SOUTHEND has come under fire from its fellow bidders for the UK City of Culture 2017 title after one of its MPs dismissed rivals as “absolute dumps”. David Amess, the Tory MP for Southend West, sparked outrage across the country when claimed many
THREE tax enquiry offices are set to close next year putting a handful of jobs at risk in south Essex. HM Revenue and Customs (HRMC) announced yesterday that it plans to close all 281 of its enquiry centres throughout the country, with three of those
THE economy might still be fragile, but could good times be coming back to the housing market? New figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors show that house sales reached their highest level for more than two-and-a-half years last
WORK to the UK’s first mental health information and resource centre is progressing well in Southend. Mental health charity Southend Mind is busy renovating the old Essex Beds showroom in Southchurch Road to provide a brand new facility offering
Job Title: TRAINEE REPORTER The Role: The Braintree and Witham Times and Halstead Gazette, three weekly titles in north Essex, need a trainee reporter based in the Braintree office.
Job Title: Trainee Reporter Department: Editorial Responsible to: EDITOR via THE CHIEF REPORTER Main objectives : * Writing high quality copy in accordance with Newsquest (Essex) editorial
A WOMAN was sexually assaulted by four men in a horrific attack. The 24-year-old woman was assaulted after she was dragged on to Basildon Golf Course on Clay Hill Road, Basildon between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Sunday. On Monday the scene remain
A PROLIFIC burglar who stole an X-Box from children as a present for his own son has been jailed for more than two years. Richard Green, 35, of York Road, Southend, was jailed for two years and five months at Basildon Crown Court after admitting
MOST girls dream of a white wedding with all eyes on them, but for Madge Giles her big day was a big secret. On the day she married her husband Jim 60 years ago on March 14 there was no white dress, no cake, no photographer and no guests. Madge
BLUES boss Paul Sturrock is confident of keeping midfielder Matthew Lund at Roots Hall. Lund's initial month long loan spell from Stoke City expired after Saturday's 1-1 draw against Torquay United. But Sturrock is hopeful of extending the
POLICE have found a missing teenager following an appeal. Officers asked for help to find Eddie Spagnol, 14, from Romford, who they believed had a girlfriend in the Southend area. He had last been seen at his home on Tuesday February 19, and
SOUTHEND United’s stuttering form continued with a frustrating share of the spoils against lowly Torquay United at Roots Hall on Saturday. All seemed well when Freddy Eastwood put Blues ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, but Joss Labadie equalised
PATIENTS with dementia and other disabilities could be forced to leave their care home to cut costs. A task group set up by Southend Council to review the future of Priory House, in Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff, has recommended it should be shut
FREDDY Eastwood is not giving up hope of Southend United finishing in the play-offs this season, despite Saturday's disappointing 1-1 draw with struggling Torquay United. The 29-year-old striker was on target for the first time since November during
BEREAVED relatives could have to travel from Southend to Chelmsford to find out what happened to their loved ones. Government officials have drawn up plans to merge the town’s coroner’s court with its Essex counterpart, threatening the future of
A KITESURFER sustained a broken leg after losing control on Shoebury Common. The RNLI search and rescue hovercraft was launched at 11.20am on Sunday to reports of an injured man who had been kitesurfing. He was found about half a mile off the
A CAFE that lay empty for most of the two years since it was built may finally be open in time for summer. Southend Council is considering offers from several people who want to take over Warrior Square Gardens Kiosk, which has been open for just
Oh what silly people we are here in Southend. Fancy trying to drive home from work or travel to a meeting by car last Monday evening when the wrong kind of snow was falling, especially after the national and local media had warned all day of severe
MP David Amess has admitted he is against the closure of libraries in Southend. I think many of us totally support this view, but seriously ask what on earth he is going to do about it when his Conservative allies on Southend Council are hell bent
I now have four blue bins – two delivered recently to add to those issued a few years back. When I inquired what to do with the old ones (which are still perfectly usable) I was told to retain them as spares. This is daft. While I am sure there
I think our letter writers are being a little unkind to Tory MP David Amess for his take on the other towns vying for some curious honour or other for being the most cultural centre in the UK. Them versus Southend-on-Sea. Have we become so brainwashed
A HUSBAND and wife who own a string of bedsits in Southend were fined nearly £5,000 after admitting they let tenants live in poor accommodation. Mrs Yeun Ming Pang 64, and Mr Hon Shu Pang, 72, - who were once the subject of an Echo investigation
MARK Phillips and Chris Barker are both struggling to be fit for the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy against Crewe Alexandra. Phillips is currently sidelined with a broken toe, while Barker has a calf problem. And Blues boss Paul Sturrock
MEALS will still be provided for pensioners at Basildon’s day centres, but changes will have to be made. Basildon Council is cutting £30,000 from its catering budget, leaving many elderly people who use its four day centres fearing they would lose
A FATHER and daughter team of fraudsters have been sentenced for scamming a Southend casino out of thousands of pounds. Bo Bond, 26, of Symons Avenue, Leigh, was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work at Basildon Crown Court yesterday after
AN UNDER-FIRE headteacher has pledged to address a “legacy of underperformance” and turn around a school in special measures within a year. Education watchdog Ofsted will check up on Holt Farm Junior School at least once a term after inspectors
GAZING across the south Essex landscape, giant super-cranes loom over the horizon like a famous landmark. Our photographer captured this image from One Tree Hill, in Corringham, showing the rapidly changing shape of the UK’s first deep-sea container
