POLICE want to hear from any witnesses to help find the culprit who seriously assaulted a vulnerable man. The victim in his 40’s who is often seen close to the shopping area in Derwent Parade, South Ockendon suffered a serious assault. He is now seriously
FIREFIGHTERS rescued the driver following a collision with another vehicle on Stifford Clays Road, in Grays at 1.56pm today. One person was trapped and fire crews used specialist cutting equipment to release the driver by 2.19pm. Injuries
DAVID Watson has become one of the youngest senior LTA coaches in the country. The 19-year-old coach from Thorpe Bay tennis club passed the grading at an assessment in Hertfordshire. He was up against coaches who were in their mid-twenties
RAYLEIGH Golf Range’s Mark Hooper won the Weston Homes Classic at Bishop’s Stortford by five shots The 27-year-old finished ahead of Noel Quinn from the Whipsnade Golf Club. It was the second of six PGA East Region order of merit events of the season
THIS man is suspected of robbing a 16-year-old boy in an alley near Westcliff railway station. The young victim was threatened in an alleyway leading from the station up to Hamlet Court Road. Frightened for his safety, he handed his mobile phone over
HOME players virtually swept the board in Rochford Hundred’s 36-hole open competition for the Centenary Cup. In the end the main trophy, played off handicap, went to Rochford’s Ray Weidner, who stars in the Essex Veterans team, while club mate John Pleasant
THE ball from Zander de Bruyn to James Foster against Surrey on Monday was quite a high toss, and if it was above waist height it should have been called a no-ball by the square-leg umpire. The umpire was Trevor Jesty, and as Fozzy was walking
FIREFIGHTERS were called out to a fire in Shoebury this morning caused by a melted plastic box. Workmen were in the flat in Crouchmans House, in Centurion Close, when a plastic box melted, causing smoke to fill the property. Fire crews
CANNABIS was found in a freezer alongside ice cream cones as police uncovered a drugs farm in a hidden room. Officers from the Wickford neighbourhood policing team raided the flat in Wilson Court, in Kershaw Close, Wickford, following a tip-off. They
ROBERT Shaw took a step closer to his London 2012 Paralympic dream with a lifetime best performance during trials in Buckinghamshire. Shaw, who was left in a wheelchair following a dreadful car crash two years ago, scored 589 at an international meeting
GREAT Wakering captain Dan Trenkel has left the club and branded it a “sinking ship”. The 27-year-old says he has joined Ryman One North rivals Brentwood because their promotion hopes match his own. He has made nearly 300 appearances for Wakering
A HOST of clubs are interested in signing Southend United skipper Craig Easton. The midfielder will soon be out of contract with Blues. And the Echo understands the 32-year-old is holding talks with another League Two club and teams in his native
KRIS Newby has apologised to fans of Canvey and Grays after a week of confusion ended with him signing for Thurrock. The 28-goal winger had agreed deals with Athletic, then the Gulls, before eventually agreeing a switch to Fleet. He has also revealed
A VOLUNTEER who braves the pain of arthritis to carry on giving her spare time for the community has been given an award. Margaret O’Regan, 79, was given the Mayor’s Award for her service to Castle Point Association of Voluntary Services, known locally
BEING a police officer is a pretty tough job – so why would you want to do it for free...? I spent a busy Friday night with a team of special constables to find out. The evening kicked off with me clambering into a people carrier at about 7.30pm along
SPORT lovers claim they face a competition before they even get inside Basildon’s £38million Sporting Village. Motorists are having to fight to get parked in the complex’s car park, with some having to pull up on verges. They claim there are not enough
PLANS to turn a rundown former hotel into a dedicated centre to help the homeless have moved a step closer to reality. The Homeless Action Resource Project, known as Harp, is hoping to transform the Darnley Hotel, in York Road, Southend, into
A TEENAGER was punched in the face by a mugger who tried to take his mobile phone. The 14-year-old boy was attacked in the Roundacre underpass in Upper Mayne, Basildon, by a man, who hit him, then demanded his phone. The attacker then ran off, leaving
A KIND-HEARTED man has agreed to pay the full £6,000 to create a sensory garden for a disabled ten-year-old girl who has been blind since birth. The family of Amy Jarrett are overwhelmed by the offer from an elderly donor, who wants to remain anonymous
A ONCE-TROUBLED Laindon pub has reopened under new management after £80,000 was spent on it. The Joker pub at the Laindon Centre, off High Road, had been boarded up since New Year’s Day, following a string of problems with fights and antisocial behaviour
A GOOD samaritan came to the aid of a teenage girl who was viciously attacked in a car park Police are now trying to trace the man who stepped in to help after he saw the 18-year-old being punched in the ribs before she was thrown against some parked
A CROOKED businessman who handled £50,000 of handmade parts stolen from a luxury sports car dealer has avoided jail. Ricky Cann, 51, of Silchester Corner, Great Wakering, received the expensive components from a dishonest employee at an Aston Martin
A WOMAN is organising a star-studded fundraising ball, after being inspired by brave friends’ experiences with cancer. ChildLine founder, TV presenter Esther Rantzen, will be among the celebrities at Elaine Neal’s Little Stars fundraising ball
CAMPAIGNERS fear another piece of green space could be lost after a developer unveiled plans for 68 homes in Wickford. Gleeson Homes and Gladedale Estates have put forward proposals to Basildon Council to build the three, four and five bed houses as
EASYJET will start operating from London Southend Airport from April 2012, with the creation of 150 new jobs. The 10-year agreement between airport owners Stobart Group and the UK’s largest airline will see three A319 aircraft based at the
Local councils have been stripped of their powers to hand out petty fines to people who put their bins out early. The Government’s long awaited waste review said authorities could no longer dish out penalty fines to householders who break minor rubbish
A MERGER between two feuding swimming clubs has taken a big step forward after one of them agreed to the idea. Last week the Echo told how Southend Council took the unprecedented step of warning bosses of Southend Swimming Club and Borough
