It had all the makings of a modern day Marie Celeste - the discovery of an upturned catamaran drifting off the East coast with no signs of life aboard. Walton and Harwich lifeboats were launched, shipping alerted and even a US warship, which was in the
Major changes are to be introduced at a supermarket car park where a 12-year-old boy died. The Somerfield store in St John's Way in Corringham has responded rapidly to last week's inquest into the death of Leon Beal. It is also reacting to a petition
Former patients, staff, friends and relatives joined forces to raise more than £10,000 in the Great Hip and Knee Walk. The walk was the first of its kind to be staged in Colchester and organisers were overwhelmed by support from the public as well as
Police have issued an urgent warning to put the brakes on youngsters riding motorbikes in fields around Clacton airstrip. A team of officers will be sent in to catch offenders and put them before the courts. Residents living in the area have complained
Up to 80 new jobs have been put in the balance after councillors voted that a company should not be allowed to expand. At a meeting of a Braintree Council planning committee the majority of members took their officers' advice and voted against the application
James Scowcroft has been offered an extension to his two-year contract as George Burley looks to cement his current squad. If Kieron Dyer's expected sale to Leeds United or Middlesbrough for between £6million and £7 million goes ahead Burley will not
A charity shop boss is so fed up with a spate of raids she has gone public in a bid to shame the thieves. Val Green, who works at St Luke's Hospice shop in Market Square, Basildon, hopes the knowledge the thefts are depriving the terminally ill of a valuable
Nicola Taylor talks to Nigel Havens the managing director of one of Southend's oldest family-run stores as it prepares for its centenary and the new millennium When Rawdon Havens set up his china and glass store in Westcliff in 1901 he would have had
A couple who found true love through This Is Essex partner paper the Echo are enjoying their honeymoon. Lynne Elley , of Anders Fall, Eastwood, married RAF corporal Darren Martin at St Mary's Church in Sparham, Norfolk. It was the climax to a fairytale
Heartless fraudsters used the identity of dead Colchester youngsters in a multi-million pound housing fraud. Birth certificates belonging to the two infants were used to obtain £2 million worth of mortgage loans as well as £140,000 in crooked housing
Tendring Council has received a sharp rap over the knuckles after being found guilty of "maladministration causing injustice". The Local Government Ombudsman Jerry White has also recommended the council award the complainant £750. It followed a complaint
Opinion in Rettendon has been split after eco-warriors piled into treehouses and tunnels in an attempt to halt the A130 bypass. More than 30 eco-warriors are camped on the site of the proposed road. Rettendon is physically divided by the heavily-congested
Councillors have demanded compensation after two foul-ups at a sewage treatment works. Members of Castle Point Council's environmental health committee want to be recompensed after a clear-up operation following a spill which left sewage coving part of
The owners of a troubled table dancing club have decided to sell up and move out of Southend The decision to sell off Cheeks comes after a market survey carried out by owners Cherokee Leisure. Bosses of the firm took stock of the Southchurch Road business
A group of metal detectors may have staked a place in local history after unearthing nine silver coins dating back to the 12th century. The coins were discovered on land in Downham by members of the Essex Detector Society. They are believed to have been
An Essex Roman Catholic church will be making history by becoming the first in the country to set up a hotline to the clergy. Confessions by telephone are set to become a reality at the Church of our Lady Immaculate Church in Chelmsford, which is behind
A motorist had an amazing escape today after a car drove off Clacton seafront - and on to rocks. The car had been going along the lower promenade near First Avenue, Clacton, when it left the carriageway. It then drove on to some sea defence rocks where
Witham's Kimberley Crane, 12, has become Eastern Counties champion in Grade Five for the over 12-year-olds. Kimberley, is from Braintree but is a member of the Gyrus Olympic Gymnastics Club, at Witham's Bramston Sports Centre. The Essex champion for this
Braintree's Robert Mackay is the first Essex player to be awarded the Samler-Brown Award for Young Player of the Year. The Eastern Counties Hockey Association award, made recently, was in recognition of the outstanding contribution that Robert has made
Colchester should be proud of her. Those were the words esteemed athletics commentator David Coleman used about Sarah Claxton at a recent televised international meeting. And, of course, Colchester should be proud of her, extremely proud. She came first
Essex-based Paul Cooper had mixed fortunes at the fifth round of the Honda British Motocross Championship at Wakes Colne. A poor start in his first race left the SoCal Husqvarna rider in a lowly 20th place first time past the finish line, before a superb
England cricket selector Graham Gooch has wasted no time in trying to identify England players of the future following the team's World Cup failure. The very next day Graham opened the third Essex Park Toyota Kwik Cricket Festival at Wickford where youngsters
A woman died after the driver of another car was distracted by one of his children trying to climb into the front seat. But a court also heard how the driver was under the influence of drugs at the time of the death crash on the A12 at Witham Margaret
Disgruntled market traders have threatened to bring Colchester town centre to a standstill if their demands to return to the High Street are not met. They warned they are prepared to block roads or clog traffic routes around the town centre - and the
One of the hidden treasures of Colchester's heritage has been included on a national buildings at risk register. The S Bond and Son antiques shop on North Hill is the only building in the town to be listed on the register launched by English Heritage
When Don Allen retired he decided to put his spare time to good use and help other people. He signed up as a volunteer in February and has since been offering support to the elderly, disabled or isolated as a community driver. Mr Allen is just one of
Witham people seeking help from the town's Citizens Advice Bureau are deeper in debt than ever before. Although the number of 317 people turning to the CAB is slightly down from last year's high, their average credit debt shot up by 35 per cent during
The small village of Bradwell-on-Sea is preparing for an influx of thousands of people in three weeks time for the annual pilgrimage. Christians from all denominations will be descending on the village to take part in the annual pilgrimage to St Peter's
Work on phase two of Rayleigh's town centre enhancements has started in earnest. The flower boxes, kerbing, heritage style street furniture and lamp posts which are taking shape in the High Street and main areas of the town will also be placed along Eastwood
Southend AC's Keith Purvis was a gallant third as two Ilford club-mates fought out one of the closest ever finishes in the seaside town's half-marathon - amid one or two other remarkable stories. Leading distance runner Nick Berrill eventually pipped
Top Southend swimmer Nathalie Brown may decide it's not a case of "from Russia with love" when it comes to furthering her international career. For the FitzWimarc School, Rayleigh, teenager, who swims for Mike Higgs' Borough of Southend squad at Warrior
South African overseas star Evert Ferreira has walked out on his Mistley team-mates just four games into their new season. Members of the championship chasing Jaygate Two Counties League cricket club were still in shock today after learning that their
Witham soccer player Victoria King has just been voted young player of the year after her first season with West Ham Ladies. Midfielder Victoria, 15, has helped her team win promotion to the first division of the Greater London League. But she admitted
Tiptree Road Running Club's Alan Fisher, following an excellent marathon win at Halstead less than a week earlier, blitzed the Kirton trail to take third place and again become the first Veterans 50. Chris Applegate and Michael Beckett also finished under
After another 4-3 victory in the Ladies Bronze Shield at Basildon, the Warren Golf Club team of Sheila Foxton, Ann Pledger, Lynne Kirkham, Claudia Juncker, Margaret Alston, Gill Mandl and Agnes Hill completed their series by winning five out of six. With
Sunday saw Witham & District Cycling Club's John Tivey in action in the Maldon & District 50 mile time-trial on the Dengie Peninsula. It was a difficult course but Tivey did well to record 2 hours 25minutes 35 seconds. The winner was Rick Van
Eight soldiers from Colchester Garrison were among those who took part in a 90ft abseil down Chelmsford Cathedral. The soldiers joined Liberal Democrat European Parliamentary candidates Adrian Duff and Rosalind Gill, and daring members of the public,
Increased housing in Maldon has forced changes in the town's school admission policy. A report to Essex County Council's education committee says parents applying to send their children to Maldon County Primary School will no longer be guaranteed a place
A former Essex County Council employee has been killed in a white water rafting accident in Austria. Mark Richardson and three Irish nationals died when their raft plunged over a man-made weir on an Alpine river near Salzburg during a tourist trip. Mr
One of the noisiest sections of road in Essex could soon be quieter. The section of the A127 by the Rayleigh Weir, which is flanked by homes, will be resurfaced using a special noise-reducing material. The announcement was made by Essex County Council
A father has paid tribute to his daughter who has died aged 25. Tony Whitby, from Great Horkesley, said yesterday his horse and aeroplane fanatic daughter Melanie, left a lasting impression on everyone who met and knew her, without trying. Melanie died
Teenage student Kimberley Barnett was yesterday recovering in hospital after her fall from the top of a Colchester multi-storey car park on Friday. Kimberley, 18, from Harwich Road, Great Bromley, was rushed to hospital at 8.30am on Friday after falling
Men in Colchester are a sensitive lot according to a new survey. A study has revealed men are much more sensitive then they realise or admit and are not as hard as they think. Men aged 25 to 44 in Britain's oldest recorded town are most sensitive to hurtful
A haulage company was today facing a crisis after thieves stole nearly half its transport fleet. A tractor unit and three trailers belonging to Jayvale Transport were stolen while they were parked in Bramston Link, Laindon, in the early hours of Sunday
A civilian worker at Basildon police station has escaped prosecution for animal cruelty - but could still face disciplinary charges. The employee, who has not been named, was investigated by the RSPCA and police after Rambo the dog was left lying in his
After pulling out all the stops to reach Government waiting list targets by the end of March, both Basildon and Southend Hospitals have seen totals rise again. At the end of April, there were 10,048 patients waiting for treatment at Southend - a rise
Outraged Colchester women have held a town centre demonstration against Channel 4's Soldier Town docu-soap. "Colchester birds are not Army barmy" stated one makeshift banner. "We are not easy" insisted another as passing motorists sounded their car horns
Hundreds of cheering Vange residents turned out for a huge push to raise cash for charity. Fred Flintstone joined characters from Allo, Allo, the Tesco Barrow Boys, Chad's Chargers, John Smith's Men and the saucily-named Ann Summer's Good Vibrations team
The Archbishop of Canterbury is to speak at a civic service at St Michael's Church, Braintree, as part of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the church. A full congregation of invited guests from local churches and organisations is expected
Essex Police have failed three quarters of the annual performance targets they set themselves. The force achieved in full only two of its eight objectives to improve its service and reduce crime. It has fallen short of time limits for attending emergency
A murder inquiry was launched today after the bodies of a man and a woman were found in a Westcliff flat. The discovery was made just before 9am detectives immediately sealed off the flat behind a row of shops in London Road to begin the painstaking task
LEIGH-ON-SEA 85-3 OLD SOUTHENDIAN 250-4 declared (ABANDONED) Fed-up Southendian skipper Chris Bunce demanded changes after labelling league rules as "crazy" - but he received only limited support from Leigh captain Simon Burch. Bunce spoke out after his
Alan Little will step up his hunt for new blood this week as he searches for the players he believes can push Southend United to promotion next season. The Blues boss, back from a holiday in Cyprus, has already earmarked a new left-back, midfielder and
Kieron Dyer could make his full England debut in Bulgaria tomorrow. The £7 million-rated Ipswich Town midfielder has been drafted into the senior squad for the vital Euro 2000 qualifier in Sofia after a spate of injuries and supensions. With boss Kevin
Colchester United will be playing Norwich City in a pre-season friendly at Layer Road. And they will also be involved in a four-team, two-day tournament at Southend United two weeks before the new season. The U's host East Anglian rivals Norwich at Layer
Heybridge Swifts Football Club manager Robbie Nihill is looking to the future and has appointed Pat Garrett as manager of the club's Eastern Junior Alliance Under 18 squad. Garrett has been involved in youth football for many years and will be a great
A distraught father today appealed for his 14-year-old daughter to get in touch - more than a week after she ran away from home. Robert Maiden's daughter Sarah left her Brecon Flats home in Westcliff on Friday May 28 after a disagreement with her parents
Fresh moves to breathe new life into Southend's gasworks site are to be launched - after plans for a new hotel, care home and car park came close to collapse. Borough officials are poised to advertise the broad seafront wasteland for sale nationwide in
This year's Southend-on-Sea "Jim Peters Memorial" Half Marathon held on Sunday was preceded with a minutes silence, in memory of Jim Peters who died earlier this year. In windy conditions, which finally broke with a torrential downpour, the mildly undulating
Glendene C.C.'s Richard Whitehorn, 15, broke the Club's schoolboy record on Thursday when riding in the Crescent C.C. Evening 10 near Harlow. Richard's time of 23m 24s was an improvement of 11 seconds on the record held by Ken Shuttleworth since 1976.
TATTINGSTONE..............................231-7 BRAINTREE......................................187-6 (Match abandoned due to rain) (Jaygate Homes Two Counties Division Two) With Saturday's match building to an exciting climax, with Braintree requiring
Rayleigh's FitzWimarc School twice fought back from being behind to share the Essex Under-14 soccer cup with Chelmsford's Boswell. After going 1-0 down very early, Fitz got on terms. Boswell went back into the lead, but a shot from Daniel Steadman again
Veteran defender Rob Newman pledged his future to Southend United today following the breakdown of a return to his former club Bristol City. The 35-year-old was given permission to speak to the Robins by Shrimpers boss Alan Little after the Second Division
Mass murderer Jeremy Bamber, serving life for killing his adoptive parents, sister and her two young sons, is to be moved to another prison. Bamber, currently serving life at Wakefield prison, was among three men who were disciplined after a replica handgun
A number of decaying Tendring landmarks are at risk, according to a new report released today. The buildings have been included in English Heritage's second register of buildings at risk. In Clacton, the seafront Martello tower is included. The tower
A distraught couple were called back from their holiday after burglars broke into their 200-year-old cottage and stole more than £6,000 worth of jewellery. Irene and Terry Bradley appealed for help in getting their "treasures" returned. The couple, who
The removal of community skips from estates and villages around Colchester could lead to a rise in cases of illegal dumping, councillors have said. Some of the council's 80 skips are being replaced with a system of refuge lorries which tour the parishes
Staff at Thameside Community Healthcare Trust had a chance to see how the other half lives when they swapped jobs and shadowed colleagues during Adult Learners' Week. Training and development manager Jo Sidebottom teamed up with district nurse Julie Dent
Millennium celebrations will be extra joyful in the Leighton household - Sean and Louise are expecting their first baby as year 2000 dawns. Married in the Caribbean last December, they were quite unaware as they tried for a baby that their timing was
