DEDICATED parishioners have raised more than £100,000 towards their new church hall. Plans are in the pipeline to tear down St George’s Church Hall in Rushbottom Lane, Benfleet and build a £500,000 new facility for the congregation and wider community
KEVAN Hurst will use his previous experience of Wembley heartache to help his younger Southend United team-mates after their JPT final defeat to Crewe Alexandra. Hurst was part of the Scunthorpe United side that was beaten by Luton Town at the
BLUES skipper Chris Barker was thrilled to shake off an Achilles injury and finally make his first ever Wembley appearance. Barker – who was dropped from the Barnsley starting line-up for their play-off final with Ipswich Town back in 2000 – had
BILEL Mohsni cut a frustrated figure at the final whistle after failing to help Southend United triumph at Wembley. The Frenchman was again selected in a central midfield position. And he was left disappointed by both his own performance and
THE MOTHER of a sick child spent more than three hours on the phone to NHS doctors, only to be told she had dialled the wrong number. Andrea Dawson, 33, spoke to three members of staff at NHS Direct on Friday night after her five-week-old daughter
AN URGENT appeal has been launched by Canvey’s only youth charity as demand for its services has skyrocketed. The Canvey Youth Project, based in Long Road, Canvey claims the number of food donations being handed out to youngsters has trebled over
POLICE are appealing for information following a burglary in Rochford in the early hours of Sunday morning. Thieves broke into Greggs Bakery, West Street, between midnight and 4am on April 7, and stole a safe containing a four-figure sum of cash
A MAN was threatened and robbed at knifepoint after he was targeted by crooks through an instant messaging website. The victim, a man from Croydon, had been chatting to a woman who claimed to be from Wickford via the BBPins.com website, which
ARTWORK and limited edition designer t-shirts to commemorate the release of David Bowie’s latest album have been stolen. The haul, worth £165,000, was swiped by thieves from a lorry parked in London Road, West Thurrock. It included
PLANS to turn a derelict pub into an equestrian centre and plush restaurant have been given the go-ahead, despite fierce opposition. Businessman David Bishop’s plans to transform the Wheatsheaf pub in Main Road, Rettendon, into the riding centre
RESIDENTS and businesses in Southend and Rochford are to be given more time to give their views on the key development area around Southend Airport. The consultation on the airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP) being prepared by Southend
CAMPAIGNS to save Southend’s libraries are gaining momentum with residents coming forward to fight for services at four branches. Facebook group “Stand up for Southend Libraries”, set up after Southend Council announced proposals to shut all but
THE Queen has been saddened by the death of former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher, Buckingham Palace said today. The Queen will send her family a private message of sympathy after the Baroness died peacefully this morning following a stroke.
Police investigating the circumstances surrounding a road crash in Southend which claimed the life of a young man are making a specific appeal to a car driver to come forward. The collision happened when David Page appears to have lost control
Baroness Thatcher has died following a stroke, her spokesman Lord Bell said. Lord Bell said: "It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke on Monday morning
THE name of the competition may have changed and so too had the venue, but Southend United’s latest appearance in the Football League Trophy final ended in familiar fashion yesterday. For when Blues reached the 2004 and 2005 finals they were beaten
FORMER Southend United player-manager Paul Clark felt the decision to play Bilel Mohsni in central midfield was a mistake. Blues lined up with the Frenchman in the centre of the park alongside Tamika Mkandawire, and many pundits felt their failure
PARAMEDIC accused of a string of professional blunders could be struck off. It is alleged that Robin Woosey, an Essex-based paramedic made a series of errors dealing with six patients between June 2009 and October 2011. A Health and Care Professions
BRITT Assombalonga is certain he should have been awarded a penalty in the first half of Southend United’s 2-0 defeat against Crewe Alexandra. The on-loan Watford forward went to ground inside the area while under pressure from Crewe defender Mark
GRAHAM Coughlan admitted it was an emotional moment leading Southend United out at Wembley for the JPT final. Coughlan, who has been in the coaching set up at Blues for the past three seasons, was given the honour by new manager Phil Brown.
SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown was left to rue his side’s lack of quality in the final third following their 2-0 defeat against Crewe Alexandra in yesterday’s JPT final. Blues failed to trouble Crewe goalkeeper Steve Phillips often enough between
THE number of drivers flouting speed limits on the A127 has plummeted since cameras were installed. New figures obtained by the Echo from the Essex Police Casualty Reduction Partnership show 4,305 drivers were caught haring down the busy dual carriageway
PROUD families watched an impressive display of teamwork, discipline and lifesaving skills as the latest class of young firefighters graduated in Southend. A passing out parade was held at Southend fire station for youngsters who took part in the
THE family of a bride-to-be killed by a driver who was virtually blind have welcomed the use of a new law to stop motorists with dangerously poor eyesight from getting behind the wheel. But the family of Natalie Wade, from Rochford, are still campaigning
A DERELICT tram stop earmarked for restoration will have to be demolished and rebuilt at a cost of £200,000. because of structural damage. Fundraisers had hoped to revamp the historic seafront shelter in Thorpe Bay as a space for community groups
SUPERFIT Frank Risby is taking part in an epic 480-mile fundraising trek across Northern Spain. Frank, 68, is travelling from the French port St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela for the gruelling fundraising challenge. His exhausting
MOST people living in a town centre apartment could expect to look out on to stunning views of the skyline.... but residents of Brooke House are having to look out onto a “vile” dumping ground. Soiled nappies, sanitary waste, mouldy food and general
