 and 1903 High tides for Friday
THE teenage daughter of former Basildon Tory MP David Amess has lost her licence, after pleading guilty to drink-driving and failing to report an accident. Sarah Amess, of Crowstone Road, Westcliff, pleaded guilty at her first appearance at Southend
Week commencing 13th August 2007 High tides for Monday August 13 are at: 1156 and ---- High tides for Tuesday August 14 are at: 0022 and 1239 High tides for Wednesday August 15 are at: 0103 and 1315 High tides for Thursday August 16 are at: 0139 and
DETECTIVES hunting two armed robbers say lunchtime drivers could hold the key to identifying the raiders. A 40-year-old security guard, from Rayleigh, was delivering the cash box to Barclays bank, in Broadway North, Pitsea, when the raid happened. He
A MAN has escaped jail after admitting an attack on his former partner in front of her children. Adam Lewis, of Seabrook Rise, Grays, kicked 21-year-old Charlene Garrod down the stairs at her home and hit her over the head with a saucepan. Yesterday
THE carnival in Britain is generally on the wane. In Southend, it flourishes, a sign of the town's vitality. That's something we can all take pride in, and there's an easy way to show it. Let's give Southend Carnival a great launch into its second century
THE experience of the Barrett family, from Canvey, carries a disturbing message. Heroin hits happy families, not just dysfunctional ones. The Barretts are, or were, secure and mutually self-supportive. We have that on the authority of younger son David
A TEENAGER had his tooth knocked out by a thug in an unprovoked attack. The 13-year-old boy was walking through the Eastgate centre, in Basildon town centre, when he was approached by a gang of older boys. One of them marched up to the boy and said:
I write to warn readers who may be selling cars. I recently advertised a car for sale in the Echo, a Citroen C3, registered in 2005 and bought for £5,900. Two days after the advert appeared, a woman from an "agency" rang me. On learning the car was
Talk about rubbing salt in open wounds! While the good folk in Southend wait eagerly for the day when the Southend bandstand will be reopened, the mayor and other Southend councillors enjoy a few sarnies and a glass of wine at the opening of a private
FIREFIGHTERS claim a roadblock put up during a long-running row between travellers has hindered efforts to tackle two blazes. Fire engines struggled to get from the A127 into Oak Lane to deal with fires at the weekend because of rubble strewn across
Bob Weston, chairman of Weston Homes, was quoted in the Echo saying: "We have only developed brownfield sites and have a good relationship with the members and the officers of Southend Council". My response is that Weston Homes developed a block of flats
In these dangerous times, in which we live with the spectre of terrorism all around, it seems to me too much consideration is given to civil-liberties at the expense of protecting the public from danger. I would welcome the introduction of house-to-house
With the Laindon School site now a desolate wasteland, we get the owner of building company, Bellway, telling us his application for hundreds of homes will meet "Laindon's aspirations"! What on earth does he know about our aspirations? His brief is
WE'RE off to Leeds this weekend and with everything that's going on there at the moment I'm sure it could be quite a lively afternoon. Their problems have been well documented after they were forced to start the season on minus 15 points but they've
CANVEY Island start their Ryman One North season with a visit to newcomers Northwood with boss John Batch pledging to try and take the club a step forward from last term. After missing out on the play-offs on the final Saturday of last season, the
MEMBERS of Basildon Golf Club fear their beloved course will become more like a landfill site if a private firm takes over. Developer, Jack Barker Ltd, is waiting to learn if Basildon Council will grant planning permission for a £1million revamp of the
A FAMILY has put up a £40 reward after a young girl's prized ducklings were stolen while she was in hospital with a broken leg. The four-week-old yellow ducklings, called Jeffrey and Shelby, were snatched from Lauren Holbrough's back garden in Exeter
BILLERICAY Town hope to immediately get their eye in tomorrow when they start their new Ryman Premier campaign with a home battle against Hastings. Manager Matt Jones has always maintained that a poor start to the 2006/07 season ultimately counted
IF you're looking for ways to entertain the kids this summer, there can't be anything better than a fun and educational day of art. The Focal Point Gallery, situated in Southend Library has two workshops taking place this month for children. Serene
FORMER Grays boss Frank Gray has come in for huge praise for ordering his current side Woking to concede a goal on Wednesday night's visit to his old club at the New Rec. The visiting Cards had gone ahead in bizarre style when Mark Pattison, attempting
£1,000 Box Room Makeover by Dulux to be Won Big Up Your Box! Research by Dulux shows that 78% of people consider their box room too small to be viable as a spare bedroom and instead use it
AN Elvis impersonator stopped by the Cliffs Pavilion to mark the 30th anniversary of the rock and roll legend's death. Paul Lillie, the Cambridgeshire-based singer, put on his Blue Suede Shoes to mark the anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley yesterday
TROUBLED singer Amy Winehouse has pulled out of this weekend's V Festival in Chelmsford and cancelled all her touring commitments for August. The announcement came as she returned to rehab in a £10,000 a week clinic on Osea Island in the Blackwater
Tilbury ferry's operator has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £27,000 for seriously overloading its boat. In Dartford Magistrates Court, the Lower Thames and Medway Passenger Boat Company admitted overloading the Gravesend-Tilbury ferry.
FRIENDS and family of Brian Belo have joined the Echo's bid to unite the whole of South Essex behind everyone's favourite Basildon boy. The former data entry clerk, from Ampers End, Basildon, is up for eviction from the Big Brother house for the first
IT might only be 90 days since Chelsea lifted the world's most famous knockout trophy, the FA Cup, but Essex Senior League clubs Stansted and Hullbridge Sports get this season's competition underway tonight. The duo meet at the airport side's ground
A TEENAGER is fighting for his life after his car ploughed into railings at the roadside in the early hours of Thursday morning. The 19-year-old, whose name has not been released by police, was driving along Eastmayne, Basildon, near the roundabout
FORMER Basildon schoolboy Michael Kightly today spoke of his joy after being called up for the England under 21 squad. The winger is one of just 21 players to be picked by manager Stuart Pearce for his side's forthcoming friendly with Romania on Tuesday
AFTER an outstanding second half to last season, which allowed them to finish in a best ever Ryman One North position of 12th, Great Wakering Rovers are being backed as possible promotion hopefuls this season. But manager Iain O'Connell remains cautious
SOUTHEND's super hurdler James McLean was the undisputed south-east Essex star of the English Championships for under-15s and 17s at Sheffield. McLean's winning 12.95 secs in the under-17 100 hurdles was just two-tenths outside his English Schools'
SOUTHEND United captain Kevin Maher is fighting to be fit for tomorrow's trip to Leeds. The long serving midfielder missed the midweek Carling Cup triumph over Cheltenham Town with a foot injury. But, in a bid to make the clash at Elland Road, Maher
SOUTHEND United manager Steve Tilson believes Leeds will be up towards the top of the League One table at the end of the season despite their hefty points deficit. The Yorkshire giants were forced to kick off the campaign on minus points due to financial
A TALKING website has been launched to help people who have problems with reading. The software has been added to Basildon Council's existing website and reads text aloud for residents who have low literacy levels or dyslexia. It also helps people who
NEW social housing projects have been given the go-ahead by councillors. Members of Southend Council's development control committee agreed plans for eight, low-cost homes in Alton Gardens, Southend, and 11 homes in Derek Gardens, also in the town.
A CHILDREN'S author hoping to emulate JK Rowling's success has published her first book in a trilogy. Maria Boosey has written Twins of Time, a fictional first book in a series, the Cup of Destiny. She will be at Waterstones, in High Street, Southend
A PENTHOUSE apartment on Southend seafront has been sold for more than £2million - making it the town's most expensive home ever. The plush apartment, located on the top floor of the new Chapman Sands development on Chalkwell Esplanade, has been snapped
