DRIVERS faced disruption during rush-hour after a lorry set alight. Firefighters from Grays and Orsett rushed to the Tilbury turn-off on the A1089 Dock Approach Road after the 12-tonne vehicle, carrying white goods, caught fire at 5.40pm today. A further
AN MP has been making an exhibition of himself for a good cause. John Baron, Tory MP for Basildon and Billericay, is one of several politicians to take part in a one-off parliamentary photographic exhibition to raise awareness of lung cancer. Several
A VOLUNTEER group are hosting an advice session for people affected by epilepsy. The Epilepsy Support Group will hold the meeting at the Southend Adult Community College on Ambleside Drive from 7.30pm on Monday, March 26. It is hoped
THERE has been a dramatic drop in the number of stroke casualties calling an ambulance when they first experience symptoms. Southend Hospital have launched a campaign urging patients to save their brains and not ignore important signs.
A DECISION is set to be made by the end of the month on whether alcohol can be served into the early hours at Leigh’s Grand Hotel. A bid to serve booze until 2.30am on Friday and Saturday nights, until 1am from Sunday to Wednesday and until 2am on Thursdays
A NEW face has been elected to Leigh Town Council. Syrie Cox, of Leigh Hill, Leigh, has been voted on to the council to represent Bonchurch ward following an election last Thursday. The election was called after Mike Dolby, one of the council’s original
HOUSEHOLDS across south Essex have so far escaped this year’s hosepipe ban. Essex and Suffolk Water is still warning customers to be vigilant and think about the amount of water they use. Martin Lunn, supply demand strategy manager for
VISITORS were allowed back on to Southend Pier for the first time in three weeks at the weekend, but its gates will be locked again today. The walkway of the iconic Victorian structure has been closed since a fishing trawler collided with it on February
EXPENSES cheat Lord Hanningfield will be allowed to return to the House of Lords next month. The former Essex County Council leader has repaid the expenses he wrongly claimed and his suspension will come to an end after the House of Lords’
A GRAMMAR school has revealed plans for a £1.75million new sixth form block. Bosses at Westcliff High School for Boys, in Kenilworth Gardens, want the building up and running within a year. Plans, which have been submitted to Southend
A BRACE from veteran striker Scott Forbes proved to much for John Doyle’s improving Bowers & Pitsea side as they went down 3-1 at Takeley on Saturday. Former Southend United forward Forbes opened his account from the penalty spot on 14 minutes after
RYMAN PREMIER: Canvey were denied an away victory thanks to an inspired goalkeeping performance from Hastings’ Matt Armstrong-Ford. The Gulls created several excellent chances but the Arrows keeper made a string of superb saves. Bradley Woods-Garness
RYMAN PREMIER: Title-chasing Billericay suffered a surprise 2-2 draw again bottom side Horsham at New Lodge on Saturday. Town came from behind twice during a tense match which they dominated, but could not take the chances they created. Glenn Poole
RYMAN PREMIER: A HOST of spectacular saves by keeper Bobby Smith gave a plucky Wingate side a hard-earned point at Thames Road on Saturday. It was a scrappy first half in which Concord took the lead from the penalty spot after Harry Elmes got in behind
ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE: Basildon United were good value for a point against fourth-placed Enfield 1893 in a game in which both sides finished with 10 men. Bees took a 17th-minute lead when Morton Agard coolly side-footed Mike Edgar’s cute cut-back
RYMAN ONE NORTH: Rovers remain unbeaten at Potters Bar in five games stretching back to February 2007 following this ill-tempered draw. Some confusing decisions by the referee did not help, and tempers simmered before erupting during injury time. New
FOOTBALL legend Jimmy Greaves insists he now prefers non league to the Premier League. Greaves, who is the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football, no longer enjoys watching the country’s top teams in action. But he still
SATURDAY’S 2-2 draw with Accrington Stanley continued Southend United's stuttering form at Roots Hall. Blues have now triumphed in just two of their last 10 home games in all competitions and have taken just nine points from the last 24 on offer at
ELLIOT Benyon bagged his first goal for Southend United against Accrington Stanley on Saturday but was still left feeling gutted at the final whistle. Benyon, who joined Blues from Swindon Town in January, came off the bench to put Blues 2-1 up at Roots
The letter of R A Mortlock (March 6) bears the heading “Kamikaze sliproads”. There have been accidents at the Laindon slip road. I believe there will certainly be more. However, I consider the word kamikaze should be applied to the aggressive
I would like to remind all readers of the importance of reporting potholes and other road or pavement hazards to the local council. Last year, an elderly friend who was on holiday with me fell in Back Lane, Rochford, due to the poor state of the
Anna Waite has the front to criticise the type of people who live here and blame them for the demise of the shops in the High Street, not the rent the council charges or the parking prices. The type of people in Southend are no different to
The Echo recently reported on the Conservatives’ continuing efforts to spoil a residents’ parking scheme for Thorpe Bay. Clive Lucas, the Conservative candidate in the May’s elections, is starting a petition against pay-and- display in Southchurch
As chairman of the primary care trusts in South Essex I am committed to work to make the proposed NHS changes a success, and to supporting the developing NHS organisations of the future. Subject to the passage of the NHS Bill, the clinical commissioning
It is fantastic news our hardworking MP Rebecca Harris has been able to encourage such significant lottery funding for Canvey. But it is vital the distribution of the £1million award should be spearheaded by non-political figures. We must stop
I am immensely proud of Southend and after attending recent conferences it has swelled even further. I attended a poverty conference where we were looking at the issue in Southend and how we can help. It was great to hear people’s ideas of what
After seeing the emergency doctor at Southend Hospital on Sunday, I was admitted as an emergency patient. There is much criticism of the hospital and the NHS generally. However, my experience was solely positive. The doctor was extremely thorough
A MAN and woman have been jailed for lying about who was driving when a car hit and killed a jogger. Jennie-Lee Campbell and Matthew Clark perverted the course of justice by pretending Campbell had been driving, instead of Clark, when a Mercedes hit
A COMMUNITY concerned about antisocial behaviour could hire its own private police force with £1million of lottery cash. Councillors and residents on Canvey are looking into the idea after the Link Road area was one of 50 communities across the country
A teenager, who died after a crash in Tilbury, has been named. Cameron Phillips, 16, was riding his white Piaggio moped on Brennan Road when he struck a lamp post at 8pm on Sunday. The teen from Sullivan Road, Tilbury was declared dead
PUB staff are organising a fundraising day to raise cash in memory of their former boss. A host of bands will play for free at the Crooked Billet pub in Old Leigh and there will be a collection and raffle in aid of Marie Curie and Inflammatory
A BOTCHED traffic survey wasted £30,000 of taxpayers’ money and delayed £60million regeneration plans for Hadleigh town centre. Essex County Council carried out a survey of the number of vehicles which passed through Hadleigh shopping centre in November
A FORMER supermarket has been torn down to create extra parking spaces for its replacement superstore. The old Morrisons supermarket in London Road, Hadleigh, has been demolished to create 167 new car parking spaces for shoppers visiting the
