A GRAFFITI vandal who caused £45,000 of damage to trains has been jailed for a year. Robert Martin, of Branksome Avenue, Hockley, repeatedly sprayed the word "Wear" on trains near Southend Victoria railway station and across Essex. Officers
A RELIEVED homeowner will be allowed to turn a games room at his home into a granny-flat for his elderly mother – in the face of opposition from neighbours. Roger Taylor, 55, was in tears as Castle Point Council’s development control committee approved
THE son of an 83-year-old man who died in Southend Hospital has described his father’s final hours as horrific, as a psychiatric patient ran amok on a ward. Charles Crawcour, from Southend, died on August 25 after suffering multiple organ failure. He
A TRAVELLER family living at the illegal Hovefields camp have “evicted” themselves – even demolishing their former site. All the other families were either evicted by force or left deserted caravan pitches, sometimes including empty buildings, which
A MAN was airlifted to hospital following a crash near the Coryton Oil Refinery. The incident, which saw fire crews battling to free the trapped man from his vehicle in The Manorway, brought gridlock to the area. Hundreds of tankers heading for Coryton
A TEENAGER who beat bone cancer and won an award for her bravery, is doing even more to raise awareness of the killer disease. Megan Blunt, 18, has joined forces with Richard Branson’s daughter Holly Branson, 28, to support Bone Cancer Awareness Week
It is hard to imagine the impossible, but apparently the benefit system will be overhauled to include only one form of benefit and no other, and a very much simplified form of application form also! Has this really been thought through? What
I suggested recently it was ill considered for Basildon Council to advise people to tip their food waste straight into the green bins. A company has now emerged who will clean a green bin for £2.75 and the council has said it will shortly be
I was shocked to learn residents of west Shoebury ward were neither informed nor given a chance to voice their objections before the work started on the sea defence improvements at Gunners Park (Sept 29). Having three Conservative councillors
Tony Archer's opinion that the Community Safety Partnership is “a talking shop that simply wasted taxpayers cash” is founded on unfamiliarity with the facts. Over the past 18 months, I have observed the various partners working well together
Tony Ball, leader of Basildon Council, is really not getting it (Oct 5). It is shameful and morally wrong for his Tory administration to sell off and develop any part of a children’s playing field. The parts of the playing fields to remain at
LONDON One North leaders Westcliff will be looking to continue their encouraging start to the season when they host Old Colfeians tomorrow. Westcliff have triumphed in four of their five games so far this term and will be confident of another victory
UNPOPULAR housing targets scrapped by the Government in the face of public opposition look set to be retained by Castle Point Council. Under the old Labour government, the council was told it would have to make sure 5,000 new homes were built
THIEVES ransacked an unlocked garage of £3500 of furniture and power tools. They struck in Rebels Lane, Great Wakering, between 6.30am and 10am on Tuesday, September 21. PC Rosie Williamson, of Southend police, is investigating. She said: “I’d appeal
A YOUNG man was robbed at knifepoint as he walked through a Southend estate in daylight. The 21-year-old man was at the bottom of Windmill Steps, on the Woodgrange estate, when a woman threatened him with a knife. She was with four men when
FIREFIGHTERS have saved the life of an elderly mare which collapsed in a field. The 38-year-old horse, reportedly called Muzzi, keeled over at the St Mary’s Horse Refuge in Windsor Gardens, Hawkwell, about 3.30pm yesterday. A crew from Hawkwell fire
A man suffered suspected spinal injuries following a crash in Hadleigh. Two cars were involved in the accident, which occurred on the London Road near the junction with Broughton Road, at about 10am today (Fri). Firefighters used a spinal board to remove
ANDREW McClintock wants to help Southend Rugby Club bounce back to winning ways at Worthing tomorrow. The Seasiders suffered their first defeat of the season last weekend, losing 25-23 at home to Taunton. And McClintock is keen to immediately get
BLUES boss Paul Sturrock is urging his stand in players to prove their worth at Chesterfield tomorrow. The Scotsman is likely to be without four members of his first choice starting line-up for his side’s first ever visit to the b2net Stadium
TORIES in Southend are to use a voting process inspired by the X Factor to let residents choose who they’d like to stand for the party at local elections next May. The Kursaal Conservative Committee hopes the novel approach will liven up local politics
SOUTHEND Council may soon ask traders to pay extra for better street cleaning or lighting, and to support events such as the airshow. The council is talking to businesses about setting a Business Improvement District scheme. The scheme would help companies
ONE was a teenage hip-hop heartthrob and the other a member of a boy band and now a reality TV star. Tonight, Kenzie, formerly of Blazin Squad, and Dane Bowers, runner-up in this year’s celebrity Big Brother, will be going head-to- head for
A HOLIDAYMAKER is taking legal action against a company after a nightmare trip to Bulgaria. Gay Reid, of Peel Avenue, Shoebury, went on holiday with her husband Dominic, 49, daughter Molly, nine, and mother Betty Roberts, 85. Mrs Reid, 52, said the
GRAHAM Coughlan should be back in the Southend United defence for tomorrow’s game at promotion chasing Chesterfield. But he could be forgiven for also having his eye on the other end of the field. For Blues’ new loan signing Waide Fairhurst
MANY people from Laindon feel let down by Basildon Council. At a public meeting last month at James Hornsby High School, Laindon, they complained their neighbourhood gets a raw deal compared to the rest of Basildon. Even Basildon Council’s deputy leader
COUNCIL chiefs could face months of delays in preparing for the £1billion regeneration of Basildon Town Centre if shops facing demolition refuse to budge. The cabinet will vote tonight before the decision goes before the full council to decide over
A FAMILY of four were forced to flee their home after it was overcome with fumes. The man was awoken at around 5.30am on Friday after he heard a loud bang at his home in Fenwick Way, Canvey. When he went to investigate he was overcome with the fumes
THE family of a schoolboy who died after his bike fell into the path of a lorry will never know why their son died. Speaking after an inquest into de’Jaurne Shelton’s death, mum Selina Turner, 31, said not knowing why her son came to lose control
WAIDE Fairhurst wants to help Southend United end Chesterfield’s unbeaten league record at their new b2net Stadium tomorrow. Since switching grounds during the summer, the Spireites have not been beaten in five home games. And striker
BASILDON Council has said it is willing to discuss the sale of an alternative plot of land in order to save a playing field. The council plans to sell off the Felmores playing field, Pitsea, to raise cash for its £38million Sporting Village, being built
THERE has not been too much to get excited about for supporters of the Essex Pirates so far this season. Their side have started the campaign with four successive defeats and were seen off in convincing fashion by both MK Lions and Cheshire Jets last
COUNCILLORS who unsuccessfully voted down plans to build homes in the middle of Billericay may get another chance to oppose them – if local people raise objections. In February, developer R and G Holmes won permission on appeal to build eight houses
A MOVER and shaker is wiping the floor with her fellow dancers, despite turning 99. Elsie Neville celebrated her birthday by going for a spin on the dance floor at her regular sequence dancing class. Mrs Neville, from Southend, dances
