SOUTHEND United's youth team will face Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup after winning 3-1 at Derby County tonight. Ricky Duncan's side fought back from 1-0 to triumph at Pride Park thanks to goals from Jamie Stevens, Duane Ofori-Acheampong
WHEN business studies student Stephen Watson needed to come up with an event for his course, he had the perfect idea – a comedy night. He managed to persuade Westcliff funnyman Russell Kane to headline his first Laughing Pod event, and the night has
SHATTERED – but happy to be home. That was jet-lagged Dan Henderson who is Thorpe Bay Yacht Club’s latest world champion. The new Musto Skiff class world title holder had just flown back from his success in Australia and came to Thorpe Bay Yacht Club
THUGS shot a kitten at point-blank range. Penny, a ten-month-old black and white moggy, has been left with serious injuries. Owner Karen Bigden believes the thugs, armed with an air rifle, lured the young cat away before shooting her square in the chest
A FUEL thief is believed to have used cloned numberplates to carry out his crimes. Police have issued CCTV footage of a man suspected of stealing from the BP petrol station at Cranfield Park, Wickford. He is believed to be local to Wickford
AN out-of-control ambulance car on an emergency call ploughed into a couple’s fence. Amy Cannon, 20, from Polesteads, Vange, said her partner David Yeomans, 22, was woken by a bang in the early hours of yesterday, but thought nothing of it and went back
FIFTEEN people have been arrested following a drugs raid in Southend. Wayne Stewart, 31, of Pall Mall, Leigh has also been charged with supplying crack cocaine and heroin. He is due to appear at Southend Magistrates Court tomorrow (Thursday). The
FIGHT fans attending Friday’s Billericay ABC show are in for a treat. The show – at Hannakins Farm in Rosebury Avenue – should be a big draw because several of the host club’s brightest prospects are on the card. Already matched are two of the club’
SOUTHEND shot-putter Robin Womack has vowed to use his Beijing heartache as a catalyst for IPC World Championship gold in New Zealand. Womack, missed out on selection for the 2008 Paralympics after failing to throw the ‘A’s standard of 10.60m in the
I went to the Towngate Theatre, Basildon, to lend my support to the group protesting against the development of Kent View Road recreation ground in Vange. I have lived in the area all my life and feel strongly that, after intensive development
I was incensed that the price of alcohol will have to rise to try to stop the drunken scenes we have been shown on TV. Rubbish. If the young and not so young want to get drunk, they will do so at any price. The scenes we were shown were not the
If the reports of Southend Council leader Nigel Holdcroft’s statements concerning the proposal to build a road through St Laurence Park, Southend, were correct, they are revealing. He announced the road would be built before the council meeting
Jilly Hyde is being a little selective in the truth when she acclaims the good news about Victoria Park and castigates the Echo for not telling all of the good news (Jan 18). Firstly, I seem to remember a fairly lengthy article complete with
I had to laugh when I read Southend’s Tory leader saying the problem with Independents is they have “no shared ideological background” (Jan 18). Surely the very point of an Independent is that they don’t have an ideology. They vote for their
As secretary of Southend Keep Our NHS Public, I add our voice of protest to those of the staff and patients against the decision to close Southend Hospital’s George Foster Taylor ward. This closure comes on top of the two other wards closed last
Read in the Echo about the council budget cuts, about Southend Hospital ward closures, about cuts to student grants, about continued fat cat bonuses to bankers, record youth unemployment, cuts to frontline policing and VAT rises. All of these
The recent increase in VAT is not only unethical, but self-defeating. The cost of crude oil goes up, as does the price of the refined product, yet the Government seizes part of the increase by way of VAT, having contributed nothing to the production
Despite the disruption and impending prospect of chaos at Cuckoo Corner, Southend, if the pointless traffic lights are installed, it is vital for the local economy that we secure the future of the shops on Earl’s Hall Parade. However, that future
The cost of developers applying for planning permission is set down by the Government, but this charge cannot cover the immense cost incurred by councils. It certainly does not cover the cost of repeated appeals and resubmissions by applicants
Support Our Soldiers is one of the recipients of a donation from Canvey Town Council’s Armed Forces Day and not as reported in the Echo (Jan 18). We have received a magnificent cheque and would like to thank Canvey Town Council for its generosity
Christine Hills (Jan 18) condemns the fact that no one offered to help her grand-daughter when she suffered a flat tyre in Rayleigh. Some time ago I spotted a woman in a similar predicament. I stopped my car and approached her and offered to
Pitsea’s Railway Hotel (Jan 21) was built by Harold Howard, who owned Howard’s Dairies, which served surrounding areas, including Southend and Westcliff. He lived at Bluehouse Farm, Pitsea, where he kept cows. He owned most of the land in Pitsea
SOUTHEND United's youth team chief Ricky Duncan has told his team to focus on facing Derby County tonight – and not Liverpool. Duncan takes his under 18 side to Pride Park in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup this evening, with the winners due to
Having been born at the end of the Second World War, I consider people of my age have enjoyed the best this country has ever had to offer. I grew up in a country with plenty of open space, parks, school playing fields etc. With a population
My partner and I were one of the first private residents to buy a property on the new Parklands development by Bovis Homes in Shoebury. We moved in in November, and have since been impressed by the professionalism of the sales team and site
I am most annoyed to discover how much worse the train service to East Anglia from Southend Victoria has become since timetable changes were introduced last month. The most damaging is that the three trains per hour which leave Southend now
A GRIEVING daughter has accused the Essex coroner’s office of treating her mother’s body like a blip on a screen. Jane O’Connell, 46, of High Cliff Drive, Leigh, was outraged at the way she was treated when she tried to get information from staff. Mrs
TALKS over a parade of shops holding up plans for a new Blues stadium are making good progress, a trader said. The future of the parade of eight shops, with seven flats above, on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Fairfax Drive, Southend, has
POLICE have released CCTV of three youths who tried to break in to a kiosk at Thorpe Bay station. The images show a group of youngsters trying to break the lock of the door of the kiosk, which was targeted between 1am and 1.30am on Friday, 7 January
A CHURCH undergoing £900,000 of works has had its copper piping stolen. Thieves climbed the scaffolding outside St John The Evangelist Church, in Langdon Hills, to steal the metal. The police helicopter and dog unit were drafted in to find the thieves
POLICE sent 39 yobs packing since introducing tough new antisocial behaviour measures in Rochford. Officers brought in a six-month dispersal order last month, to cut the number of young troublemakers in certain areas. Chief Insp Glen Westley said the
A spate of car break-ins in Thorpe Bay has prompted a crack down by police. Officers have vowed to increase the number of patrols and hand out advice to motorists in the area after thieves targeted six cars in two days. Crooks broke into vehicles parked
A COMPANY responsible for repairs to Basildon’s 11,500 council homes has come under fire for poor response times. The future of Mitie, which was hired by St Georges Community Housing, was put under review after the company failed to respond swiftly enough
A woman has died after failing to recover from a car crash on Christmas Day. Joyce Ashworth, of Hart Road, Thundersley, was fatally injured during the collision at Kent Elms Corner between a black Peugeot 207 and a white Subaru estate.
Talks are to be held between Basildon Council and travellers living on an illegal camp to avoid the £13million cost of an eviction. Basildon and Billericay MP John Baron has arranged the talks in the House of Commons on Thursday, between council
DETECTIVES are trying to trace a young couple who may have witnessed a brutal attack at Basildon's Festival Leisure Park. They have released CCTV of the pair in the hope they can help solve the case. They believe they may have seen
HEALTH chiefs have told parents not to panic about their young children getting swine flu. Current guidelines say youngsters, under five-years-old, with no health problems do not need the vaccine. However, families who want the jab have found they can
A MAN and a woman arrested for neglect after a three-year-old girl was found wandering in the street have been released on police bail. The toddler was discovered by a passer-by in Genesta Road, Westcliff on Monday evening. The child did not speak
A MAN spent a week in hospital battling meningitis after he was misdiagnosed by doctors three times. Steven Drew, 38, went to his GP suffering from headaches and migraine symptoms after he played rugby. His GP, followed by two A&E doctors
SOUTHEND Council is set to take action to preserve a piece of military history which is still so good at its job many don’t even realise it’s there. Tucked behind the curved brick wall, which once formed part of the entrance to the gasworks
BUS inspectors, traffic wardens and shopping centre security guards have all been granted “police powers” under controversial legislation. A Freedom of Information request has revealed 403 people in Essex are part of the controversial Community
PERPLEXED Anglican priests have criticised a Catholic bishop for suggesting they are set to convert to Rome. Jeffrey Woolnough and Lee Bennett, Hockley and Benfleet’s parish leaders, said the claims by the Rt Rev Thomas McMahon were premature
