Tills have been ringing red hot with sales of the Essex version of popular board game Monopoly, it was revealed today. Despite only being launched last month, more than 16,000 copies of the game have been sold already and the manufacturers have run out
A disabled woman dogged by bad luck today told how a £110,000 bingo win would change her life. The 46-year-old mum-of-four from Billericay said: "If anything happens to me it is usually bad - I just don't know how I did this." Now the unemployed woman
A have-a-go hero Colchester taxi driver spoke today of fighting off a customer who tried to rob him with a gun. The 50-year-old asthmatic was taken to hospital with "vicious" bites to his forearms. He is recovering after the attacker bit his right hand
Southend United is fighting back against its financial losses, a newly-published report confirmed. The latest report of accounts for the term ending July 2000 revealed the Third Division club lost £1.8million compared to £2.3million in the previous year
A Good Samaritan family who took in and cared for an injured cat are now trying to re-unite him with his owners. Pat Galvin and her family have been caring for the young cat since November 6 when he was found lying injured in the middle of the road. During
A meeting is to be held to discuss a scheme which helps disadvantaged children. Each year volunteers from Dovercourt arrange for children from London to visit for a week. The children stay with host families and several activities are organised to keep
An Investigation was today under way after gas cylinders were engulfed in flames during a suspected arson attack in Southend. Firefighters arrived in South Avenue just before 9pm last night to discover a motorbike had already been set alight in a back
Southend United is fighting back against its financial losses, a newly-published report confirmed. The latest report of accounts for the term ending July 2000 revealed the Third Division club lost £1.8million compared to £2.3million in the previous year
Police have issued a warning after a man was spotted fiddling with a flat window in Aveley on Tuesday. When challenged by a resident in Teviot Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, he claimed to be mending the window on behalf of the council, but was unable to
Canvey Island's massive FA Cup second round home clash with Football League Northampton Town on Sunday December 9 will not be affected by the Professional Football Association strike which will virtually wipe big-time soccer off TV screens. In announcing
A major initiative has been launched to halve the number of teenage pregnancies within ten years. A powerful group made up of health, education and care chiefs has launched a new strategy to dramatically reduce the number of under-18s who become pregnant
As part of a pilot health walk scheme, the public is being asked to help design a programme of 'health walks'. This scheme is being planned by Maldon and South Chelmsford Primary Care Trust, Maldon District Council and the Blackwater Project. A seminar
Essex's economy is set to escape the national economic slowdown and continue growing robustly, according to a new report from economic analysts Business Strategies. The report concludes that unlike other parts of the UK, Essex is likely to remain largely
EastEnders' newest star is Southend born and bred. Bindya Solanki plays Nita Mistry, the new manager of Albert Square's Mini Mart in the popular BBC soap. The 27-year-old has been appearing in EastEnders since the end of last month. Bindya, a former pupil
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? winner Colin Hallett has vowed to pay off unpaid court fines of more than £500 if he ever gets to spend his £125,000 winnings. The Shoebury window cleaner has had his prize money frozen while programme maker Celador carries
Double Olympic medallist Nick Gillingham MBE made a splash when he visited Clements Hall Leisure Centre yesterday to launch a new swimming initiative. Nick was on hand as Leisure Connections plc, which runs the Hawkwell centre, unveiled the Swim for Fitness
Pablo Counago insists Ipswich Town need to treat Inter Milan like 'any other opponents' when the sides lock horns in the UEFA Cup. The Italian giants arrive at Portman Road for a third round first leg tie on Thursday. And Spaniard Counago, who started
Rochford Bowls Club's Mike Spackman has been called up to umpire at next year's Commonwealth Games. Commonwealth call up - for umpire Mike Spackman. Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY 49EEU11M The 55-year-old was named one of the 15 people to officiate in Manchester
The Hippodrome nightclub is seeking permission to hold Colchester Sixth Form College's Christmas party on its premises, but residents in the Dutch Quarter look set to object. Tonight, members of Colchester Council's licensing and appeals committee will
Essex is being offered a share of £12million from the Countryside Agency to set up more open spaces in the area. The agency wants to find three communities to which it can offer a grant contributing to 70 per cent of the project. It's particularly interested
A wholesale meat storage firm is counting the cost after thieves made off with a lorry filled with around £25,000 of meat. The raiders smashed their way through the gates of the Rayleigh Cold Store in Stadium Way, at 11pm on Monday, causing thousands
An agency with millions of pounds to spend on creating new public open space is targetting Thurrock, Basildon, and Castle Point as some of its top priorities. The Countryside Agency has £12m to spend in Essex on what it calls doorstop greens. It wants
Families fighting to prevent a mobile phone company erecting communication masts near their homes have finally won their battle after 18 months of uncertainty. Orange's applications in 1999 for masts in Romford Road, Aveley, and in Foyle Drive, South
Harold councillor and Havering's Mayor, Denis O'Flynn has called on the community to shop the vandals after Harold Hill library was hit by its fifth attack in as many weeks. The latest, on Friday night, saw a £1,000 computer used by local schoolchildren
Stroke patients are 70 per cent more likely to die in Colchester than at some other hospitals in the UK. Department of Health statistics compiled over the past six years show Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust has one of the worst stroke death rates in the
Tills have been ringing red hot with sales of the Essex version of popular board game Monopoly, it was revealed today. Despite only being launched last month, more than 16,000 copies of the game have been sold already and the manufacturers have run out
It was another busy year for Children In Need. Here are some of the events which helped to raise the money this year. * 10 Three-year-old Jonathan Need did his bit by collecting money in Chelmsford Town centre * 19a Eastern National bus drivers gave commuters
A booze ban is being brought in on some Colchester streets plagued by alcohol-fuelled yobs Colchester Council is using powers under tough new laws to make some town centre streets 24-hour alcohol-free zones Essex Police have agreed to support the non-drinking
Virgin Active have given the Southend Borough Combination Veterans League a massive boost. The leisure firm are sponsoring the league's two representative sides this season. News of the deal came ahead of the senior representative side's first match,
A businessman today revealed a pioneering new device to silence mobile phones and tipped to be a big hit with schools, companies and clergymen. Shaun Ward believes that the new cellular jammer he is marketing - which blocks signals to mobiles within a
Work must start on Canvey's new cemetery now, leading councillors have demanded. They spoke after hearing that the proposed cemetery had hit yet more delays. Members of Castle Point Council's leisure and amenities committee said islanders had waited long
South Essex electricity consumers have been assured that services will be unchanged after the company supplying power to local homes and businesses was sold off in a massive £1.3billion deal. Power company TXU has offloaded its UK electricity distribution
A leading Essex economist has stressed the atrocities of September 11 will not send the UK economy into freefall. Speaking at the annual Essex economic debate, David Fell said: "The image of disaster is just that an image. We must be optimistic about
How would Grays fare after the disappointment of Saturday? Not very well at all is the answer. They've been many scenes of celebrations at the Rec over the past month or so, but who would have ever had thought they'd include Ryman Two Tilbury. In Tuesday's
Homeless people are set to benefit after ten homes from Castle Point Council's housing stock were earmarked for temporary accommodation. At the moment those needing temporary homes are housed at Kings Caravan Park, on Canvey, and in bed and breakfast
A family learning centre, which will help parents master new skills, is set to open within weeks, it was revealed today. The £135,000 centre, which is being built at Chase Lane Primary School in Dovercourt, will be launched on December 7. It is thought
The long-awaited go-ahead for a new terminal at Heathrow bodes well for Southend Airport's expansion, director Roger Campbell said today. He spoke after the Government approved proposals for a fifth terminal at Heathrow which has been the subject of a
Essex's economy is set to escape the national economic slowdown and continue growing robustly, according to a new report from economic analysts Business Strategies. The report concludes that unlike other parts of the UK, Essex is likely to remain largely
An ambitious plan has been launched to build a £500,000 all-weather sports venue in mid Essex. Its dimensions would be similar to those of a full-sized football pitch and it could be divided up for smaller events. Amateur and professional clubs, schools
The family of Steven Meachen have spoken of their relief after their son's killer was convicted. Mother-of-one Nicola Meachen, 23, sobbed in the dock at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday as she was cleared by a jury of murder but convicted of a lesser
Joe Dunne saved the day for Colchester as he struck late to earn the U's a share of the points away to big-spending Cardiff City last night. Southend though were left to count the cost as Plymouth secured a 1-0 victory over them at Roots Hall. In division
Firefighters today battled to quell a blaze next to the former St Mary's Hospital site in Colchester. The fire service received a call saying the eight-room former caretaker's house in Pope's Lane was alight at about 11pm yesterday Two fire engines from
This was a huge result for poor relations Colchester United over big spending Cardiff City. And once again the U's chalked up one of their finest results against one of the biggest and richest clubs in the Second Division. A smash and grab point it might
More than 70 traders in Wickford have signed a petition demanding action from the police and council bosses to tackle growing vandalism and criminal damage in the town centre. They have also called on MP John Baron to take up their fight. Despite pleas
South Essex electricity consumers have been assured that services will be unchanged after the company supplying power to local homes and businesses was sold off in a massive £1.3billion deal. Power company TXU has offloaded its UK electricity distribution
New Southend United winger Steven Clark tried to remain upbeat despite last night's 1-0 Roots Hall defeat against Third Division leaders Plymouth Argyle. A first-half header from midfielder Steve Adams was enough to hand the Devon outfit their first win
Maldon police have launched a campaign to clampdown on forecourt crime. Maldon crime reduction officer Ray Stannard is worried about the way motorists make it easy for thieves around petrol forecourts by forgetting about basic security. He said he frequently
Colchester hero Joe Dunne doesn't score simple goals and his late equaliser in the match against Cardiff in division two was one of his best yet. He said: "Gavin (Johnson) and Dean (Morgan) linked up well on the left and when the boy pulled a great ball
Beach hut owners along Southend's seafront have united to combat "an avalanche" of petty crime. Beach huts campaigner - Ian Robinson at Thorpe Bay. Picture LUAN MARSHALL 4MJ8H13 Properties have been broken into by gangs and vagrants, while vandalism and
at the 88-year-old woman's house in Maldon Road, Great Totham. She was sitting in her lounge when the man banged on her window. He called her to the door, but as she answered it she was unable to hear him clearly. A police spokesman said she is rather
Former Leicestershire player Jonathan Dakin has become the latest cricketer to join Essex as part of the club's rebuilding programme. The 28-year-old all-rounder made his debut for the Midlands side in 1993 and figured prominently in their subsequent
