A man has been jailed for a month after assaulting his girlfriend in front of her tenyearold son. Martin Edden, 31, of Hemingway Road, Witham, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court yesterday, for sentencing. He had earlier admitted common assault.
A major programme of works will be taking place along the Chelmer Canal thanks to a £13,000 grant from Chelmsford Council's Jubilee Community Fund. The Chelmer Canal Trust's original bid was for £25,000, but it is hoped a scaled down version of the initial
A series of van break-ins has seen tools, worth thousands of pounds, stolen. Police are linking the thefts, which have all happened in and around the Colchester area. All the thefts took place over the weekend and each time the thieves removed the rear
There's no chance of Billericay Town boss Gary Calder fielding a weakened line-up for tonight's Essex Senior Cup home clash with Harlow. For, after a training session to iron out some of the frustrations of Saturday's disappointing Ryman Premier 1-1 draw
Although Chalvedon, as usual, were the dominant team, they had plenty of competition for glory at the Basildon and District Schools' Cross-Country Championships. The event was held in heavy rain which led to muddy conditions underfoot at Gloucester Park
A rundown Rayleigh industrial estate could be given a major boost under a new initiative being considered by Rochford District Council. The proposal for Brook Road would form part of the Industrial Estate Improvement Scheme, run jointly by Essex County
Builder Stuart Campbell, who has consistently denied kidnapping and murdering his 15-year-old niece, did not need to take the witness stand as he had nothing to prove, a court heard. As Michael Borrelli, defending QC for the 44-year-old from Meadow Road
About £30,000 is to be spent on studies to find ways to combat flooding in the Braintree district. At a Braintree Council executive meeting last night, members agreed to set aside the money for land drainage studies, where the council had the authority
Southend United old boy Steve Jones aims to shoot down Blues when they visit his current club Hornchurch for this evening's Essex Senior Cup clash, kick-off 7.45pm. The 32-year-old striker, who netted twice in nine loan appearances for the Shrimpers two
A 39-year-old woman from Essex has died of hypothermia in a remote hamlet in north Scotland. Emergency services received a call from a shepherd who had found a woman in Cape Wrath, the most north westerly tip of north Scotland, suffering from hypothermia
A Colchester man suspected of trying to rape a teenager has been eliminated from the inquiry. Detectives hunting a sex attacker who struck in Lexden used DNA testing to rule out the 26-year-old from their investigation. Det Supt Gareth Wilson, who is
Seven weeks after being referred by a heart specialist in Colchester to a London hospital for an urgent angiogram, Graham Blake, 54, was still waiting. Colchester General Hospital has said it is the longest any patient has waited for a transfer to the
Residents piled into the Community Resource Centre in The Gore, Basildon, for a chat with their MP Angela Smith, who hosted a coffee morning. Stirring talk - MP Angela Smith, left, talks to Anita Shales Picture: ROB BROWNE Mrs Smith said: "It gave them
Do you know how much you can drink and still drive home safely? What the legal limits of alcohol are? Or whether you'd still be over the limit the day after drinking? All the answers can be found at a display about drink driving in the High Chelmer shopping
A free course on money management is being held in Wickford next month. Moneysense will teach adults how to budget and avoid debt, how to understand financial products like loans, credit cards, savings and mortgages and increase people's confidence in
A man in his 70s was left with a bloody head wound after a brick was hurled through a bus window, it emerged today. The man was a passenger with his wife on the bus as it travelled along Manor Road, Benfleet. Out of the blue, a brick smashed through the
A man has been appeared in court after hitting a woman. John Douglas's assault on Miss Haras caused one of her earrings to be ripped out, Colchester Court heard yesterda Douglas claimed Miss Haras had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and had hit
Southend East MP Sir Teddy Taylor shared a school's delight at the official opening of a £370,000 project to improve access for wheelchair users. The King Edmund School, in Vaughan Close, Rochford, now has two lifts to help wheelchair users. Pressing
A new block of sheltered apartments is on the market with price tags of more than £150,000 for a two-bedroom flat. Housebuilder Hallmark Developments, based in Chelmsford, is the firm behind the Oak Lodge development, near Hockley town centre. The new
And then it was gone! Southend's pier bridge has been dismantled and all that remains is a gaping hole and a pile of rubble. Bridge that gap - the gaping hole where the bridge was Picture: TERENCE BUNCH It was the end of an era for the structure over
Oh what a beautiful (200lb) baby. Proud mum Tanya the elephant showed off her new calf to the world yesterday. Colchester Zoo curators are so delighted with her parental skills they are letting the public in to see the bull calf. The new arrival at Colchester
Police are warning residents to be on their guard for a company using high-pressure selling techniques The company, whose initial contact is by telephone cold-calling, are duping residents by claiming they are carrying out a security survey in the Braintree
Lawrie McMenemy has promised to bring a star-studded England XI to Roots Hall for Steve Tilson's testimonial next year. The former number two to Three Lions boss Graham Taylor plans to assemble a mouthwatering line-up, who will play the current Southend
An indoor karting track, claimed to be one of the longest in north Essex, will soon open in Braintree Kozmic Karts will open at the Charter Way industrial park, by Freeport shopping village, on March 1. It will offer about 290 metres of track for youngsters
Welcome to the Winter Wonderland, invites the Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill. The organisation has created its famous Christmas scenario at New Hall Nursery, Lower Road, Hockley, to raise funds for local charities. Festive treat - Dario Denham, five, samples
Dutchman Fabian Wilnis bagged his first goal of the season on Saturday for the Blues as he tries to rescue Town from the lowly depths of the Nationwide League Division One. "You look at the Premiership every Saturday night and you want to be playing against
A vomiting virus which has hit Broomfield Hospital is showing no signs of relenting, Another medical ward has been closed after patients and staff were struck by an outbreak of gastroenteritis. This is the sixth time a ward has been closed in the Chelmsford
Quarry operators in mid Essex have launched a new fund to underline their commitment to restoration of land that has been quarried for aggregates. Various quarries are currently being worked in Boreham, Broomfield, Danbury, Great Waltham and Roxwell.
Police are eager to trace a gang who punched a 16-year-old boy in the face before rummaging through his pockets. The men approached the teenager as he walked from Basildon train station to Long Riding. Police say they asked him for the time and followed
Residents are protesting at plans for new flats they claim would over-develop their area and add to their traffic and parking problems. More than 180 residents of the Willows, Colchester, and surrounding roads, have signed a petition objecting to plans
Ipswich Town boss Joe Royle will have to put friendship aside when he heads down to Brighton tonight in the Nationwide League Division One. The Blues chief is a long-time friend of his opposite number Steve Coppell, and he holds the highest regard for
Eversley A came out on top when Basildon RFC hosted the Gardners Insurance Services Tag Tournament. Greenstead A were the runners up, with Ghyllgrove taking the fair plays honours. Safe hands - Kingswood and Briscoe's year five and six tag rugby teams
Allowances for Basildon councillors are set to double this year - leaving taxpayers to pick up an even bigger bill. A standard district councillor, who currently claims £2,004, would see their allowance go up to £4,662 a year. People with special responsibilities
Basildon's housing offices could be closed by the council as part of a cost-saving exercise. Council bills can be paid five days a week at offices in Wickford, Vange, Pitsea, Laindon, Felmores, Biller-icay and at the Basildon Centre. This service costs
Negotiations for Billericay Town Football Club to build its stadium in Basildon have started - but the council promises no decisions have yet been made. The club has planning permission to build in Gloucester Park, but the land leasehold is owned by Basildon
Students from Palmer's College in Grays have been given a behind-the-scenes look at television. Youngsters on the Chadwell Road college's media studies courses visited ITV and BBC studios. At the ITV studio at Teddington they were part of the audience
A family had a lucky escape after a chest of drawers caught fire in one of their children's bedrooms. Fire broke out in the bedroom of the first floor flat in Langham Drive, Clacton, at about 1.30am today. A spokesman for Clacton fire station said the
Developers of historic Shoebury Garrison have been rapped by Southend Council for flouting planning conditions. Gladedale Homes won permission for a range of ambitious projects on the 182-acre site, but planning officials say some of the work breaches
Pupils from Colchester have sung their way into the record books and raised cash for young people with cancer. The youngsters were taking part in an attempt to break the record for the world's biggest-ever simultaneous sing in aid of Sargent Cancer Care
A car mechanic was the victim of a carjacking as he drove a vehicle to be prepared for bodywork repairs. The man was dragged out of the silver Proton Satria car and kicked and punched around the head. A spokesman for Chelmsford police said his assailant
A Colchester woman who once served bacon sandwiches to Wimbledon tennis stars and ran a dry cleaning firm in Colchester has died. Anne Cane, 84, was born in Colchester and grew up in the St John's Road area of town but later moved to Suffolk and Norfolk
A mobile fast food van next to a Rayleigh transport cafe looks likely to be given its marching orders. The van has been parked on land used as the car park of the Brookside cafe in London Road. A report by Rochford District Council's head of planning
Colchester's hospitals risk losing their top performance ranking unless they act to remedy a "dreadful" financial situation. That was the stark message from the finance chief of Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Colchester General, Essex County
A police chief today voiced fears about proposed 36-hour non-stop drinking over New Year following another weekend of violence in his town. Alcohol may be served from 11am on New Year's Eve to 11pm on New Year's Day if Government proposals go ahead. Chief
Braintree Town manager Gary Bellamy has acted to stop the rot that has seen the Iron slump to second from bottom in the Ryman League premier division. There is to be a major shake-up and it has been sparked by the transfer of captain Gavin Cowan to Canvey
A council tax rise could fund the construction of a fountain. Residents in Billericay will have to cough up a 33 per cent increase in council tax which will fund the attraction in Lake Meadows country park. The extra cash demanded by the town council
Hundreds of teddy bears in a spectacular tombola, an array of stalls and of course a visit by Santa made a Hadleigh bazaar a huge success. Abbeyfield Society's Christmas Bazaar in Chapel Lane, raised funds for a day's outing for the residents of the sheltered
Recycling has been put at the top of the agenda at Basildon Council. Responding to the War on Waste consultation - which looks for a general strategy for dealing with rubbish across Essex, Southend and Thurrock - the council supported moves towards recycling
Alarming figures show Billericay has one of the highest level of debt per head in the country - and the Christmas season is set to heighten the problem. Billericay Citizen Advice Bureau struggles to cope with queues of people in need of desperate help
Old Heath residents may have won their long battle to stop a travellers' site being built there. Arguments over the possible use of Place Farm in Old Heath, Colchester, for a travellers' site have raged since it became one of six possibilities shortlisted
Southend paid the price of conceding a number of penalties as they battled it out with Hertford in a close-fought London One encounter. To make matters worse the visitors' influential skipper James Shearing was forced to leave the game in the first-half
An outer bypass is not necessarily the answer to Southend's road problems and could tear the heart out of neighbouring Rochford, a county councillor has warned. Stephen Castle, cabinet member in charge of strategic co-ordination, wants all options to
A man was rescued from the sea by police. Police, paramedics and the coastguards were put on standby when a man was reported to be attempting suicide on Clacton seafront. The 31-year-old man, of Clacton, was believed to have taken an overdose. An ambulance
Forgotten man Adrian Coote has fired his way into the reckoning for Colchester United's Second Division trip to Luton Town on Saturday. The Northern Ireland international sharp-shooter, who has made only two U's starts this season, staked a claim to play
This is the giant "bomb" which caused a major alert for almost two days. It took that long for experts to discover it wasn't a bomb - but a plane's fuel tank which had apparently fallen out of the sky. Identity crisis - this fuel tank caused chaos when
Thurrock failed to secure their fourth win of the season when they were narrowly beaten 13-8 by Cambridge. Tees find themselves third from bottom but have a game in hand on the two teams above and below them. But Thurrock face a tough home tie on Saturday
The keenly-awaited clash between the two sides with the best records in Eastern Counties 2 South could only end up one way after the opening minutes. By then Westcliff were 12 points to the good and Bancroft were facing only their second defeat of the
Essex is below average at getting persistent young offenders before a court. Figures published by the Lord Chancellor's Department reveal the average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders in England and Wales is 68 days between July
A community group vowed today to fight Southend United's dreams of a new stadium and leisure complex at Fossetts Farm to the bitter end. Keeping our Amenities, Recreational and Environmental Resources Safe (Karers) said the "unnecessary" development would
Hopes for a major lottery cash boost to refurbish Rayleigh's historic windmill near the town centre have been put on hold. Rochford District Council was hoping to get the green light from the Lottery Commission by the end of November to let the work go
Candlelight lit up St Mary's Church, in East Street, Prittlewell, when 220 children took part in a Christingle service. Let there be light - six-year-old Amanda Bowers Picture: LUAN MARSHALL Children - including those from St Mary's Church School, the
Walton's award-winning Mr Magic Lennie Blease, has died. The popular magician had been performing his tricks since he was a youngster and had even conjured up a smile from Prince Charles. Over the years, he won several awards. Royal laugh - Lennie Blease
The main base for Trinity House Lighthouse Services is to stay in Harwich, it was revealed today The decision not to move was revealed to the 155 staff today - and follows a campaign to keep them in the town. Trinity House, the UK's leading safety provider
Furious Southend residents accused council chiefs of wasting their money on making areas "look nice" rather than stopping the famous cliffs falling into the sea. Feelings ran high at a meeting to update people on a big project to restore the cliff gardens
All of the points in this match came in the first half from a well worked try from the Wanstead backs which was converted. They increased their lead through a penalty. Billericay came back in the second half with some good running from full-back Andy
A new rapid transport system in the style of the Docklands Light Railway could be coming to south Essex, it was revealed today. The development of the system for the area between Thurrock and Southend is one of the long-term objectives for the Thames
Houses near Ramsey Creek could be at serious risk of flooding if a planned port development goes ahead, it has been claimed. The creek would have to be altered to allow a new container terminal at Bathside Bay. Residents fear this might cause flooding
