A DRIVER and his car had a lucky escape following a two car collision in Billericay on Monday evening. The accident in Potash Road involved a Ford Escort and a 4x4 which had its convertible roof down to fit a bicycle on the back seat. When the 4x4 driver
IT is named after a tragic king and a disastrous reign, but the true subject of Shakespeare’s Henry VI is war – the brutal Wars of the Roses. England was torn apart in chaotic conflict for 40 years, until the Battle of Bosworth and the arrival
TWO teams of firefighters were summoned from the new Rayleigh Weir fire station to a large fire at Navestock near Brentwood Monday evening. Essex Fire and Rescue was called shortly after 8pm and crews from Brentwood, Ongar and two from Romford
HIP HOP’S latest sensation N-Dubz return to the Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff, for the second time this year. The Mobo award-winning outfit are back in town on Tuesday, as part of their 12-date Christmas Party tour. They performed at the venue, in Station
THE Pitsea flyover has often been the bane of south Essex commuters. Beset by phase after phase of repair work, the infamous leaky bridge has received millions of pounds of investment from Essex County Council and the Government. Now into its fifth
BUS drivers across Essex are poised for another one-day strike. First Buses workers will walk out on Monday after talks to resolve a dispute over pay broke down. Alan Pilbeam, managing director of First East of England, condemned union
AN INDEPENDENT police force has been appointed to review the original investigation into a man who was found dead in a cement mixer. Lee Balkwell, 33, was crushed in a mixing lorry at Baldwins Farm, near South Ockendon, in July 2002. His family has
GAS storage on Canvey has been discussed in the European Parliament. Vicky Ford, Conservative MEP for Essex raised the issue following a recent trip to Canvey where she met members of the campaign group People Against Methane. She described the situation
Countdown star Rachel Riley was back at her former school this week for an annual prizegiving ceremony. The 23-year-old, from Thorpe Bay, took a break from the Channel 4 TV show to visit Southend High School for Girls. She joined her former headteacher
DRUG dealing in a busy Southend road is blighting trade and frightening customers, businesses have claimed. Calls have now been made for better CCTV in Southchurch Road, to deter the pushers who sell Class A drugs in the area. The main problems are
A MAN was tied up and robbed in his own home by two crooks. The 60-year-old had returned to his house in Ferry Road, Hullbridge, and was opening the door when the men jumped out from behind him. They forced him into the house and bound
RESIDENTS have been armed with speedguns to deter motorists from breaking the law. A community speedwatch initiative has been set up in Newington Avenue, Southend, where drivers persistently flout the limit. Pupils cross this road on their route to
AS Britain fell silent to remember the fallen, most of us could only imagine life in the First and Second World Wars as soldiers joined up to fight for King and country. Troops in the 1914-18 conflict were subjected to the gas and the mud, the barbed
A TAXI driver is livid after being landed with a £70 fine for parking his cab in a bus layby for two minutes while he helped a little old lady cross the road. Gary Lynch, 65, was nabbed by Basildon Council’s controversial “spy car” while parked in a
A MAN, who caused the death of his friend in a crash, has been jailed for eight years. Gurpreet Dhillon, 29, of Slough, Berkshire, admitted causing the death of his passenger, Tony Proctor, when a Jaguar XK overturned at Centenary Way, Clacton, on September
A celebrity who attended a Westcliff school is set to be honoured. Dame Helen Mirren is to receive the Lifetime Achievement prize at the Women In Film And Television Awards. The Oscar-winning actress, a former pupil at St Bernard’s School, will be
A charity is inviting people to take a moment to remember loved ones this Christmas at special services in South Essex. Light up a Life gives people a chance to dedicate a symbolic light either in memory or in celebration of a loved one’s life
A VAN driver who died after his vehicle careered off the M25, has been named as a man from Wickford. Michael Bradley, 49, was driving on the M25 in Surrey when his van left the road and ended up down an embankment. He died at the scene. Police said
A TAXI driver was robbed by two men he picked up in th early hours of this morning. The 60-year-old cabbie was threatened by the men after he picked them up at Victoria Circus in Southend at about 4am. He had been asked to take them to towards Rawreth
TEN university students have been drafted in by travellers to help their fight against eviction. The first-year pupils, from the Human Rights Centre, at Essex University, in Colchester, will assist traveller families in their ongoing legal battles.
UP to 60 homes were damaged after a suspected tornado whipped through group of Benfleet streets. Many homes in The Lawns, The Fairway, Eversley Road, Woodside Avenue and Arundel Road lost roof tiles while a handful had chimney pots and television
PLANS to pedestrianise some of the roads off Southend High Street, to encourage al fresco dining, have been revealed. The council wants to create a plaza area in Elmer Approach and encourage the student union bar to put out tables and chairs
A MAN involved in a £3million jewellery heist has told a court he was treated like a hero on his return to a local pub. Tom Baisden, 28, said punters at the Cutley Lynch, in Hart Road, Thundersley, cheered him when he walked into the pub after playing
A BUNGALOW was broken into by crooks who stole three handbags. They targeted a home in St James Avenue, Thorpe Bay, and forced their way in on Friday. PC Christian Forbes, of Southend police, said: “If anyone comes across discarded handbags in the
A BOUTIQUE is hosting a series of late-night shopping evenings to raise funds for wounded soldiers. The Purple Rose Boutique, in High Street, Billericay, is holding four events to raise money for the Armed Forces charity, Help for Heroes. Shoppers crammed
AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy had his trousers set alight in Chalkwell Park following an arson attack. The schoolboy was riding through the park when a lit object was thrown at him. It caused a hole above his tracksuit pocket but luckily he
ARMED police were called to deal with mobs of feuding travellers after several families from Dale Farm in Crays Hill swamped another camp. Families from the Billericay site attended a confirmation celebration at Smithy Fen, Cottenham Cambridgeshire
A MOUNTED police officer has returned to duty for the first time since his horse was attacked by a dog. Shoppers rushed to catch a view of PC Michael Magin and horse Biscuit in Southend town centre yesterday afternoon. It was PC Magin’s first day back
CALLS have been made for an independent audit to be carried out into Thurrock Council’s contract with Vertex. The council spends £18.5million a year in outsourcing services such as administration, human resources and highways and transport
THE way thousands of diabetic sufferers are treated across south Essex is to be shaken up. A new pilot scheme to enable those with diabetes to be treated closer to their homes and save them the inconvenience of having to attend Basildon Hospital, is
THESE two sides fought out a thoroughly entertaining affair in very difficult near gale force winds at the Brockwell Stadium. Although home boss John Batch, probably rightly, claimed afterwards that his team had had the edge and probably enjoyed the
WHILE most of their promotion rivals were either being held or out of action due to the weather, village side Wakering returned to the top of the table. The last time soccer action took place at Burroughs Park, a floodlight failure brought the Heroes
BUSINESSES can go shopping for some good advice at a dedicated ‘supermarket’. The Burnt Mills industrial estate in Bsildon is playing host to the district’s first ever business support supermarket. Held at the Burnt Mills Cafe and the event will see
Atrocious weather of torrential rain and gale-force winds caused widespread disruption of the non-league programme for south-east Essex clubs. It was the first time this season that the elements had played a major part in causing postponements. The
THINGS do not seem to be going Southend United’s way this season. The Shrimpers’ problems off the pitch have been well documented but there have been problems on it too, including a real lack of luck. Blues were finally able to bolster their defensive
SHRIMPERS skipper Adam Barrett was also disappointed by the displays of the match officials at Yeovil Town on Saturday. The centre-back felt Sean Morrison’s red card changed the course of the game. And, as the nearest player to the incident, he did
HEAVY winds and a rough sea meant the grand firework finale to Southend’s Christmas spectacular event had to be cancelled. But the rest of the show went on with plenty of festive spirit. Hundreds turned out to see comedian Brian Conley
FAMILY doctors are receiving additional payments of up to £100 per treatment, by offering extra services to patients. A Freedom of Information request by the Echo, has found GPs receive up to 31 of these “enhanced service” payments from NHS South East
Proposals for a third Canvey road link joining the island to Kent have been criticised by Castle Point MP Bob Spink. The plan was put forward by a consortium called Metrotidal and would also involve a tidal barrage at the mouth of the Thames. But Dr
CHILDREN at a nursery enjoyed a charity pyjama party to celebrate raising money for Children in Need. Youngsters at Happy Days nursery, at Lubbards Farm, Hullbridge Road, Rayleigh, spent the day in their PJs as a reward for raising £3,064 for the charity
TOP managers at Southend Council will have a cap on salary increases this year, because of the recession. Anyone who earns more than £100,000 will have their annual pay increase, including performance pay, capped at a maximum of 1 per cent. Performance
TEENAGE motorcyclists are planning a 460-mile round trip to raise money for charity. Nine young riders, from the Essex Bikers club, intend to ride from Basildon, to Swansea and back, in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital. Unfortunately, all of
A WOMAN has told of the horrifying moment her house filled with thick, black smoke during a fierce fire. Eileen Newton’s home was among ten houses in Collingwood Walk, Vange, evacuated, when a blaze ripped through the shared roof which covers the back
A PEDESTRIAN has been hit by a car outside a primary school. Police were called to the accident involving a black Ford Fiesta outside Kents Hill Primary School in Kents Hill Road, Benfleet, at 8.50am. The woman is not thought to be seriously injured
A MAN has been left homeless following a fire on a houseboat. Firefighters were called to the River Crouch after a 32ft long boat caught ablaze at about 3.50pm on Sunday. Crews from Rochfordc and Stambridge managed to put out the flames by 6pm but the
PLANS to scrap tax relief on childcare vouchers have been slated by working parents across south Essex. Gordon Brown’s idea to phase out the tax break, could see families being worse off by up to £2,400 a year. The plans have courted so much controversy
Cliff Wallace, the founding president and secretary of Rochford and District Old People’s Welfare Committee, is the Parish Council’s first Citizen of the Year. Mr Wallace, 86, of Southend Road, Rochford, will be presented with his award at the parish
AN abandoned cat is desperate for a new home after spending more than a year in a cattery. Ronnie and his brother Reggie were handed in to the Rayleigh, Castle Point and District Cats Protection League when their owners moved abroad. Reggie was rehomed
THERE was heavy congestion on the A13 this morning following a three vehicle crash. The crash happened on the London bound carriageway near the Five bells junction at around 6.20 this morning. No one was injured but two lanes were closed
DRIVERS are set for delays when upgrading work starts on a busy flyover across the A127 at Dunton next week. Essex County Council said the parapets on the flyover at the junction of the A127 and the B148, near Ford Dunton, are sub-standard and a hazard
THE future of Southend Pier has been thrown into doubt, as the council has missed out on £5million of Government funding. Ambitious proposals agreed for the landmark included an upscale restaurant, wedding venue and plans to stage music festivals
