A SENIOR Leigh town councillor says Leigh is losing its identity as vital services are being removed. Chairman of Leigh Town Council Caroline Parker was speaking following the closure of Royal Mail’s delivery office in London Road, Leigh. The
SOUTHEND Carnival has been hailed a success by its organisers. Fifty three floats entered the dazzling procession, which snaked through the town, from Chalkwell Shelter to Eastern Esplanade. Garry Lowen, one of the trustees and procession event
COMMUNITY-MINDED youngsters on a Canvey housing estate have started a campaign to improve their play area. The dozen youngsters, aged between four and 12, have banded together in an effort to make the rundown green in St George’s Walk a safer,
CALLS have been made for security to be increased at a Canvey nature reserve, after a spate of vandalism. Councillors want measures put in place at Canvey Wick, off Northwick Road, following a string of incidents. In recent weeks the reserve
ANGRY councillors and residents have vowed to continue fighting to get weekly district nurse visits back at a retirement village. More than 700 residents at Kings Park, Canvey, have signed a petition calling for the return of their Tuesday afternoon
RESIDENTS have been assured that the controversial timber cladding on homes on the Felmores estate, Basildon, is to be removed. Basildon Council announced yesterday it would be sending contractors to the estate to kickstart improvements. The
A BRAVE little girl is in with a chance of winning a dream holiday in the sun for her family after saving her mum’s life. Kelly King, aged seven, from Sandpiper Lane in Basildon, is through to the final of the nationally-run Little Heroes competition
FIREFIGHTERS tackled a large blaze at a semi-detached house on Eaton Road, Leigh early today. The blaze started around 3.45am and took more than two hours to put out, and another four to remove all traces of. VIDEO BY ECHO READER DAVID
HUNDREDS of residents living alongside a railway line are facing three months of overnight work as repairs are carried out to the track. Network Rail has sent letters to residents in Station Avenue, Silver Way, Jubilee Drive, Pullman Court, St
BURGLARS tried to break into a house in Shoebury in the middle of the night. Police are appealing for information after the attempted break-in at a house in Delaware Road on Monday, August 19. Thieves tried to force the back door open but
THE tench are being landed in good numbers at Rochford’s Doggetts fishery. But a lot of anglers are leaving before the sport is at its best, which is just before dusk. Trout pellett fished on a band along with bread and maggots on float tackle
PUB bosses have sent a blunt message to people using their car park to collect food from from the takeaway next door... Lance and Sue Kilcommons, who run the Railway in Billericay High Street, have put out a sign telling cheeky drivers who stop
CAMPAIGNERS will again be taking the fight to save the Deanes School to County Hall. Protesters will be marching through the streets of Chelmsford next week, hoisting their banners, waving placards and chanting messages in a bid to show bosses
YOUNG Southenders will join forces with council workers and waste contractors next week for a day of action to clean up local beaches. For Tuesday’s big beach tidy-up, youth organisation the Jigsaw Project will rope in youngsters from Chase High
A SCHOOL is celebrating after being awarded £2.4million to build a new sixth form block and revamp the existing science wing. Westcliff High School for Boys wants permission for a modern two-storey sixth form building because pupils are currently
POLICE are investigating claims that X Factor judge and N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos assaulted a blogger at V Festival. Celebrity writer Vas Morgan has claimed that the 25-year-old charged towards him in a "drunken and angry state" in a backstage
BUREAUCRATS have been criticised for branding a mansized pothole as not dangerous, despite it stretching for more than 6ft. The monstrous pothole, in Shell Beach Road, Canvey, has been causing misery for residents, including Justin De’Ath, who
RESIDENTS in Castle Point are being invited to use Twitter to tell Castle Point Council about their concerns. The council is encouraging people to get in touch with it, via the social media site, to raise any queries or concerns they might have
A MUM has gone on the run with her one-year-old son after a court ordered him to be taken into care. Michelle Kelly, 28 and her son Jaden have been missing since Friday. Their disappearance comes ater an order was made for Jaden to be taken
JOHN Easterford joked that he’s gunning for the Conference South Golden Boot after his second goal in as many games earned Concord their first point of the season at Chelmsford on Monday night. The central defender bundled the ball home just before
STUDENTS will be made to sign contracts in an effort to boost their achievements and attendance at Seevic College. Principal Nick Spenceley wants to see students “treated like employees”, with those not working hard held more accountable. The
MOTORCYCLISTS are riding on footpaths and public spaces and putting children at risk, a councillor has warned. Pat Rackley, Basildon councillor for St Martins ward, is warning riders not to use paths around Pin Mill after hearing from worried residents
A NEW food bank opened last week in Pitsea and two weeks ago one was announced for the Southchurch area of Southend. It’s hard to believe that in modern Britain, ordinary people – even those in work – need help feeding themselves and their families
SOUTHEND United midfielder Marc Laird has been ruled out for up to two months with the knee injury he suffered during Saturday’s 2-0 win against Northampton Town. Laird hobbled off on the hour mark during the victory at Roots Hall. And scan
A MAN has been sentenced for headbutting the manager of a Southend nightclub. Joseph Le-Mon pleaded guilty to assaulting Jamie Milne, at Mayhem in the town centre. Southend Magistrates’ Court heard how 19-year-old Le-Mon was at the venue in
A QUICK-thinking neighbour who disturbed three burglars has been praised by police. The men smashed in the front door of a house in Knightsbridge Walk, Billericay, belonging to a woman in her fifties. After hearing the disturbance just before
A WESTCLIFF man has been jailed after Met Police cracked down on dealers who flooded London’s West End with Class A drugs. Caswell Shaw, 53, was locked up for five years and seven months after pleading guilty to three counts of supplying Class
A FIRE started in a block of flats in Southend after two people were arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty. A 23-year-old man from Southend and a 17-year-old teenager from Mitcham, Surrey, were arrested at a property in Quantoc flats, in Chichester
”You become strong by defying defeat and by turning loss into gain and failure to success.” OK, history’s “great bad man” Napoleon may have said this, but you get the gist. If you fail, you don’t have to give up. As thousands of teenagers in Essex
AN Essex student was one of a baker's dozen of contestants who attempted to cook up tasty treats last night as the fourth series of The Great British Bake Off returned. Along with the other bakers, Ruby, 20 , a History of Art and Philosophy student
A MAN who tragically lost three of his children in a house fire died from taking a cocktail of drugs at his home. Tony Collingwood, 40, passed away in the bedroom of his flat in Kursaal Way, Southend, in the early hours of July 31 last year.
OSCAR winner Dame Helen Mirren, who went to school in Westcliff, has become one of Marks & Spencer’s leading ladies. The actress has joined the store’s autumn collections campaign alongside other famous and inspirational British women.
BORIS bikes are coming to Southend...in a bid to encourage commuters to ditch their cars. Bike & Go is a new bike hire scheme which will operate at Southend Victoria station. It will allow passengers to quickly and easily, continue their
A TEENAGE boy was arrested by police on suspicion of trying to sell cocaine to revellers at the V Festival. The 13-year-old, from Basildon, was caught by officers after a police sniffer dog singled him out at the festival, which was held at Chelmford
A BRAVE businessman turned detective to quickly track down the thieves who stole his phone – then fearlessly got it back, with his pals’ help. Des Moylan, who owns Moylans, in Leigh Broadway, was working when sneaky crooks slipped in and grabbed
