Police inspector Paul Spooner has pounded many beats in his time...but none as tough as his latest challenge. For the boss of Brentwood Police is this week part of a team running from Lands End to Southend for charity. Sixteen runners, including eight
Months of hard work, fundraising and building have finally paid off with the launch of Harwich's long-awaited £1.5m lifeboat station. The new lifeboat station at Harwich Harwich is one of the busiest lifeboat stations in the UK and the new station launched
Gymnasts from Wickford's Carousel Gym Club excelled in the Essex County floor and vault championships at Colchester. In the under-8 section, up-and-coming seven-year-old Alex Rapley, who lives in Wickford, and Hollie Robinson, 6, were making their competitive
Castle Point MP Bob Spink defied a Tory three-line-whip by voting with the Labour party to ban tobacco advertising. Mr Spink voted for a new Bill which seeks to prevent the promotion and advertising of tobacco products. He said: "The Conservative Party
Outgoing boss Mick Potter has vowed to sign off on a high note as he spends his last few days as manager of Clacton Town. At the insistence of the Jewson League, the Seasiders have been forced to stage their postponed clash with Wroxham on Sunday (kick-off
Planners have won their fight to have houses built on the former Esso oil storage site at Purfleet. About 40 per cent of the land between London Road and Purfleet Bypass will now be used for a housing estate. The rest of the land will be use for warehousing
England Test stars Nasser Hussain and James Foster are ready to boost Essex's glory bid to win the Benson and Hedges Cup. Nasser Hussain - available to play for Essex this weekend Hussain and Foster, two of England's centrally contracted squad, are available
Leading Witham engineering company JL French has announced record sales. But managing director Tim Price revealed growth could be hampered by recruitment problems. Part of the leading global diecasting group, JL French - which produces aluminium components
Residents are being urged to head for a special exhibition this weekend and comment on the controversial plans for the A12. Householders and business leaders in Brentwood will be given their first glimpse of the options being considered by the London
Southend barber Jason Lawrence is going to exchange cutting hair for climbing mountains later this month to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Children's Charity in the Inca Challenge 2001. Snip - Jason Lawrence is gearing up for his Peru trip while
The American football season kicks off on Sunday with a big local derby at Gloucester Park, Basildon. The Essex Spartans are hosting the Southend Sabres in their opening British Conference League South division two fixture. And Sabres are looking to recover
A £1m Government cash injection could be just what the UK footwear industry needs to step ahead of the competition, a Southend sports shoe company has claimed. Hi-Tec Sports, which sells its sports and walking shoes to 65 different countries, has warmly
Andy Flower struck gold with a magnificent all-round performance that carried Essex to victory over holders Surrey and a step nearer the Benson and Hedges quarter-finals. Andy Flower, on 98, launches into the strike that brought his downfall First the
Police in Grays are searching for clues after three street robberies in the same day. One man had a knife pulled on him and a milkman was threatened with a baseball bat in the incidents on Saturday. Det Insp Ian Stevenson from Grays police is keen for
CCTV cameras have been installed at litter hotspots across Thurrock as part of a council campaign to combat anti-social behaviour. Thurrock Council has told how more than 600 tonnes of fly-tipping rubbish has been dumped in the borough in the last year
Generosity at The Meadows shopping centre abounds for the Harvest for the Hungry project in Bulgaria. Centre manager Malcolm Tilsed and his team - who last year discovered the poverty-striken Bulgarian orphanage on a relief visit to the country - will
A mid-Essex MP has condemned in Parliament the proposed closure of Witham Magistrates' Court. The Essex magistrates' courts committee has proposed a £30m scheme to centralise the county's courts on five sites and close courts at Witham, Harwich, Epping
Campaigning Jason Richardson has stepped up his fight to protect land around a church from being developed - claiming it is more suited to a nature reserve. Hammering his point home - Jason Richardson replaces a footpath sign he claims has been taken
A trio of jet airliners, a reminder of the past glories of Southend-based British World Airlines, are being sold off to help pay the now-defunct company's debts. Among the passengers to have flown on the aircraft were Pavarotti, former Prime Minister
They won international honours last season and the way Louise Matthews and Ross Tressider have started the summer campaign don't be surprised if more come their way this summer. The two young Thurrock Harriers achieved personal bests during the Junior
Rayleigh hope to put 30 trophy-less seasons behind them in Sunday's Essex President's Shield final - the biggest game in their history. The Runwell-based club take on Burnham-on-Crouch at Witham RFC in the showpiece final of the competition for the county's
The girlfriend of missing paraglider Joel Kitchen has today spoken for the first time since the decision to give up the mountain rescue search for him. Lucy Wallace, 27, has decided to set up a mountain rescue organisation after nearly three weeks of
A disused historic hotel which is being transformed into a JD Wetherspoon pub in Witham is well on its way to opening at the end of the month. Work on the £800,000 former Batsford Court Hotel in Newland Street started in January and is expected to be
The mother of James Gooding, who has just split from Aussie superstar Kylie Minogue, today pronounced: "It's up to them." Jenny Young, whose son had been dating the pop diva for more than two years, said "I think they should be left to get on, and that
Plans to sell the morning after pill from a mobile pharmacy at Chelmsford's V2002 music festival have been slammed by campaigners who say it will encourage casual sex. Schering Health Care, makers of the Levonelle pill, will sell it at summer rock festivals
Tiptree United manager Neil Farlie has thrown the cat among the pigeons as far as team selection for the FA Carlsberg Vase final is concerned. Making his debut for the Jam-makers in tonight's final Jewson League premier division game of the season at
It's a busy weekend on the local athletics scene, topped by the first day of the Essex Championships at Southend's Garon Park track home on Bank Holiday Monday. Action gets underway from 10am and those attending will get the chance to see some of the
The Labour group suffered a decisive blow in the Colchester elections losing more than half their seats Gamble that backfired - Bill Frame hears the result While the Liberal Democrats gained new ground, the group's leader, however, was ousted by voters
Sky-high rent costs are forcing independent traders out of Colchester town centre, it has been claimed. Politicians and business people fear if rents continue to increase, the town will lose its independent shops and the pool of potential start-up firms
A leading wildlife charity says the Government should step in and create a national strategy for the future development of ports like that at Shell Haven in south Essex. The RSPB is concerned that developments at Southampton and Bathside (Felixstowe)
Teenager Jamie Moule has shown that he can more than hold his own against the best amateur golfers in the country. Jamie, 17, captured the highly-prestigious Hampshire Salver, fending off the likes of top amateur Gary Wolstenholme in the process. The
A village's pre-school group has won glowing praise from an education inspector. The group which caters for up to 24 youngsters per session at Linford Village Hall was inspected by OFSTED over two days in February and the inspector has just published
A handful of votes cost the Conservatives overall control of Basildon Council on a night of high drama and emotion in the local elections. Defeated BNP candidate Matthew Single, standing, draws protests from the Anti-Nazi League. Picture: NICK ANSELL
Chelmsford mayor Christine Rycroft's charity ball in aid of Farleigh Hospice has raised more than £2,000 for the charity. Charity ball: Pictured from left to right at the event are Jane Harbour, corporate fundraiser for Farleigh Hospice, Cllr Kathleen
One of the longest serving councillors in Braintree is celebrating his 85th birthday - and 45 years' service to the district. George Warne was elected as a councillor for the Bocking South ward of Braintree Urban Council in May 1954. Apart from a three-year
Four years after being classed as "failing" by OFSTED inspectors, West Thurrock Primary School has been taken out of special measures. The school, in The Rookery, was informed of the news last week and is now waiting to see the full report from the Department
Colchester mayor Mike Hogg has helped the town's Mailboxes Etc to celebrate a year in business. Since its launch, the firm, which specialises in sending packages across the globe, has sent parcels on journeys totalling more than 330,000 miles - 12 times
Chelmsford-based Marconi Applied Technologies (MAT) has played host to Digby Jones, director general of the Confederation of British Industries. The business leader spent an hour at the Waterhouse Lane site, speaking to staff and looking at the hi-tech
Two charity workers couldn't believe their luck when they were both invited to a party being thrown by the Queen. Can't believe their luck - Alex Neal and daughter Sarah, 11, with Julia Batchelor and daughter Aimee, 8, who were lucky winners in the draw
More police will be on the streets of Colchester town centre on Friday and Saturday nights in a new clampdown on drunken troublemakers. The move follows a review of resources to put police where they are needed most. The town centre is busiest during
Two more Canvey players are being linked with Grays following Mark Stimson's switch from Canvey Island to their Ryman League Premier Division rivals as player-coach. The duo are ex-Brighton defender Peter Smith, who is out of contract, and young striker
A long-established Maldon business has split into two separate enterprises. Triad Electrical is now operating an appliance and accessories shop from its existing premises at 20 Queen Street with a separate spares and repairs workshop behind the main building
To be involved in the best races on the calendar is always satisfying, even if you do end up down the field. Thurrock Harriers took their place in the Nike AAA Road Relay Championships on Saturday for the first time in 28 years and although unable to
More than 100 Essex managers packed the official launch of a new networking organisation for the county. The launch of the Alliance in Management (AiM), held at the Waterfront Place in Chelmsford, included networking, motivational and learning sessions
One of Witham's oldest shops is celebrating 100 years of trading as an ironmonger. Mondy Ironmongers, in Newland Street, is celebrating its centenary year since setting up shop in May 1902. The building has seen many owners but present proprietor Peter
A prestigious award scheme founded eight years ago has been expanded to hail community champions and local heroes and heroines in Essex, as well as recognising achievements over adversity. The Essex Achievement Awards were launched this week as a successor
Shock results are part and parcel of all elections - and this year's voting round saw the taking of some unexpected political scalps. Gamble that backfired - Bill Frame hears the result For many, the biggest shock was the ousting of Lib Dem leader Bill
Southend's council boss today called for compulsory voting following a poor turnout. Of an electorate of 123,695, the total number of ballots were 36,212, an average of 29.28 per cent. Town clerk and returning officer George Krawiec said: "The Government
A masked robber with a gun snatched an empty cash box just across the road from a mid-Essex toddlers' playgroup. He threatened a security guard with the handgun in Broadway, Silver End, at about 9.35am yesterday. The guard, from Sunwin Cash Processing
A heroin addict threatened another man with a knife and stole cash from him before coming back later and chasing him over a roof. Daniel Martin had called on Paul Buckley at his New Road home in Hatfield Peverel but when he was refused money, 33-year-old
There were some tremendous fights when Basildon Freestyle Kickboxing Club held their latest show in front of more than 400 fans at the Eversley Centre. Fighting spirit -- The rising stars of Basildon Freestyle Kickboxing club. Picture: TERENCE BUNCH 94E341C
A pensions fund which is being wound up has told workers why they might not receive what they were expecting. Several workers from the Harwich Dock Company have their pensions with United Carriers but the scheme is being wound up and its trustees have
A talented young Basildon boxer has spoken of his heartbreak after the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) KO'd his career on medical grounds. Fighting for his career - John Murnane Picture: MAXINE CLARKE 9BHF81C John Murnane, 15, had 12 victories to his
Billericay Town Ladies were crowned Essex champions at New Lodge following a thrilling last-minute equaliser against White Notley. Lisa Robins popped up with a superb turn and shot in stoppage time to clinch the 2-2 draw Billericay needed to deny the
Local mens teams have progressed into the second round of the Essex Cup competitions which are scheduled to be played this weekend. In the Senior Cup, Gidea Park play their first match against Great Baddow. Clearview men own a tight first round match
Academy teams from Premiership clubs West Ham and Southampton will be taking on the Essex boys in a charity tournament. Youngsters from the clubs will join under-11s from Colchester United when they compete with Runwell Hospital under-11s for the Ian
A fire-eater says the thrill of the big top may never return to Maldon - because car parking charges in Promenade Park are making it too expensive to come and see the show. Lawson's Circus pitched its tent in the park for the first time this year for
Old Southendian began their season with a thrilling win over Brentwood in the first round of the Essex cup. Batting first the Old Boys made 206-7 from 45 overs, with James Blackmore and skipper Chris Bunce both hitting 43. Australian newcomer Lucas Bugeja
Staff recruited for a new superstore due to open next week have already started putting smiles on customers' faces. Thanks - the Grays Salvation Army, the Gables Project and Ruth House have all benefited from the store's generosity. Picture: DAVE HENDERSON
Crafty car drivers are using cunning tactics to dodge the charges at a Brentwood car park. Sly motorists are tailgating the vehicles of fee-paying drivers to sneak through the exit barriers of the William Hunter Way car park for free. Other wily drivers
The race is on to take pole position in Maldon's first ever wheelbarrow competition. The town's carnival association has unveiled plans for an ambitious wheelbarrow race around Promenade Park, with pub teams fighting it out for the Hooligans and Scallywags
Life on the ocean wave is good for a former Rochford pupil who has just become the youngest merchant sea captain in the country. Shipshape career - former pupil Lee Wayer is now captain of a huge tug. Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL 9HGZE2 Lee Wayer started
Reports in France claim Strasbourg are interested in signing Ipswich Town winger Ulrich Le Pen. The Frenchman moved to Portman Road in November but has only made two appearances as a substitute since his £1.8m switch. The former Lorient player injured
After just a couple of meetings the pattern seems set for Thurrock Harriers' women this summer. Whilst the seniors appears well capable of competing with anybody, the fact the club have few U/15 athletes available is bound to hinder the team's prospects
Finidi George has received a double boost in his quest to represent Nigeria at this summer's World Cup. The Ipswich Town midfielder was destined to miss out because of a feud with manager Adegboye Onigbinde. He had fallen out of favour with the controversial
Canvey Island's Dean Macey has revealed he will defy popular opinion and go for a dream golden double this summer. The 23-year-old decathlete hopes to emulate British legend Daley Thompson by tasting glory in both Commonwealth Games and European Championships
Jubilant Tories were today celebrating after they took control of Rochford and maintained their stranglehold in Southend. Celebrating - Brian Houssart, who narrowly held St Laurence ward, with wife Heather and fellow Tories Ann Robertson, Sally Carr,
Cricket for women and girls in Essex received a cash boost after the Essex Women's Cricket Association was awarded a grant for nearly £4,000 from the National Lottery. The cash from the Awards for All Fund has gone to the Essex Women's Cricket Association
