A NEW affordable housing development has been unveiled in Rayleigh. Rochford Housing, part of the Sanctuary Group, has completed the first phase of the Stratford House redevelopment in Hockley Road, which will provide 13 apartments and houses for
TWO plucky Canvey women are getting their heads shaved to help raise money for charity. Selfless friends Tracy Gallant and Tracy Dickerson will be facing the clippers next week in a bid to raise around £1,000 for five voluntary organisations.
IT’S the world-class facility set to inspire a new generation of sporting stars. The new-look Waterside Farm Leisure Centre was finally reopened to the public on Friday after a £5.4million revamp to bring it into the 21st Century. The centre
MONTY Panesar experienced a hard day of toil as he began the mission to reignite his career with Essex. The England left-arm spinner made his debut for his new team against his former county Northamptonshire in their County Championship match at
A MAN is taking on a gruelling run to raise cash for the critical care unit at Southend Hospital which cared for his mother. Tony Trigwell-Jones, director of Arlington Arts Centre, in Newbury, Berkshire, will run the Farnham Pilgrim, a cross-country
A PROLIFIC pickpocket, who stole a purse from a Billericay commuter, has been jailed. The 51-year-old woman was on a busy underground train at Oxford Circus on Saturday, April 27, when 41-year-old Luis Cueva-Mostacero stood directly behind her.
A COUPLE accused of making their neighbours’ lives a misery appeared in court in the hope of avoiding being kicked out of their council home. Sara Penlington, 39, and Paul James, 36, appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court to hear if an application
A MAN broke a £500 window at Rochford Library during an angry incident, a court heard. Jack Royce, 18, was arrested in the early hours of June 26 after breaking the window, Southend Magistrates Court heard. Royce, of Roche Close, Rochford,
CAMPAIGNERS backed by 3,700 villagers have submitted their case protesting against 500 new homes being built in Hullbridge. Hullbridge Residents Action Group has handed in a 3,000- word dossier outlining why the village’s infrastructure cannot
AN ageing swimming pool will be turned into Wickford’s own version of the Basildon Sporting Village after the council decided to spend £2million on the plans. Wickford swimming pool, built in the 1960s, will be transformed to include a new hi-tech
LONDON 2012 gymnastic heroes are in Basildon this week to stake their claims for a spot at this year’s World Championships. Daniel Purvis, Kristian Thomas and Sam Oldham have joined team-mate Max Whitlock at his base at the Sporting Village-based
A FIVE-STOREY block of flats will be built in Billericay, despite claims it will be a town centre eyesore. Developer Julia McKay Properties has won approval to build 18 two-bed flats and two one-bed homes next to St Edith’s Court, Billericay. The
AN investigation could be launched by a council watchdog over the validity of figures used to decide the future of Deanes School. Essex County Council is evaluating whether or not to close the school, in Daws Heath Road, from August 31, 2016, because
Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they want to talk to in connection with a theft from a shop in Leigh. The man is suspected of taking two bottles of wine, together valued at £31, from the Co-Op store at London Road at about 6.25pm on Monday
AN ILLEGAL traveller site is being hooked up to the National Grid, even though it has no planning permission. Contractors have been working at the site, near the Five Bells roundabout in Vange, to connect it to the mains, with temporary traffic
FIREFIGHTERS are now able to carry out vital training at a new site in Rochford, where they can practice their rescue skills. Essex Fire and Rescue Service has signed a deal with car breaker NSEC to use the company’s site on the Purdeys Industrial
TAXPAYERS have contributed £80,000 to an Essex county councillor pension fund, figures show. The money was paid to the Essex County Council Local Government Pension scheme in 2012/13, despite the authority having to make millions of pounds in savings
A £500,000 home which had been renovated and put on sale was torched during a burglary while its owners were on holiday. Essex Fire and Rescue were alerted to the blaze in the first floor of the five bedroom house in Manor Road, Benfleet, by a
A BRAVE teenager, who lost her mother to breast cancer just three months ago, is fronting a new group which will help other young people whose lives are affected by terminal illnesses. Sophie-May Gander, 19, from Westcliff, lost her mum, Pauline
THERE has been a big rise in reports of historic sexual abuse in south Essex in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal. Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh said Essex Police had seen as much as a 20 per cent rise in the reports this year, in areas including
ON July 22, the Echo reported Southend West MP David Amess was behind a House of Commons motion calling for Andy Murray to be knighted after winning the men’s final at Wimbledon. It is true Mr Amess sponsored an early day motion praising Andy Murray
UNION members met with Post Office managers at a meeting held to save two branches. The Communication Workers Union came to Basildon on Thursday to debate the proposed franchising of Post Offices in Basildon Town Square and the Laindon Centre.
SARAH Jane Walsh’s eyes blaze with excitement when she reveals what her dream job would be. “I would love to be a Blue Peter presenter,” she says, grinning. “Children are so open- minded and they should know that their dreams are not too big and
JACK Payne is loving life with Southend United’s first team. The 18-year-old midfielder endured an uncertain summer, not knowing if he still had a future with the Shrimpers. But the teenager was handed a professional deal after impressing during
GAUTAM Gambhir admits he will be entering unfamiliar territory when he makes his Essex bow at Castle Park today. But the prolific India batsman has stressed all he is focused on is helping his new side keep their promotion hopes on track. Gambhir
CANVEY manager Danny Heale says he is not worried by his side’s three-game losing start to the season because he feels with a little bit more luck they could have picked up a couple of wins. An opening day 1-0 defeat at home to the early Ryman
NOBODY could fail to be shocked by the piles of rubbish you find on Southend’s beaches after any busy summer weekend. Fast food and sandwich boxes, sweet wrappers, coffee cups and cans are regularly strewn across the beaches by daytrippers.
BLUES man Ben Smith first caught the eye of the Crawdaddy Club when he reached the semi-final heat of a battle of the blues competition held there in January. It was another highlight of his career so far, which has also has seen him supporting
A FISHERMAN has been cleared of storing oysters illegally at his shop. Richard Eves, who runs the Leigh Fishermans Co-operative, in High Street, Old Leigh, was found to have 400 untreated live oysters in a fridge at his shop when it was visited
BAILIFFS moved in to cut off a family’s electricity after they racked upawhopping £61,000 bill. The men arrived at Terry and Tracey Rust’s home at Smilers Farm, in North Benfleet, on Friday, to cut off the electricity as the staggering bill has
A FAMILY are still waiting for answers about how their elderly mum died after she fell twice in Southend Hospital in 2011. An inquest is yet to be heard over the death of Jean Kouspetris, also known as Jeanie Mole, 80, who died after fracturing
A DERELICT industrial site looks unlikely to be redeveloped after Southend Council threw out a second set of plans for social housing. Southend Council has refused plans to build 23 flats and three houses on the southern half of the former Albany
BUDDING writers are invited to enter a county-wide radio and audio drama competition. Essex Book Festival has announced the launch of Making Waves, a competition open to anyone over 16 who lives, works or studies in Essex. Anyone who enjoys writing
A MARRIED couple and another man appeared in court accused of raping and abusing a child more than 35 years ago. Rolf and Lesley Overaa appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court with Klaus Holtzmann charged with raping a girl under 16 between 1978
TWO men denied stealing £40,000 from a developer. Mark Schlitz and Roger Gladman appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court where they pleaded not guilty to theft. Gladman, 47, of Wakering Avenue, Shoebury, was charged with stealing £40,000 of
RESIDENTS fear there could be traffic chaos in Hullbridge asakey road is closed for bridge repairs for three months. The area around Beeches Road, near Beeches Bridge, is due to close today until November 8. Brian Carleton, from the Hullbridge
A DESPERATE mum has told how internet bullies have driven her teenage daughter to the brink of suicide. Sally Buckley is so fearful for her 16-year-old daughter Hannah’s state of mind that she and relatives are keeping a constant watch on the teen
