Top Stories

Providing an update - Justin Rees

Consortium provide update on their bid to buy Blues

Police seized more than £74,000-worth of cocaine and £4,500 in cash.

Suspected drug dealer ‘throws’ £74k stash of cocaine out of window in Basildon

Plans - 700 jobs to be created in £200 million plan for Lakeside Shopping Centre

700 jobs to be created in £200 million plan at Lakeside Shopping Centre

Family fun - Cinderella at the Towngate

'Absolutely mesmerising' Cinderella at the Towngate Theatre in Basildon - our review

Protest - a women-only march along Southend High Street will highlight the issues of gendered violence and abuse.

Hundreds of women to march along Southend High Street demanding end to violence

Visit - Steam Dreams Rail Co

Magical Christmas steam train to set off from Southend - here's how you can see it

Incidents - Police continue to patrol the area

All we know about hunt for 'balaclava gang' after two south Essex stabbings

News

Facilities - Stimulation hospital and nursery

Simulation hospital and nursery opens at Benfleet college after £1.5m expansion

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92-year-old Ron (centre) took part in the fun run in aid of Little Havens children's hospice.

Fundraising 92-year-old joins Basildon festive fun run for Havens children’s hospice

The Hoy Shanty Crew performed at Old Leigh Shanty Festival last year.

Highly-popular Old Leigh Shanty Festival to return - here’s when

Welcome home - Hockley Primary School's 333 pupils returned for the first time in five months.

'It's perfect!': South Essex school reopens following five-month closure due to RAAC

Band - the Potatoes and Foodbank

Southend charity launches Christmas song to drive donations

Invite - Southend Integrated Healthcare for the Homeless

Southend-based health service help protect homeless people with winter vaccinations

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Winners - Daniela Patru and her partner Razvan

'Total shock': South Essex couple win £30k dream wedding - here's how

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Closing - Barclays in Rayleigh High Street

'My elderly parents rely heavily on this branch' - Anger at south Essex bank closure

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Takeover - Special Police Officers

Special police officers attend 'sudden death' during takeover in Southend

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Difficulty - Michael Sargood

Sober blogger reveals difficulty he and other former addicts face finding new jobs

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Stuck - Stock image given by Essex Fire

Woman rescued from car after getting stuck in water as Essex Fire issue warning

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Robbie Williams will take to the BST Hyde Park stage next year.

Second BST Hyde Park headliner confirmed as pop icon Robbie Williams

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Crash - First Bus in Basildon

First Essex launch investigation after bus crash at Basildon Bus Station

Reflecting - Rob Rinder on spending time in Westcliff as a child ahead of Captain Hook role in Peter Pan Cliffs Pavilion panto

Cliffs panto star Rob Rinder tells of his memories of Southend

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Struggles - Owner Elliott Evans outside World Wide Wings

'Use us or lose us' - Chicken wing business fears closure as struggles continue

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The owners of the Ship pub in Leigh have hit back at Southend Council following its rejection.

'This will cause a long delay' - frustrated owners of boarded up Leigh pub speak out

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Charity - Lee Clark, 42, alongside his daughters Poppy, 10, and Emily, 13, and friend Rob Cameron, 42

Dad and his daughters 'heartbroken' for the homeless after 30-hour Southend sleepout

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Update - Disruption will be widespread across south Essex

Rail strike roundup - what services are running today?

Mental health crisis - Almost 2000 Southend children are accessing emntal health services

Almost 2000 Southend teens accessing mental health services as crisis deepens

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Strikes - No c2c services will be running today, with delays across the Greater Anglia line

No c2c trains today: Drivers walk out as part of industrial action

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Local newspaper editors are calling on the BBC to abandon its plans to roll out local news websites in areas already served by independent publishers

Opinion BBC now a threat to all local newspapers

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Abuse - Gary Stone of Vermeer Crescent, Shoebury, was spared jail following the sexual assault

Shoebury abuser left teenage victim feeling 'small and weak' after sexual assault

Trial - Aldor Llshaij, 26, stood trial in Basildon Crown Court for the offence

Rape trial: Southend man ‘asked do you want it?' before 'forcing himself onto victim'

Boarded up - the Ship in Leigh has been closed since 2017.

‘Eyesore’ Ship pub in Leigh must be transformed into hotel before it 'falls apart'

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Sport

Providing an update - Justin Rees

Consortium provide update on their bid to buy Blues

Tough test - for Southend United

Young Blues side set for Senior Cup clash with Redbridge

Plenty to celebrate - Southend Saxons show their joy during Saturday’s big victory against Stowmarket

Southend warm up freezing Warners Bridge with 10th straight win

Set to protest - Southend United fans

'Update us now or we protest' - Blues fan group make plea for details on sale of club

Gone - Daniel Kanu has returned to Charlton Athletic

Blues boss Maher reacts to Kanu's departure

Set to return - Southend United goalkeeper Collin Andeng Ndi

Blues goalkeeper Andeng Ndi set to return for cup clash

Great win - Hashtag United beat Canvey Island

Hashtag bag brilliant win against Canvey Island

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National Sport

Chris Wilder is back in charge of Sheffield United (PA)

Chris Wilder feels back to his best as he starts second Sheffield United spell

Harry Brook, left, is still finding his feet in ODIs (Ricardo Mazalan/AP)

Harry Brook blocks himself from ‘negativity’ by withdrawing from social media

Jurgen Klopp, left, has been talking about Trent Alexander-Arnold (Peter Byrne/PA)

He will play where it is best for us – Jurgen Klopp on Trent Alexander-Arnold

Pep Guardiola has led Manchester City to three successive Premier League titles (Martin Rickett/PA)

Pep Guardiola: I feel Manchester City are going to win the Premier League again

Kevin Sinfield during his Dublin ultra-marathon (Niall Carson/PA)

Kevin Sinfield praised as ‘inspiration’ on day five of ultra-marathon challenge

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Blues

Providing an update - Justin Rees

Consortium provide update on their bid to buy Blues

Tough test - for Southend United

Young Blues side set for Senior Cup clash with Redbridge

Set to protest - Southend United fans

'Update us now or we protest' - Blues fan group make plea for details on sale of club

National News

The scene on Moy Road in the village of Aberfan, Merthyr, South Wales (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Man held on suspicion of attempted murder after ‘pregnant’ woman stabbed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Maya Alleruzzo/AP)

Netanyahu says Israel must retain control of security in Gaza after the war

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson will start giving his evidence to the Covid-19 inquiry on Wednesday (Tolga Akmen/PA)

Covid inquiry: Johnson WhatsApp messages still missing due to ‘technical issue’

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The Turner Prize of No Medals No Ribbons, installation by Jesse Darling, who has won this year’s Turner Prize. (Ben Westoby/PA)

Jesse Darling wins Turner Prize after turning roller coaster into mammoth

Members of the Arlington County Fire department looks towards the remains of a house explosion (Kevin Wolf/AP)

Man believed to have fired shots before Virginia house exploded is dead: police

Palestinians look at the destruction by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah (Hatem Ali/AP)

Sunak pressures Netanyahu on Gaza aid as Israeli offensive continues

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The Afghanistan inquiry is being held at the Royal Courts of Justice (Ben Birchall/PA)

Military police spoke of ‘cover-up’ concerns after data deletion, inquiry told

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