AN Essex bus service has been criticised after its lateness continues to cause problems on Castle Point. The number 26 First Buses service, which operates in the borough, has failed to turn up on time on numerous occasions, with one furious woman
A PARKING contractor has called for tougher sentencing - after a man attacked one of his wardens. Neil Hunwicks, whose firm Acpo patrols the town’s streets, believes that people who attack his staff should face prison. He spoke out after Suchay
SUSPICIOUS councillors smelt a rat when a cafe banned from expansion tried to set up a new business next door - selling tables and chairs. Members of Southend Council’s development control committee gave the bid by the owners of Forty Two, in Broadway
A NEW multiplex cinema for Southend could kick start the regeneration of a seafront car park. Southend Council’s ambitious plans to redevelop Seaway car park and create St John’s Quarter could finally be coming to the fore with talks between officers
RYAN Cresswell and Kevan Hurst are both set to have scans on the injuries they picked up during Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Brentford. Centre-back Cresswell was forced off with a shoulder problem while Hurst suffered a reoccurrence of a back injury
THE big freeze is set to continue with up to four inches of snow predicted to fall in south Essex on Friday. The Met Office has issued a warning that explains blizzards are a possibility with snow spreading into the region from the south west on
NEW players could be “enticed” to join Essex once the County Ground redevelopment is complete, according to Paul Grayson. The club’s head coach believes the better training and playing facilities planned for the stadium in Chelmsford will make
STUART Bingham says he learned a lot from last year’s early exit at the Masters as he prepares for today’s opening round clash with world number one Mark Selby at Alexandra Palace. World number 10 Bingham led 3-2 against Judd Trump in the first
SOUTHEND United manager Paul Sturrock had no complaints after a 2-1 defeat at Brentford last night ended his hopes of hosting Chelsea in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Roots Hall. Blues would have taken on the European Champions later this month
DVD rental chain Blockbuster been placed in administration putting more than 4000 jobs at risk across the country. The company, which has 528 stores across the UK, has called in the administrators just days after HMV and Jessops also collapsed.
A WOMAN disturbed a gang of burglars who were trying to break into her home. She had returned to the house in Bailey Roads, Leigh, to find three men trying to gain entry, After being disturbed they ran off, at about 1pm on January 8. They
A HOMELESS man was attacked in the street with a glass bottle. The victim, who is in his 50s, was in the loading bay underneath Victoria Plaza when he was approached by three men. He needed hospital treatment for injuries caused by the bottle
BARONESS Angela Smith is wholeheartedly supporting the Echo’s campaign to blood testing local. The former Basildon MP says she can see no justification for moving the service from Southend and Basildon hospitals to Bedford Hospital. Mrs Smith
TRAVELLERS have rejected the chance to create a supersized Dale Farm site and instead want the council to clean up the land. Last week, the Echo exclusively revealed campaigners were looking to submit a planning application to create more than
FIVE people arrested in connection with the death of Lee Balkwell, who was found dead under a cement mixer more than ten years ago, have had their bail extended. Mr Balkwell, 33, was found dead trapped under the chassis and drum of the vehicle
A LEIGH man has been shot dead in Central America by a gang who stole his camera, it was reported. The man, named locally as tourist Omer Kaya, 33, and said to be from Leigh, was killed at 11am yesterday in the city of San Pedro Sula, in north
A YOUNG thug has been jailed following an attack which left a 17-year-old boy needing staples to a head wound. He had then tried to cover his tracks by threatening to burn the victim’s house down if he went to the police. The boy, aged
A MAN was hit by a car in Southend. Emergency services were called to Victoria Avenue just after 11.20am after the pedestrian, in his 60s, was in collision with a silver Chrysler. He was checked over by paramedics but was uninjured.
CALLS have been made to honour a Canvey war hero locally after a memorial recognising his efforts was criticised for containing errors. Bill Sparks was one of the Cockleshell Heroes who defied logic by canoeing 75 miles into Nazi-occupied France
A MINIBUS had its windscreen shattered after yobs threw an object off a bridge. They struck in Royal Artillery Way, Sourthend, at about 12.45pm on Wednesday January 9. A minibus was on the dual carriageway and passing under a footbridge near
THREE friends are limbering up for a gruelling once-in-a-lifetime experience to raise cash for good causes. Kerry Whitelegg, from Southend, will join best friend Dan Bacon, from Hockley, and her dad Peter, who lives in Stockport to jet out to Borneo
WORKS to carry out £450,000 of improvements to Basildon station have begun. The project, which kicked off yesterday , will see the booking hall given a facelift, with new flooring put down to cut the risk of slipping for commuters. The lighting
TRADERS fear the closure of Southend High Street under the bridge and the loss of trains full of shoppers could hit profits. Four shops at the base of the bridge – Mallard Jewellers, Claire’s Accessories, Southend Discount Gold and Feet First Shoe
TWO south Essex schools will be among those battling it out to be crowned world champions. FitzWimarc School in Rayleigh and Southend High School for Girls have been selected to travel to Karlovy, in the Czech Republic, for the World Schools Athletics
THE director of sixth form at the Basildon Academies has sensationally quit just days after the Education Secretary said he would be taking action against the failing school. Cambridge University graduate Ginny Parry was brought in last year under
The Only Way is Essex star Mark Wright will launch a club’s new night later this month. He will be the special guest at Southend’s Talk Nightclub to open the venue’s new Saturday club night Glitterati on January 26. Mark, who has
A BUNGALOW has been destroyed following a fire in Rose Road, Canvey. More than 30 firefighters were called to the scene to deal with the blaze which was sparked on Tuesday evening. By 7.45pm fire chiefs reported the timber framed home had been
THE manager of a shop that closed down Basildon yesterday launched a scathing put down on the town after claiming the store only managed to claw in £2,000 of profit in almost a year. Artwork store Inside Out was forced to shut its Town Square
Meningitis is branded the “silent killer”. It strikes without warning and is capable of killing a perfectly healthy person within a few hours. Thanks to relentless research we now have vaccines for many strains of meningitis and it is hoped 2013 could
