Archive
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Community team is sworn in
A TEAM of community workers has been given new powers to challenge troublemakers. A total of 39 people from South Essex Homes, Estuary Housing and the YMCA, have joined a new accreditation scheme in Southend in an effort to tackle antisocial behaviour
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Crossing will now go ahead at blackspot
A PEDESTRIAN crossing costing £114,000 will finally be built at a dangerous junction in Rayleigh where a woman was seriously injured in a road accident. Essex County Council has earmarked April next year as the date of completion for the crossing, after
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Cinders to go to the ball
OH no it isn't! Oh yes it is - time that is for next season's pantos to be announced. Following the success of last year's Snow White, which saw pantomime back at the Towngate in Basildon after an abscene of 10 years, this year the theatre welcomes
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Residents appeal to police to deal with nuisance teens
RESIDENTS in Pitsea claim antisocial footballing youths are making their lives a misery. They say for the past three years, large groups of teenage boys have been setting up goal posts on a small green, near their homes in Broomfields Court, Broomfields
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Student takes her fair trade message to EU
EUROPE must take the lead on fair trade to tackle poverty in Africa, according to a Basildon student who took her message to the European Union. Grace Ndongue, from Basildon, was invited to the European Parliament by Essex Euro MP Richard Howitt, to
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Our park's gone to the dogs!
PEOPLE are always saying the country is going to the dogs. They are absolutely and literally right. The dogs are taking over. More and more of our national resources are devoted to canine comfort. The goods and services range from pooch mattresses that
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Casuals aim for double cup success
KINGSFIELD Casuals could be celebrating a Sceptre League Andy Ward Cup double at Great Wakering Rovers' Burroughs Park ground on Sunday. For their first team take on Athletico Benfleet for the Section C prize at 10.30am with their 2nd X1 up against Shrimperzone
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Families asked to join picnic for Earth Day
A FAMILY fun picnic is being held on Sunday. The South East Essex Women's Environmental Network is hosting the picnic at Chalkwell Park to celebrate Earth Day 2008. It will be by the children's play area in the park, from 11.30am to 2.30pm. There will
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Daniel gets head start in big race
DANIEL Brown took pole position in the sibling rivalry between him and older brother Robert. The Billericay brothers are competing in this season's Formula Palmer Audi championship and contested their first three rounds at Donington Park, Derbyshire
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Eagles face tough Friends Provident opener
ESSEX Eagles begin their one-day campaign with a tough opening Friends Provident Trophy South East Division trip to face the Kent Spitfires at Canterbury on Sunday. The Eagles flew to the semi-finals of last season's competition, only to lose out to
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Snooker: Davis still a danger for Bingham
Basildon's Stuart Bingham refuses to entertain thoughts that facing fading six-times world champion Steve Davis in the first round is a good World Championship draw for him. Bingham makes his first appearance for six years in the final stages at the
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Ensign enjoy weekend off to prepare
SOUTHEND'S White Ensign have a weekend off from their fight to win the LFC Insurance Essex Olympian League Premier title - they are current leaders - to prepare for their Essex Premier Cup final with Brentwood Reserves at Billericay Town's ground next
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Brush hails Carlisle’s progress
SOUTHEND assistant manager Paul Brush is full of praise for the way Carlisle have performed this season. The Cumbrians are hunting automatic promotion from League One and are currently in second table, seven points behind champions elect Swansea. "Carlisle
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Rams butted by rivals again and again
UNLESS something miraculous occurs, Derby County will end the season as the worst team in Premier League history. Last season's Coca-Cola Championship play-off winners have proved that you can be promoted too early, winning just one league match all
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O’Connell keen to end home stand with win
GREAT Wakering Rovers go into home action for the final time this season tomorrow with manager Iain O'Connell desperate to give fans a winning send-off. The village side have only tasted victory four times in 20 starts at Burroughs Park this campaign
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Tilbury drinking in last chance saloon
LIKE near neighbours Rocks, Tilbury are a club drinking in the last chance saloon. They've sat back and watched the two teams below them in the relegation dogfight gradually erode their lead. Tomorrow is a six-pointer if ever there was one as Tilbury
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Parents win school road safety fight
CAMPAIGNING parents are celebrating after winning a two-and-a-half year battle to get improved safety outside a school. Lead campaigner Alfred Papworth, 74, of Ashdown Crescent, Hadleigh, collected a 480-strong petition calling for a crossing on Church
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Canvey bottleneck to be eased
ONE of the worst bottlenecks on Canvey is to be tackled under an £11.8 million project to smash congestion hotspots around the county. Huge volumes of traffic use the Waterside Farm roundabout at peak times and Essex County Council has announced plans
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Why has traveller issue dragged on?
Clive Benson's view that the Crays Hill travellers are not entitled to any special treatment has truth in every sentence (Apr 14). The travellers are there illegally. So why has the tedious business dragged on for so long? Because some travellers are
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Blame the EU, not satnavs
The satnav is being blamed for damage to historic buildings and rural roads because it is guiding lorries too close to heritage sites. Once again the nub of the problem is being overlooked. The root cause is the 44-tonne, 16-wheel juggernauts lumbering
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Marathon trip on the train
I had the misfortune to travel from Laindon to Limehouse on the c2c line on my way to watch the marathon on Sunday. I boarded the 10.05 train, which only had four carriages, and people were packed in like sardines. This is bad enough as a commuter,
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Recycling news can be justified
I write in reply to Pat Thew, who was concerned about recycling (Apr 8). Rochford District Council is about to embark on a major expansion of its recycling scheme. Our Recycling News is an effective means of communication, the costs of which can be
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EU Officer is good value
The Taxpayers Alliance has attacked public services without checking the facts (Apr 14). The post of European and international officer for Essex County Council will more than cover its costs by bringing Euro-pean funding to Essex which will in turn
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Police school parking blitz as parents fail to heed warnings
SCHOOL-run mums and dads have been warned that their cars will be towed away if they continue to cause parking chaos in Corringham and Stanford-le-Hope. Police say they have been forced to take drastic action and remove offending vehicles because some
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Yes, we need an elected mayor
I was delighted to read Geoff Percival's My View (Apr 11) where he suggested it is time for an elected mayor in Southend. He has his finger on the town's pulse. We are now governed by an 11-member cabinet cabal, three quangos and a secret society of
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I'm being penalised for not being a scrounger
I have been on the council housing register since I was 16 years old. I am now 35. I don't claim any benefits, my husband and I work hard and I bring up two children. We cannot afford a mortgage, so rent privately. The private rent goes up and up and
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Concord to mount late charge
THE ESSEX Senior League season is moving towards a thrilling climax with Canvey's Concord Rangers right back in the hunt. Ten days ago when they lost at Enfield 1893, Concord's bid appeared to be over. But subsequent events, particularly Enfield's home
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Pick up a plant at sale
GREEN-FINGERED folk will be able to buy a variety of plants at a sale on Saturday, April 26 The sale runs from 10am until noon at St James Church in Elmsleigh Drive.
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Aquathlon action this Sunday
ATHLETES from across Essex will be heading to Sweyne Park School on Sunday for the annual Rayleigh adult and junior aquathlon. It's a swim and run multi-sport event and is organised by the East Essex Triathlon Club. Entries in both the junior and
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Is this the plan to save our pier?
SOUTHEND Pier has stood forlornly in the mud down the years while bright ideas for its revival flickered and faded. A long line of would-be white knights have come and departed. Yet there has been one consistent throughout - Tony Garner. He has gone
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Irons out for repeat of Pride Park romp
ON November 10, 2007, West Ham left Pride Park having thrashed Derby County 5-0 and matched their biggest ever away win in the top-flight. That evening the Irons sat ninth in the Premier League table, just a point and a place below Everton and six points
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Electrics change gives Rob the vital spark
TWO weeks after winning the British Open Championship, Robert Foster-Jones returned to the Three Sisters circuit and was again the class of the field, taking victory in the opening round of the British Super 1 kart Championship. The Thorpe Bay teenager
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Canvey go for play-off clinching victory
CANVEY Island could be in the happy position of going into their final game of the season on Saturday week with their place in the play-offs cemented. Victory in tomorrow's Essex derby at Maldon could clinch their spot in the end of season promotion
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Thurrock prepared for tough double
THURROCK, having lost two games away to play-off chasing sides in the past week, home in on Essex rivals also looking to be involved in the promotion mix tomorrow. Visitors are a Braintree Town side who have enjoyed an excellent seasonh since former
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Mobile home is torn down
A MOBILE home has been torn down and removed from green belt land in Rayleigh after the owner ignored enforcement notices and court action. Rochford District Council said the move highlighted its commitment to protecting the green belt. The landowner
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We'll beat Rayleigh traffic bottleneck
COUNTY council plans to ease a notorious traffic bottleneck in the heart of Rayleigh have been welcomed. New traffic lights at London Hill are planned because of delays caused by motorists waiting for a gap in the traffic to pull out into Rayleigh High
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Five go for national glory
FIVE south-east Essex school boys will be aiming for English glory when they represent Essex at the national under-15 county championships this weekend. The quintet - Southend High School for Boys' Tom Elvidge and Liam Peoples, Westcliff High School
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Nikki ready to run for England
BASILDON Athletic Club's Nikki Twine will be travelling to the Czech Republic next week to represent England at the World Schools Cross Country Championships. Langdon Hills-based Twine will be travelling with her school, Coopers and Coborn Company,
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Horsham welcome Town for Queen Street finale
DESPITE the fact that both sides are all but mathematically out of the play-off race, a large crowd is expected in Sussex tomorrow afternoon when Horsham host Billericay Town. For the match will be the host club's last after 104 years at their Queen
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Boss Coventry is desperate for win
IN stark contrast to Lee Patterson's success since taking over at Braintree, his successor at East Thurrock, John Coventry, has endured a torrid time. The Rookery Hill outfit are deep in relegation trouble, second from bottom with four to go down. And
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Are you insured?
First published April 18, 2008 I'VE got a very outdated view of the insurance industry. It always conjures up an image of smartly-dressed middle-aged men in half-moon specs sitting hunched up over large leatherbound books. I imagine them checking
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Children sent off by housing association
A MOTHER has spoken of her anger after children were ordered to stop playing ball games on a communal green due to concerns over antisocial behaviour. South Essex Homes staff put up no ball games signs, claiming the children were acting antisocially
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This will stop the rats
RAT-INFESTED bushes have been cleared from outside a shopping parade. Basildon Council has got rid of all the bushes along verges opposite a row of shops and several parking spaces, in Station Lane, Pitsea. The action has delighted traders and residents
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Sticking with Tilly is the key
CARLISLE boss John Ward insists Southend United are reaping the rewards of sticking with manager Steve Tilson. "They have kept their management, they've kept it calm and they've got their rewards by coming back into the top six," he said. "They've spent
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Grays boss Woodward aims for top ten finish
GRAYS will look to add to the misery of relegation-threatened Northwich Victoria when they visit the Cheshire side tomorrow. The New Rec side, who had been enjoying great results since chairman Mike Woodward took nover the managerial hot-seat, saw their
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Barrett's Banter
WE NEED one more point to make sure of our play-off place but I still won't rule out us reaching the automatics. Until something is mathematically impossible you have to keep pushing for it. That's what we will do but we have to win at Carlisle tomorrow
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Captain Neill set to leave Irons?
WEST Ham captain Lucas Neill could leave the club in the summer, according to a report in the Australian press. The Melbourne Herald Sun speculated that the 30-year-old could be sold as Irons chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson seeks to trim the club's
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Parents’ chance to learn to surf
A WORKSHOP for parents on internet awareness is being held in Southend. Futures Community College is holding the event for parents to learn more about the advantages and pitfalls of their children using the internet. The meeting will also help parents
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Bright mosaic work for school’s entrance
THREE vividly-coloured mosaics have been created by a team of students to spruce up the front entrance of their school in Rochford. The ten A-level art students chopped up tiles and placed them in intricate patterns to give the entrance to King Edmund
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Smith quits as Labour leader
BASILDON Labour group leader Nigel Smith has quit as his party's boss. Mr Smith will not stand for re-election as leader of the group at its AGM on May 6. Mr Smith, 60, will remain a ward councillor for Lee Chapel North.
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Quick fixes don’t come cheap on A12
Cutting journey times along the A12 by just one minute would cost at least £10 million, an inquiry heard yesterday. The opening day of the independent A12 inquiry, chaired by former Department of Transport permanent secretary Sir David Rowlands, also
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Intelligent traffic lights for congestion hotspot
HIGH-TECH traffic lights will be installed at a Basildon congestion hotspot. Essex County Council will use the lights, which only turn red if traffic is approaching from the opposite direction, at the junction with the A127 and A132 at Nevendon, near
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Big John hunts first English belt
GRAYS heavyweight boxer "Big" John McDermott is hoping it will be third time lucky tonight when he goes for the vacant English title. McDermott has twice gone for heavyweight crowns but has been foiled both times. He lost in the first round of his British
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Yobs commit arson attacks
HOODED yobs are believed to have carried out arson attacks on a caravan and a garage. The first fire broke out at a garage in Queensway, Southend, after a car caught alight. Firefighters arrived at 11.10pm Thursday to find the flames had quickly spread
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Howard finally gets big chance
BASILDON boy Jay Howard is living the dream after being snapped up for the current American IndyCar Series. The 27-year-old, whose team's owners Marty and Margaret Roth have made an $7 million investment in his talent, retired with handling problems
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Hammers welcome back AJ
LAKESIDE Hammers welcome back their number one rider Andreas Jonsson for this evening's Elite League meeting with Peterborough at the Arena Essex Raceway. The Grand Prix star has been missing for a couple of weeks after sustaining hand and wrist injuries
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GIrls football at Billericay tonight
BILLERICAY Town's New Lodge ground will tonight play host to what is being extravagantly claimed will be "the best under-13s girls' match to be played in this country this season" Writtle Minors, the Essex League champions for the third consecutive
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Flood fears could hold up schools’ redevopment
THE redevelopment of two Canvey schools could be held up due to strict regulations on flood plains. A public consultation on the early stages of plans for the new Castle View School and a partial rebuild of Cornelius Vermuyden School began this week
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Flavs: Blues are in the play-offs already
BLUES goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan heads back to the scene of his first ever match for Southend United tomorrow, believing his side have already done enough to reach the play-offs. The Shrimpers shot-stopper made his Southend debut at Brunton Park back
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Strangler fails to have sentence cut
A MAN who strangled a work colleague for sexual kicks has failed to persuade judges his sentence was too harsh. Lee Newman, 36, formerly of Hillhouse Close, Billericay, was handed an indefinite sentence of imprisonment, after he was convicted of attempted
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Exploding rubbish fire
FIREFIGHTERS had to dodge exploding aerosol cans after rubbish was set alight. Three separate piles of rubbish bags were torched in Honeypot Lane, Basildon, at around 1am yesterday. Aerosol cans in the bags heated up in the flames and exploded, sending
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Royal Mail pulls out of planned warehouse on marshes
ROYAL Mail has confirmed it is no longer looking to build a delivery warehouse on Thurrock Marshes. The company had won planning approval for the construction of the warehouse and lorry park, covering an area the size of 15 football pitches. But a spokesman
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Let's bowl them over
BLUES centre back Peter Clarke hopes to bowl over Carlisle United tomorrow and secure his side's place in the play-offs. Steve Tilson's troops need just one point from their last three matches to make sure of a top six finish. And Clarke, who warmed
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Barrett: Don’t give Leeds any points back
BLUES captain Adam Barrett does not think Leeds United should be given back any of their deducted 15 points. The Elland Road outfit were given the penalty by the Football League for allegedly breaking competition rules on insolvency at the start of the
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Who do we think they are?
HOW well do you know the people who represent us? With the council elections approaching on May 1, we went out and about in Southend and Basildon to see how in tune people are with local politics and their MPs and councillors. Low voter turnouts in
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Cash for Fair Havens
FAIR Havens hospice is £800 better off thanks to the spring fair organised by lady members of Thorpe Hall Golf Club in Thorpe Bay. The Lady Captain, Sandra Goy, presented the cheque to Angela Clements from the Hospice appeal committee watched by many
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Do you want to be a WAG?
FILMING for a programme about real-life WAGs comes to Southend on Tuesday - and you could be a part of it. The Wedding TV channel is filming its second series of WAG's World and will be focusing on Angie Best, former wife of England legend George Best
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Chill out zone is a hit with youngsters
YOUNGSTERS have been playing pool and singing karaoke at a youth club in Southend. The Chill Out Zone has been catering for more than 40 kids aged up to 14 years old over the last few months. It became so popular that club bosses may even introduce
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Pensioners ‘missing out on benefits cash’
A CHARITY is trying to encourage more elderly people to claim all the benefits they are entitled to. Age Concern, on Canvey, has launched a More Money in your Pocket campaign to help pensioners who are missing out on a share of up to £4.6billion which
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New club for young adults to hang out
A CLUB for young adults has officially opened. The club for 18 to 25 year olds at Vange Community Centre, Vange Hill Drive, Basildon, will meet every Tuesday evening. Youth worker Ann-Marie Doyle explained the club was for "young-minded" adults, who
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Inquest into death of man in bridge crash
A MAN died after his broken down vehicle was hit by a speeding car on the QEII Bridge, an inquest heard. Dad-of-three Michael Lucas, 63, suffered multiple injuries on the A282 approach road to the bridge on May 4, last year. Yesterday, an inquest into
