Archive
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Someone there when people need a friend
ANDY Lloyd became a prisoner in his own home after a breakdown left him too scared to go outside. Now the 37-year-old has turned the tide with a little help from his new friends and is able to help others who have suffered from mental illnesses. It
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It's a real knockout!
YOUNGSTERS proved they were good sports by taking part in a It's a Knockout-themed day at Runwell Primary School. Eager enthusiasts, aged four to 14, enjoyed a wide range of fun-packed games - among the school holiday activities organised by the Extended
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Call for better street lighting in Westcliff
BETTER street lighting is needed in the Westborough area of Westcliff, according to concerned residents. One resident has branded the situation a disgrace and claimed people feel unsafe at night. Alan Grubb, 61, of Westbourne Grove, said: "With the
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Please tag you dogs council asks owners
DOG owners in Southend are being reminded their animals need to have a collar and contact tag by law. The council has taken over the responsibility for stray dogs from the police, and strays will no longer be accepted at police stations. Head of public
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Motorbike scramble crackdown in woods
MOTORBIKE scramblers riding their bikes illegally through woods in Hockley and Hawkwell are threatening public safety, police officers have warned. Officers have teamed up with Rochford District Council to try to stop the bikers, who are illegally riding
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Charities benefit from millennium money
TWO Basildon charities can continue their good work, thanks to grants from Essex County Council's Millennium Fund. Anti-bullying project Five Links Turning Point, has won a £5,200 grant, which will pay to hire a part-time project worker. The Pavis
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Borough's £1m boost to build playgrounds
A £1MILLION handout will help create more public play areas in Thurrock. The borough's MP, Andrew Mackinlay, welcomed the Government money and urged the community to help decide where it should be spent. The cash has been given to refurbish existing
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Essex take heart from bowlers
AN absorbing day's play on Friday saw Middlesex pass the Essex total of 276-6 with one wicket and 8.1 overs remaining to record victory by one wicket in this two-day friendly at Chelmsford. The visitors' victory owed much to an innings of 74 from 20-
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Film will look at plight of travellers
THE myths and misconceptions surrounding gipsies and travellers is the subject of a new film. The East of England Regional Assembly has chosen to include the film as part of its controversial public consultation, which recommends 1,187 more gypsy and
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Daisy nearly died eating box of chocs
A PECKISH pooch with a penchant for posh chocolates had a ruff Easter...after she wolfed down 2lb of dark chocolate and nearly died of poisoning. Sweet-toothed King Charles Cavalier, Daisy, wasted no time tucking into the luxurious chocolates after she
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Ravi's hurt is set to boost Essex
ESSEX should feel the benefit of Ravi Bopara's winter of hurt as they seek to mould their youngsters into a promotion-winning outfit. Despite being just 22, Bopara is, in terms of experience and exposure at least, one of the county's senior players and
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Still all to play for in title race
THE three-way battle for the title is no closer to being settled after all three contenders pulled off victories at the weekend. Canvey's Concord Rangers, aiming for a domestic treble as they have already won the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy and are
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Coastguard workers announce more strikes
COASTGUARD staff are to strike for two further days following their first ever walkout last month. Up to 700 Public and Commercial Service union members working for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will strike on Friday, April 11, from 7am in a dispute
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Ensign reclaim the top spot
SOUTHEND'S White Ensign moved back into the leadership in the Premier Division title race with a 2-0 success over Epping at Eastwoodbury Lane. With five matches to go they lead closest rivals Kelvedon Hatch by two points with a game in hand. Chris Baddeley
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Eye-catching works of art
A PHOTOGRAPHIC student has turned to fashion industry tricks in an effort to make art seem sexier. Gemma Amor, 24, of Webster Road, Stanford-le-Hope is photographing works of art in the same the way fashion items are shot will make them more desirable
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Protection demanded by Oak Road workers
HIGHWAYS officials are refusing to repair a pothole-pitted country lane because of concerns about travellers living nearby. Contractors for Essex County Council refuse to work in Oak Road, Crays Hill, without a police escort, because it runs close to
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Motorsport: Howard finishes 14th at St Pete
JAY Howard turned in a solid drive to secure his first finish of the season in the IndyCar Series in America. The Basildon-born driver retired with handling problems in the face race at Homestead-Miami Speedway a week ago. But on the St Petersburg street
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Janney hurts battling Rocks
ROCKS' hopes of climbing out of the Ryman Premier League relegation zone took a big hit with this defeat at Rookery Hill. Despite a brave performance, the home side were edged out by Mark Janney's 79th minute winner, which came just three minutes after
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Late goal hurts Millers
MILLERS' 14-match unbeaten run came to an end at Ryman Division One North promotion-chasing Edgware on Saturday. In a thrilling match the 'Wares led twice though Greg Ngoyi and Fergus Moore. But Rod Stringer's men hit back on both occasions through
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Rovers angered by ref decisions
TWO controversial refereeing decisions and a poor home performance handed bottom club Ilford a potential relegation lifeline at Burroughs Park on Saturday. Home followers in the 85-strong crowd were outraged when match official Robert Mackay ruled that
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Curbishley has "no return date" for Bellamy
ALAN Curbishley has admitted he has no idea when up to eight West Ham players - including star striker Craig Bellamy - will be fit to return from injury. The Wales captain has been sidelined since February 2 with an abdominal problem - an injury that
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Curbishley goes on Italian scouting mission
WEST Ham manager Alan Curbishley spent his free weekend in Italy scouting new talent and catching up with new technical director Gianluca Nani. The Irons boss took in three matches during his time away, including a goalless draw between Nani's Brescia
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Dyer suffers setback in comeback bid
WEST Ham star Kieron Dyer's comeback from a double leg fracture has been scuppered by a shin problem. The England forward had been making good progress from the compound fracture he suffered in the Carling Cup second round win over Bristol Rovers on
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Government grants for business
MORE than £1million in Government grants will be handed out to councils across south Essex to help business growth. Southend was the biggest winner in the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive grants, which were announced by the Federation of Small
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Waste firm boss fined over toxic spoil
THE boss of a waste firm has been fined £10,000 for dumping and burning toxic waste without a licence in Rayleigh. A covert surveillance operation by the Environment Agency witnessed materials including building waste, white goods, scrap metal, furniture
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Bury dent Canvey play-off aim
CANVEY Island's bid to make the play-offs looks certain to go the final Saturday of the season in three weeks' time. Saturday's 1-0 defeat at fellow contenders Bury Town means that Gulls may well need to win all four of their remaining games to make
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Job agency targets Polish workers
WALKING past the window of this recruitment agency, you could be forgiven for thinking you're in Warsaw, not Southend. The window at Jark Recruitment, in London Road, is jam-packed with job notices in Polish, advertising for low-skilled work across the
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End for multiple births?
SEEING double has become an increasingly common experience, thanks to the rise in the number of multiple births. Over the past 30 years, the number of twin births has risen from 6,000 a year to 10,000. This increase has been put down to the use of IVF
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Thurrock come back for victory
THURROCK twice came from behind to finish 3-2 victors over second place Eastbourne Borough in an entertaining Blue Square South game at Ship Lane. Eastbourne took the lead in the 33rd minute through Andy Atkin's powerful header. Eight minutes later,
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Woodward in play-off hunt
GRAYS thundered on with a tremendous comeback victory against promotion-chasing Burton Albion. Mike Woodward still talks of the play-offs and who can doubt the man as his coaching team have developed a real sense of teamwork. After the game, Woodward
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Free tickets to see the Blues
FREE tickets for Saturday's Blues match are now on offer to community groups, schools and charities across Southend. The tickets for Southend United v Northampton will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and are being made available through
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Love of dance led me to America
THE day that changed my life, was the day I got the job as a dancer for Spirit of the Dance - an Irish dance spectacular. I had always loved to dance, and began lessons when I was just four years old. At 16 I decided to take it more seriously and told
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Shake it girls!
THEY say the family that plays together stays together. That's the philosophy behind Yuko Warwick-Yamamoto's latest class, although it's probably more a case of the family that plays together, gets in shape together. Yuko, who runs Genki Studios, Leigh
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Essex Veterans League round-up
Premier Division RUNWELL Old Boys were 2-0 up in the first half through goals by Rivers but had to hang on in the second half when Beacon Hill Rovers pulled one goal back. Hang on to the lead they did the win leaves them three points behind the league
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Blues analysis: Flavs takes turn in spotlight
SATURDAY'S clash at Gresty Road was goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan's 344th game for Southend United. And among those previous appearances there are unlikely to be have been many more dramatic than this latest triumph. The shot-stopper has enjoyed some stunning
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Workers’ £1 gifts add up to £4,500 for hospice
WORKERS across Basildon and Thurrock united to raise precious funds for a hospice. Thousands of firms took part in a Bring a Pound into Work day, organised by St Luke's Hospice. Alison Jones, from St Luke's, said: "It was a big success. We've had lots
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Cancer survivor joins Olympic ceremony
A CANCER survivor and award winning author joined Britain's athletes to carry the Olympic flame through London. Megan Blunt, 16, from Billericay, was selected as a Beijing Olympic torchbearer by the Mayor of London's office because of her inspiration
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MLS game excites Spector
UNITED States international Jonathan Spector cannot wait to come up against old friends and foes when West Ham take on the MLS All-Stars this summer. The Irons have confirmed that they will take on the cream of the North American league in Toronto on
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Shroot to kill off Town dream of the play-offs
A MAN named Shroot finallly shot down Billericay Town's hopes of making the end of season play-offs for a third time in four seasons. Despite taking a first-half lead, the New Lodge side, playing in front of a 2,429 crowd, were beaten 2-1 due to substitute
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Dockers edge closer
TILBURY picked the wrong time to turn in one of their worst performances of the season and have lost control of their own destiny, with relegation from the Ryman Division One North staring them firmly in the face. Kurt Smith put the Dockers ahead on
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Holland takes blame for loss
CREWE Alexandra manager Steve Holland took full responsibility for his side's poor display against the Shrimpers on Saturday. The Railwaymen lost 3-1 after seeing two penalties saved by Southend United goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan. "It is my job to prepare
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Hunt out with hernia
BLUES defender Lewis Hunt is unlikely to play again this season after picking up a hernia problem. The 25-year-old will undergo surgery tomorrow and will be sidelined for at least four weeks. "We've lost Hunty now for a while," confirmed manager Steve
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Expect more from Walker and Barnard
LEE Barnard is hoping his partnership with James Walker can fire the Shrimpers to promotion. The forwards both scored against Crewe on Saturday, with Barnard bagging a brace against his former side. And he is confident that them both hitting the back
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Tory MP slams Post Office for stalling buy-out bid
A FURIOUS MP is accusing Post Office chiefs of deliberately dragging their feet and not revealing financial data that could potentially save a number of post offices. Billericay MP John Baron is slamming the organisation for being uncooperative and slow
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Flavs spot on at the double
DARRYL Flahavan helped maintained the Shrimpers push for promotion with a remarkable performance at Crewe Alexandra on Saturday. The Southend United shot-stopper superbly kept out penalties from both Gary Roberts and Kenny Lunt as his side secured a
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Mike can claim his Rochford seat now
FORMER Southend Carnival chairman Mike Steptoe can already look forward to taking up a seat on Rochford District Council. Tory Mr Steptoe owns a garage in Shoebury but lives in Barling, where he is already a parish councillor. The lack of rival candidates
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Children rescued from fire
FOUR children were rescued by their father from a house fire in Southend. The fire broke out in a mid terraced property in Brighton Avenue just before 6am on Monday. Seven people in total escaped the blaze which has totally destroyed the home. More
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Row as seafront tree is cut down
RESIDENTS are upset a 30ft-high tree that took pride of place on Canvey seafront has been cut down. The old maple tree has stood in Eastern Esplanade, opposite Lubbins car park, for more than 40 years. But on Thursday it was chopped down by Essex Tree
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Youngsters queue to get bikes tagged
STREETSMART youngsters had their bikes tagged during a session aimed at keeping cycles safe. More than 70 electronic tags were fitted to bikes at Southchurch Library, in Lifstan Way, Southend, on Saturday. The tags help police trace stolen bikes and
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More bail for Jegs suspect
A MAN arrested on suspicion of arson after a blaze gutted a warehouse has had his bail extended. Jegs Electrical's warehouse, in Progress Road, Eastwood, was destroyed as flames ripped through the building on December 22 last year. The business lost
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Charges over vet robbery
A 23-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with robbery in connection with an armed raid on a Leigh vets' surgery. Terry Byrd, of Glenwood Avenue, Westcliff, was remanded in custody and will reappear at Basildon Crown Court on June 6. Two other men, aged 26
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Coffee time over for Tchibo store
TCHIBO coffee shop and merchandise store has closed due to a downturn in profit. The shop, in High Street, Southend, closed on Saturday after six years. Deputy manager Emma Despy said: "We haven't been making a profit and the rent is so high."
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Police warn after burglary spate
A crimewave is sweeping Southend as burglars smash their way into houses while the owners are at work. The unusual spate of house burglaries involves crooks smashing a back window or door to get into the home, before escaping with thousands of pounds
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Thurrock council nominations
THURROCK is once again set to be a battleground between mainstream politics and the British National Party, after the right-wing group declared candidates in all 18 council wards. The BNP will be looking to build on the platform created last year, when
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Thousands face losing homes
THOUSANDS of families in the Southend area are at risk of losing their homes due to the credit crunch, new figures show. Statistics compiled from credit agencies show 8,695 households in the Rochford and Southend East constituency are a high risk and
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Police on the offensive in Laindon
NOT everyone was happy to see more bobbies on the beat in Laindon over the weekend. Armed with cameras, three officers from Essex Police's forward intelligence team joined Laindon neighbourhood police in spending four days patrolling the streets of Lee
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Machine crushes man's arm
AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into how a man suffered horrific arm injuries at a recycling firm. The man, in his twenties, caught his right arm in machinery at Coolrec, which specialises in recycling refrigerators on the Burnt Mills Industrial Estate
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Zimbabweans plan London protest
ZIMBABWEANS in south Essex plan a protest march on the South African embassy in in London about the elections in their home country. The nation's electoral commission is yet to release the full official results from the March 29 vote, prompting fears
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Travellers move in at East Beach
TRAVELLERS moved on to Shoebury East Beach at the weekend after a barrier was left up. Southend Council issued an order informing the travellers they must move on by today, after they arrived at the site on Friday. Mike Assenheim, independent councillor
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Holding a torch for the Olympic spirit
THE Olympic flame was held proudly aloft by three runners from south Essex, who celebrated Britain's sporting talent. Basildon TV personality Denise Van Outen carried the famous torch near Piccadilly Circus, London, before passing it on to Kirste Snellgrove
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I can't afford to vote Labour
Since I was a young girl I was brought up to believe the Labour Party was the only party that truly represented the working class, the poor and the under-privileged. Since 1997 much of what the Labour Government has done in this country through their
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Please check the plans, Anna
In reply to councillor Anna Waite's letter (Echo, March 27) Plans Flag up a Road to the East', I assume she still means the flagged up road in the long lamented Priory Crescent scheme. I quote from a letter to me from the head of planning and transport
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No peerage for you Mr Haran
John Haran is biased in favour of this Government, - indicated by his letter (March 24) where he has only mentioned three Tory MPs and not one word about the cabinet members who have their nose well into the trough of public monies. John - the self-appointed
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Man fights for life after crash
A MAN is fighting for his life after a road crash. The 46-year-old was driving his van on the A1245 at Rawreth when he lost control. It struck a lamppost leaving the driver with critical injuries. The crash happened at 10pm on Sunday. Witnesses can
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Limited time at doctor’s surgery
Waiting to be seen by the doctor, I saw a notice on the wall to the effect the doctor would only deal with one health problem per appointment. I appreciate a doctor will have many people to see, but it seems the days that you can discuss your overall
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Nasty party’s election challenge
Many readers will wince when they see the high number of BNP candidates among the nominations for local council elections in Southend, Basildon and Thurrock. The far right party has been trying to get a foothold in south Essex for many years, with limited
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What’s happened to pier money?
I am shocked Southend Council has abandoned plans for a maritime themed development of Southend Pier. According to councillor Brian Kelly, portfolio holder for resources, there are no funds available and so no progress is likely for at least the next
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Don't dump in south Basildon
May I applaud the efforts of Conservative county councillor John Schofield on finally getting Essex County Council to scrap plans to sell land to developers in Dry Street (Echo, April 1). It is refreshing to hear a local county councillor has been able
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It's easy to condemn stem cell research if you're old
The horror of the latest proposed research into cures for illnesses that plague the human race would, doubtless, be assuaged if such research was confined to adult stem cells, (Letters, 26 and 31). Extension to human embryos encased in animal protein
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BNP to stand in every ward in May elections
THE British National Party is fielding candidates in every ward at next month's Basildon Council elections. The far right group has fulfilled last year's pledge to stand candidates in all 14 of the 16 wards which are up for re-election. Last year, it
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Southend Council election candidates
THE British National Party is putting up candidates for every seat in next month's Southend Council elections. After successive elections when the far-right party has fielded only a small number of candidates, the move could help change the familiar
