Twice as many companies are interested in running the Palace Theatre as are interested in taking over the lucrative Cliffs Pavilion. The interest is good news for campaigners who feared the Palace, in Westcliff, was going to close permanently in October
Two schoolboys were badly beaten in the first "happy slapping" in Basildon. One of the victim's father's today spoke for the first time about the attack and demanded police step-up security at Gloucester Park where it took place. Detectives confirmed
LAWRIE Dudfield's Southend future is still in limbo less than a week before the Blues return to pre-season training. The 25-year-old's contract with the Shrimpers expires today and, after turning down the club's initial offer of a new one year deal, he
A grieving father has called for the removal of "outdated" crash barriers from the A13 after his son was killed in a car crash. Bob Wilson, of Canvey, spoke out after an inquest into his son Robert's death, which happened when the BMW 320i the 17-year-old
Phil Taylor will take on Kevin Painter in the quarter-finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic after they both emerged unscathed from the second round. Colchester's Colin Lloyd looked in good form as he eased past Erik Clarys with a 3-0 victory and will
Southend seafront campaigners today gave a cautious welcome to council leader Anna Waite's dismissal of the Westcliff Casino development plan. SOS - Save Our Seashore - fear plans for luxury apartments along the beach could still be pushed through. SOS
Residents in Maldon receive only a "fair" planning service with poor prospects of improvement, according to an independent report released today. On a scale of nought to three stars, an Audit Commission inspection team gave Maldon District Council's planning
The police unit responsible for busting Class A drug dens and catching armed robbers in Castle Point and Rayleigh made 237 arrests last year. Figures just released show the Rayleigh division's tactical team received 566 intelligence reports from April
A Leigh school is being applauded for launching a bullying hotline that automatically scrambles pupils' voices to protect them from being identified. Belfairs High has been praised by Southend Council and the Department for Education and Skills for being
Royal Mail bosses have suspended all deliveries to the Crays Hill traveller site after a postman was attacked by dogs. Travellers living at the site, off Oak Lane, will have to head to Billericay sorting office to collect post after the service was axed
A man was robbed at gunpoint and hit in the face with the butt of a silver pistol. The pair of robbers took a silver chain from the victim's neck in Winnock Road, Colchester, A police spokesman said they approached him and demanded the piece of jewellery
ROSS Maclaren has quit as youth team chief at Southend United to become the new assistant manager at League Two side Notts County. The Scotsman arrived at the Shrimpers last summer to take control of the club's under-18 side. But he has now decided to
Colchester United are determined to pin down a home shirt sponsor in the next week. U's chief executive Marie Partner is looking to bring in a local company to sponsor the club's famous blue and white stripes after already securing an away shirt deal
A woman was cleared of stabbing her husband in the stomach with a kitchen knife after threatening to kill him. Paula Amin, 35, kept her emotions intact as the not guilty verdicts were announced in Southened Crown Court. But she could not hold back tears
Two Ferrymen who dramatically saved a Stanford-le-Hope man from being sliced to ribbons by a ship's propeller have been given awards for their heroism. David Jessop and Ken Fissenden, both from Kent, were crew on the Gravesend to Tilbury ferry Pocohontas
Ipswich Town manager Joe Royle will today bid to secure the future of four players when his Blues return for pre-season training. The Portman Road chief wants captain Jim Magilton, defender Fabian Wilnis, Monaco youngster Jimmy Juan and former Arsenal
Colchester has been selected as one of nine towns and cities in the UK to take part in an exclusive project to introduce young people to golf. In total, 200 youngsters from primary schools across Colchester will benefit from the Golf Roots project, led
A multi-million pound mission to safeguard Canvey Island's future has officially started. The £6million project, estimated to take 18 months to complete, will see an intensive overhaul of the island's drainage system helping to protect islanders from
A depressed man took a mixture of drugs to kill himself on the anniversary of his wife's death, an inquest heard. On November 21 last year, Robert Limn, 82, was found dead in his bed by a neighbour who had been asked to check on him. Mr Limn, of Bembridge
GARY Tidd produced a first class performance for the Post Office in the Premier Division of the Southend Evening Cricket League against Eastwood, taking a remarkable five wickets in five balls to secure victory. Tidd's first two victims were caught out
A prisoner on the run rammed police cars and drove straight at an armed officer trying to stop him, a court heard. Bid for freedom - Alfie Smith's crashed Vauxhall Vectra after he drove at police. Picture: NICK OBANK (43006-3) Alfie Smith was pursued
Youngers at a Benfleet school have added their names to a campaign to halt world poverty. Children at the Holy Family Roman Catholic Primary School, in Kents Hill Road, Benfleet, have all added their names to a sash which will be taken to the Make Poverty
Ryan ten Doeschate, the surprise package with the bat in recent games, will be missing from the Essex side when they continue their Twenty20 campaign against Middlesex at Southgate tonight. He will be over in Ireland representing Holland in the ICC Trophy
Fancy a spot of pottery? Dare you dabble in dressmaking or yearn to learn about yoga? If you would like to, the Basildon Adult Community College's activity day on Saturday may well have something for you. Sandra Bonnett, outreach team leader for the college
A former Benfleet headteacher is hosting a party at a royal palace with officials from a Southend school among the guests. The party will celebrate the achievements of schools highlighted as outstanding in Ofsted's annual report for 2003/04. Among the
LAWRIE Dudfield's Southend future is still in limbo less than a week before the Blues return to pre-season training. The 25-year-old's contract with the Shrimpers expires today and, after turning down the club's initial offer of a new one year deal, he
A leisure scheme to keep Tendring kids out of trouble in school holidays will still cost four times more from this summer, a councillor has vowed. The decision to quadruple the price of Action Zone, which replaced the free Coastal Fun scheme in 2004,
Road safety campaigners today slammed magistrates after a man escaped a driving ban despite racking up 18 penalty points and more than £2,500 in fines. Campaign group Brake said Basildon Magistrates' Court should have made an example of Richard Anderson
Nearly 300 people were evacuated from Southend Pier by helicopter and boat in the first operation of its kind in the country. Operation Embrace saw three helicopters and nearly a dozen boats working together in a huge exercise to practice ferrying people
Potential homeowners are doing everything they can to make sure they are the ones that get the house they want. Four families have begun camping at the Annington Park site, in the Camulodunum Way area of Colchester. The sales office for the former Army
An elderly man was left stuck in his garage for more than two hours after he slipped while getting out of his car. Treated - paramedics treat the elderly man who got stuck in his car for more than two hours in West Mersea. Picture: NIGEL BROWN (43696-
Stylist Brad Allen, of Crown Avenue Pitsea, is a cut above the rest. The 19-year-old, who works at Headlines salon, High Street, Billericay, won the Total Look category of the Central Training Academy Photographic Hairdressing Awards 2005. He wowed judges
Pub and club bosses are being urged to help tackle Colchester's drug menace. Checking - Sgt Mick Sharp with one of the 30 drug boxes in the town. He says drugs are seized on a weekly basis. Picture: NICK OBANK (43588-1) Staff were given a stiff warning
Colchester United are determined to pin down a home shirt sponsor in the next week. U's chief executive Marie Partner is looking to bring in a local company to sponsor the club's famous blue and white stripes after already securing an away shirt deal
Southend Council's leader has effectively killed off the controversial seafront casino, hotel and flats development. Anna Waite said she could see no justification "at the present time" for three blocks of flats on the foreshore side of Western Esplanade
BASILDON AC's James Shane will be hoping to live an Olympic dream over the next week. The talented Mayflower School, Billericay, student has gained a place in the 15-strong Great Britain athletics team for the European Youth Olympic Festival at Lignano
A high-speed police chase ended with a suspected stolen car smashing into the central reservation of the A13, causing long traffic delays. Thousands of motorists were caught up in huge tailbacks yesterday afternoon as the Southend-bound carriageway was
A haul of prescription drugs has been stolen from a village pharmacy. The 20 boxes of diazepam were raided from Moss Pharmacy at The Centre, Tiptree. They had only just been delivered and were left unattended near the counter as staff worked at the back
Members of Basildon Golf Club today demanded councillors reconsidered their decision to lease the course to a private management company. The council's cabinet considered four bids for the lease before choosing to award it to Jack Barker Leisure last
ANDY Weymouth bravely bounced back from a nasty accident in practice to secure 15th place in his latest outing in the British Supersport Championship held in Knockhill last weekend. The Chadwell St Mary-based bike racer crashed on track at the Scottish
