A CAT was rescued from a kitchen fire in a first floor flat. Two fire crews from Southend were called to the fire on Milton Close, Southend, at about 5.30pm where they found the entire flat to be completely smoke logged. Firefighters wearing
UNLESS the rain is lashing down, Alison Keefe, Southend Hospital’s sexual health clinic manager, has a two-mile cycle ride into work, which gives a gentle transition between home and “the office”. After that first coffee and a check of her emails
SOUTHEND United shot-stopper Ted Smith has expressed his delight at keeping back to back clean sheets. But the youngster knows it will be still be tough to keep Daniel Bentley out the side when he regains full fitness. Smith shut out both Carlisle
IT has been a long, fraught saga, but the final plank is now in place which should ensure the future of Deanes School for at least another generation. Direct central government funding will now be added to the cash promised by Essex County Council
THIS man is wanted by police in connection with the theft of DVDs from a shop in Leigh. Five DVDs were stolen from the Co-operative Food store on London at about 5pm on January 22. Police would like to speak to the man in the CCTV image in
A ROAD in Southend saw more money made in parking fines than in cities such as Sheffield and Manchester. Motorists in London Road forked out £133,448 in parking fines in 2013-14, making it the third biggest earner in the country outside of London
POLICE have released a CCTV image after a man was punched in the face. Police investigating an assault in Marine Parade, Southend, have released a CCTV image of five men they would like to speak to in connection with the incident. A 19-year-old
BASILDON United are gunning for their fourth win in five games when the visit league strugglers Greenhouse London tonight. The Bees have been in good form of late and crushed Newham 4-0 at the weekend, although they have a raft of injury concerns
What’s your view on the state of policing in Essex today? Are residents here really as safe as they used to be? Is the service up to scratch? And, should you be elected, what more would you do to make people feel safer in their own homes and within
CRAIG Edwards has dubbed Concord Rangers the favourites to lift the Essex Senior Cup after he watched his Billericay Town side book their final spot with a 3-1 win at Aveley. A brace from Ricky Sappleton, followed by a goal from Steve Sheehan proved
RESIDENTS living in Rochford have the chance to raise their crime-related questions and concerns with Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, Nick Alston. The PCC is hosting his next public meeting to discuss local crime and community safety issues
TRAINS on the c2c train line between Shoeburyness and London Fenchurch Street were delayed this afternoon. Due to a vehicle striking a bridge between Limehouse and Barking, train services running through these stations may be delayed up to 15
3:46pm For now though, this blog is finished. Thank you for viewing! 3:46pm I said there would be a decision today, so sorry on failing to deliver. The proposal lives on, just
After Lisa-Jayne Samuels, 29, from Southend, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for concocting an allegation of rape, it emerged that the man arrested on suspicion of the offence had had his life turned upside down. He was arrested, interviewed
STAV Economou triumphed in the main event of UWC 25, beating Polish rival Kamil Bazelack inside the opening round. Bazelack had challenged Economou to a rematch after he felt their original bout had been stopped too soon. But he could have
ROLLER skates, a helmet and a bucket load of confidence are just three of the things you need to take up the latest sports craze roller derby. Teams from across the country piled into Clements Hall Leisure Centre, in Hawkwell, to take part in the
SEEVIC College’s rugby team are just one game away from playing at the world famous Twickenham stadium after surging through to the semi-finals of the NatWest Schools under 18 Vase. Seevic face Stockport Grammar School in the final four on Saturday
LEE Wieczorek enjoyed an emphatic return to action at UWC 25, demolishing his opponent Danny Joel inside the first round. Wieczorek had spent two and a half years away from the sport before Saturday’s clash. And the Wickford based 31-year-old
CANVEY Island’s Mike Hales continued to his 100 per cent record in the cage with a convincing win against Jay Barber. Hales was triumphant for the fourth time in succession at Garon Park But that was only possible after the plucky Barber agreed
SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown felt his side were robbed of all three points at AFC Wimbledon last night. The Shrimpers had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Kingsmeadow. But Brown was adamant Barry Corr’s 78th minute strike bounced over the
TRAFFIC lights at a busy junction have been fixed, after drivers faced days of confusion as the signals stopped on red. Motorists faced the choice of waiting endlessly at the traffic lights at Tarpots, in Benfleet, or risking their safety by dashing
SOUTHEND & Benfleet crushed Harlow 5-0 and kept their third clean sheet in succession to maintain their fine form. Goals from Naomi Barker, Ashlie Colman, Caitlin Meredith, Kirsty Edmunds and Sarah Conway proved the difference and they started
ROCHFORD Hockey Club sealed promotion with a fantastic 7-0 win against Brentwood. The Eastern division eight south east table-toppers can now not be caught by third-placed Witham with three games of the season remaining. They will now be hoping
A GIRL aged 12 will be showing her dog at Crufts – despite only starting to enter competitions 18 months ago. Abby Webb, of Keith Way, Southend, who is a pupil at King Edmunds School, Rochford, won her place in the grooming category of the competition
POLICE are appealing for help in identifying a man they want to speak to in connection with criminal damage at a café. A window at Bentley Coffee Shop in Eastwood Road, Rayleigh, was smashed overnight on Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February
Tributes have been paid to a serving Essex Police officer who was found dead in Cornwall. Pc Craig Pledger, 28, was found dead at Stithians Dam in Stithians village on Tuesday, February 24 following a battle with depression. His death is not
THE trial of two drug dealing gangs who peddled their wares on the streets of Basildon have given a snapshot into the town’s seedy underworld. Four members of the T and D gang were jailed for a total of 32 years last week at Basildon Crown Court
An award-winning headteacher is stepping down this summer after 17 years at the Billericay School. Sue Hammond is retiring from the school, in School Road, at the end of the academic year. The popular leader was named headteacher of the year
BOWERS & Pitsea romped to a 12th consecutive win in the Essex Senior league after thrashing Stansted 6-1. Bowers were in superb form, with braces apiece from Jamie Salmon, Lewis Manor and Rob Whitnell sending them into fifth in the league,
There are delays on the eastbound A127 after an accident involving a lorry and a car in the early hours of this morning. The crash took place at about 4am at the junction with the A128 at West Horndon. Traffic had been diverted via the roundabout
A ROAD in Rayleigh is closed in both directions following an accident. Clarence Road was closed after a man came off his motorbike shortly before 7.30am. Paramedics were called to the scene and took the man to Southend Hospital for treatment
East Thurrock United 1-1 Bognor Regis Town From Rookery Hill Ryman Premier League EAST Thurrock United came from behind to secure a battling point against the in-form Bognor Regis Town on Tuesday night. Mitchell Gilbey, restored
A man was cut free from his car after a road accident in Bulphan overnight. Two fire crews from Orsett were called to Church Road shortly after midnight today to reports of a man trapped. Firefighters stabilised the vehicle before using cutting
A primary school is set to expand to provide more than 100 new places to meet a shortfall in Wickford. Abacus Primary School, in Tresco Way, has launched a public consultation exercise over plans to admit an extra 15 pupils each year by building
CONCERNS over rail operator c2c’s proposed new timetable have been partially addressed, claims a passenger group. Chairman of the Southend Rail Travellers Association, Peter Slattery, slammed the National Express-owned train operator when it announced
A COUPLE terrorised by a stalker who left a pig’s head in their back garden thought they would end up dead. Ryan Acton, 20, and his girlfriend Lia Tudor, 17, were hounded for three weeks with hoax calls, eggs thrown at their windows and had a severed
A SECONDARY school will get new-look classrooms, workshops and laboratories after the Government agreed to fund its revamp. The Department for Education has agreed to fund the final stage of the refurbishment of Deanes School, in Thundersley, which
A YOUNG couple who have faced years of heartbreak are celebrating after winning the Echo’s Win a Wedding competition. During last weekend’s wedding fair at the Park Inn Palace, in Church Road, Southend, it was announced Jade Weedon, 25, and Lewis
A GRAMMAR school will increase class sizes and limit the number of GCSEs pupils can take because of spiralling costs. Dr Paul Hayman, headteacher at Westcliff High School for Girls, claimed he had already slashed budgets, but said there would still
