THOSE who go down to the sea in ships know the hazards of a sefarer’s life, but two 19th century mariners from Old Leigh met a fate so terrible and bizarre neither could have predicted the horror ahead. Were John Going and Amos Cotgrove killed, butchered
THE biggest selling classical artist of the 21st century is coming to south Essex. New Zealander Hayley Westenra touches down at the Cliffs Pavilion, tomorrow for an evening of soothing sounds. The 22-year-old soprano, who started performing at aged
POLICE have appealed for help in finding a missing man who could be in the Southend area. Ben Shorter, 21, was last seen at his home in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, shortly after midnight on Tuesday, July 22. He left the area in a green V-registration
THE number of cases of swine flu in south Essex is rising rapidly, but health bosses say they have been planning for the pandemic for the past two years. There have now been 31 deaths in the UK, including one at Basildon Hospital, and across the country
THE outgoing Bishop of Chelmsford has voiced concerns Essex is being overdeveloped, at the expense of building communities. The Rt Rev John Gladwin said with extensive housebuilding in towns, plans for new ports and the expansion of Stansted Airport,
THE drawn game at Surrey was pretty painful for a number of reasons. I ended up taking a hefty blow to the chest while batting on the last day, bringing an end to the match which was being played out in late afternoon gloom. I still have the yellow
MUMS and toddlers have been told a popular paddling pool is finally set to re-open this weekend. The outdoor pool at the Paddocks Community Centre, off Long Road, Canvey, was closed for refurbishments in mid-May and should have reopened in June. Castle
A MUCH-LOVED son, partner and father is finally being laid to rest...three years after his death. A bitter row between relatives and his partner meant painter and decorator Shaun Tate’s body had remained in the Basildon Hospital mortuary since 2006,
CAMPAIGNERS piled into a council meeting to make a silent protest over plans to sell off an ancient woodland. About 40 residents lined the back of the Castle Point Council chamber at the offices in Kiln Road, Thundersley, as councillors arrived for the
RESIDENTS fear a summer of trouble after plans to lock a problem park stalled again. King George V playing field off Blackthorne Road, Canvey, is a hotspot for underage drinking and antisocial behaviour with the summer holidays expected to attract even
AN innocent man and his mother have been hounded by phone calls after dozens of posters were put up around Hockley accusing him of being a paedophile. The malicious A4 size posters were put up on telegraph poles in Greensward Lane, Plumberow Avenue and
ANGRY Rayleigh residents want to know why they were not informed a town centre road would be closed for two days while gas main replacement work was being carried out. Love Lane was closed on Sunday and Monday morning, as well as Eastwood Road, which
MP John Baron says he need not explain why the amount taxpayers stumped up for his mortgage interest rose by 40 per cent because he is “entitled to privacy”. The Tory MP for Billericay and district has refused to explain in written responses to constituents
THE ongoing row over a troubled doctors’ surgery has been described as a “dog’s dinner” by a councillor. The NHS is due to take over the privately-run Pier Medical Centre from tomorrow after being run by ChilversMcCrea. Patients have grown increasingly
HUNDREDS of anxious customers have signed a petition in a bid to keep a popular restaurant open. The Rose Garden restaurant in Aldermans Hill, Hockley, is set to close on December 1 after it lost a council planning appeal. About 600
BOROUGH of Southend are once again looking forward to this year’s national swimming championships with understandable optimism. Six members of the the elite Borough squad have qualified for the forthcoming competition which sees the top swimmers from
donkeys are failing to attract customers, less than six months after they made a triumphant return to Clacton. Jayne Johns, who brings the donkeys from her Rayleigh home, has been forced to take them to more lucrative school fetes instead. The traditional
A MUSIC store which featured in a Morrissey video 21 years ago is set to close. HMV will close one of its two stores in Southend next month, after nearly 20 years in the town. The Queens Road shop famously appeared in Morrissey’s music video in the
THE final match of the season saw Hadleigh Park beat Wickford 6-0 away to claim the Men’s Division Three title and promotion to Division Two. Chris Ashton and Andy Buswell defeated Wickford captain Steward Clark and Dave Goodman 6-1 6-1, before Nick
PLANS to convert a former day centre in Rochford into houses and build two new blocks of flats on the site which was previously earmarked for a Tesco Express store, will be decided by district councillors tonight. Although planning officers are backing
THIS is the face of a man being hunted by police in connection with an attempted burglary at a freight company. Officers investigating the incident at a depot in Paycock Road, Basildon, want to hear from anyone who knows his identity. Investigating
CAMPAIGNERS battling to save a much loved cinema, which is a Grade II listed building, have warned it will be beyond repair if something isn’t done quickly. Vandalism and chronic damp are contributing to the further decline of the State Cinema, in Grays
A MUM has warned of the dangers of travelling abroad, after her caring son was killed on a trip of a lifetime. Luke Howard, 21, died after his scooter was in collision with a taxi on the Thai island of Koh Phangan. He was fulfilling
GIANT inflatables, sumo wrestling and good local food was available at a fun day. The event at St Thomas More High School, in Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff, was to raise money for Havens Hospices. Some of the locally-sourced food came from Woodford
BOGUS recycling collectors have cheated a charity out of desperately-needed cash and the victims have warned others to be alert to the callous conmen. The Peaceful Place shop in North Avenue, Southend, which raises funds for the charity for sufferers
STUDENTS and staff at St Mary’s Primary School, Tilbury, are celebrating achieving the Every Child Matters Quality Mark. The school was found worthy of receiving the silver award, equivalent to an Ofsted judgement of “good”. The achievement was awarded
A SOLDIER who is still recovering from serious shrapnel wounds he suffered in Afghanistan attended a star- studded garden party at Buckingham Palace. Soldiers, sailors and airmen were joined by entertainers Rolf Harris, Bruce Forsyth and Life
CRAIG George enjoyed double delight when Southend & District LTA held its summer finals at Westcliff Hardcourts on Sunday. The Wickford player won the men’s singles title for the first time and also retained the men’s doubles trophy, partnering Jack
WESTCLIFF drag racer Graham Ellis travels to Sweden this weekend to face the sternest test of his career. Ellis and Andy Robinson will be the only British entries when a huge Pro Mod-ified field takes to the track during Mantorp Park’s Veidec Festival
ROCHFORD: The club held their Guest Day on Saturday with Roger Newell and his partner Charles Brooker (Romford) defying a really strong wind to take the honours. They notched a tremendous 47 points in the Fourball Betterball main competition to ease
KNIFE crime among teenagers in Essex has plummetted by almost two thirds in the last year, according to new Home Office figures. The results came after Essex Police became one of ten forces in England and Wales to be chosen by the Government, in June
ESSEX Police have appointed a new Chief Constable - after considering just one candidate for the role. Jim Barker-McCardle, 48, who is originally from Southend, will be responsible for policing across the county. He was interviewed by
BLOOD donors who have saved the lives of thousands of people between them, have been honoured for their efforts. Lifesavers from across south Essex, who have clocked up years of giving blood, were treated to a glitzy celebration evening held at Crondon
LORDS: THE wet and windy conditions did not deter the golfers at the Rayleigh based club as they prepared to play in the annual Club Championship and Handicap Bowl competitions. Those that stayed the distance and played the 36 holes were rewarded and
PLANS to reduce the speed limit on a busy Billericay road have been rejected by town councillors. Billericay Town Council voted unanimously against a proposal by Essex County Council to cut the speed limit on London Road from 40mph to 30mph. The reduction
COUNCILLORS should back the expansion of Southend Airport rather than worrying about political point-scoring, MP James Duddridge told the Commons. Speaking in the adjournment debate, Mr Duddridge who represents Rochford and Southend East, said he had
A TRAINEE hairdresser overcame tough competition from far more experienced snippers to win an award. Julie Howe, 38, of Retreat Road, Southend, won first prize in the Central Joshua Galvin Photographic Hairdressing Awards for her Sixties inspired updo
HASHIM Amla treated the Grace Road crowd to a display of superb batting as he recorded his second century in three County Championship matches for Essex against Leicestershire, scoring 118 as the visitors closed the day on 294-4. Having won the toss,
A DISABILITY charity has slammed Basildon Hospital for its “appalling” treatment of a severely disabled young man who died in a hospital bed. Bosses at Mencap spoke out after a jury at the inquest into the death of Kyle Flack, 20, said neglect
BELFAIRS won the highly prized Kindred Shield with a very consistent team performance on a difficult windy day at Rochford Hundred. The 36-hole Greensome Stableford competition is played annually between the five Kindred clubs — Belfairs, Boyce Hill
SOUTHEND High School for Girls star athlete Georgia Atkins will again have medals on her mind when she runs in the 100 metres hurdles final at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Finland. In last night’s semi-finals Atkins, who has enjoyed a superb
THE Southend Ladies Open Bowling Tournament Mixed Pairs competition, sponsored by TUJON, provided some exciting contests over the first two rounds. >Bun /Smith (Danbury) beat Waller/Watson (Brentwood/Connought) 22/21 and Press/Christensen (Hockley
TRADERS fear the loss of more than 160 call centre jobs will have a big impact on the local area. Shops in Southchurch Road, Southend, have managed to ride out the recession relatively unscathed, compared with the town’s High Street. But some are worried
KEVIN Betsy was forced out of last night's friendly against Ipswich Town with an ankle injury. The winger had been expected to line up against the Tractor Boys before picking up the problem during training. And he joins five other players
SOUTHEND United are sweating on the fitness of Adam Barrett after the skipper limped off with a knee injury during last night’s 2-0 defeat to Ipswich Town. The 29-year-old, who is currently the only centre-back at the club, lasted just 33 minutes
A MAN is offering a £500 reward after thieves stole his caravan. Roy Knott, 65, of Whitehouse Meadows, Eastwood, had the £7,500 caravan for just a few weeks when it was stolen from a storage site in Rayleigh. Mr Knott said crooks forced through five
A SUSPECTED brothel was raided by police who believed Chinese women were being trafficked there for sex. About 35 police officers swooped on Lawn Cottage, in Wakering Road, Wakering, and seized two shotguns and a haul of suspected Class A and B drugs
A POST mortem will not be carried out on the first person to apparently die solely of swine flu. The Essex coroner won’t conduct an examination because doctors are confident the man, in his thirties, who died at Basildon Hospital, did not
CHARITIES and voluntary groups in Castle Point were paid a visit by a potential Government minister. Nick Hurd, shadow minister for charities and volunteering, spent an hour with those who work in the voluntary sector, listening to their views
WESTCLIFF schoolgirls led the Ashingdon Carnival Court to its third best float trophy in a row. Carnival queen Shelby Ryan, 18, and deputy queen Helen Pride, 17, of St Bernard’s High School, in Milton Road, sparkled in front of the judges at the Coggeshall
A WICKFORD couple received the surprise of their lives when their daughter crossed the Atlantic to attend their joint birthday party. Patricia and Terry Jones returned to their Highcliffe Way home after celebrating their respective 70th and
