CHRISTMAS cheer will truly be in the air when one of the festive season’s most familiar voices, Aled Jones, turns Basildon’s lights on tomorrow. The Welsh singer, best known for his boyhood rendition of Walking in the Air from festive favourite the Snowman
SEVENTY per cent of street lights in Basildon could be switched off between midnight and 5am as Essex County Council tries to save £10million. County Hall bosses have approached Basildon councillors about the blackout proposals after running successful
DETECTIVES investigating an armed hold-up at a petrol station are still hunting the raiders. The robbery happened at the Murco garage in London Road, Stanford-le-Hope at 12pm last Thursday. Two Loomis security guards, a man and woman, were delivering
HOSPITALS, councils and health trusts grappling with major service cuts will be squeezed even further next year as two tax rises come into force. The Government is increasing VAT by 2.5 per cent from the beginning of January, while employers will also
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy with a lucky streak discovered an incredibly rare religious artefact while learning how to use his grandfather’s metal detector. Little James Hyatt found the beautiful 16th-century gold reliquary pendant, used to hold religious relics
ANGRY residents have been left devastated after controversial plans to expand a tennis clubhouse were approved on appeal. Jubilation has turned to despair for people living in Elm Road, Hadleigh, after a Government planning inspector overturned Castle
WESTWOOD Karate Academy had a gold-rush in three major competitions. At the Shotokan World Championships in Portugal, which had competitors from 18 countries, eight of the 15-strong England squad were Westwood students. The squad won nine gold, eight
RECYCLING and adult social services should be protected against the spending axe, residents have told Southend Council. Almost 1,300 people responded to a questionnaire from the council asking their priorities as officials ponder cuts in response to
AN EXCEPTIONALLY gifted child has been finally diagnosed with autism and can get the help he needs following a four-year battle by his parents. The Echo stepped in to help little Zachary Lovett, six, when the NHS refused to fund a referral to Great Ormond
FRESH from his success of nine Doggetts carp last week, John Hanks returned to land another big fish. He drew a blank on his first night, but then had a very positive run and managed to net three times. On each occasion the fish responded with some
COUNCIL bosses are losing cash because visitor numbers are down at country parks. Basildon Council expects to be £34,000 down at the end of the financial year on its budgeted income from visitors to Wat Tyler Country Park, in Pitsea, the Wick Country
TEENAGERS are limbering up for a sponsored charity fun run in honour of a brave young boy who is fighting a debilitating illness. Pupils at Southend High School for Boys are organising the run on November 23, inspired by eight-year-old Leon Thorn, who
A PRIMARY school has been granted permission for a new children’s centre as part of a major expansion. Darlinghurst School, in Pavilion Drive, Leigh, has also been given the go-ahead for a single-storey extension to house three new classrooms and a nursery
TWO Southend swimming clubs are at loggerheads over the use of the borough’s sparkling new £13.5million Olympic pool. Swimmers from Southend Swimming Club refused to get in the water with their Borough of Southend Swimming Club (BOSS) counterparts
TWO south Essex companies have won major contracts to build at Southend Airport’s new £10million terminal. Arrico, based in Cricketer’s Way, Basildon, will be providing the wall cladding and roofing for the building, which is expected to be completed
ROCHFORD Hundred stayed top of the London Two North East table with an 18-16 win over Romford and Gidea Park. The tight and tense encounter saw Romford go ahead early on with two penalty kicks. But Rochford hit back and finally got themselves on the
KARREN Brady feels West Ham would be “weak minded” to axe under-fire manager Avram Grant now – and maintained the board must also shoulder their own share of the blame as the club battle to get off the bottom of the Barclays Premier League. The Irons
THERE were wins for Southend Swifts’ under 18 and under 16 boys sides, and two wins for the under 18 girls, but the under 13 boys suffered a narrow defeat. In the East Conference on Saturday, the under 18 boys had a 72-55 win against the Southend Scorpions
SOUTHEND United supporters have continued to express their shock at the impending departure of Geoffrey King as the club’s chief executive. As was exclusively revealed in yesterday’s Echosport, King is to move aside and concentrate on working
THE Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen and David Bowie - all legendary artists that have played some of the most iconic gigs in the history of popular music. But these household names have all played venues in south Essex over the course of their
SPORTING stars have been honoured at this year's Essex Sports Awards. The presentation ceremony at Mill Hall in Rayleigh saw several south east Essex based athletes walk away with trophies. Among the local winners on the night were David Hardman, Daniel
BASILDON returned to winning ways in London Three North East with a 29-16 home triumph over Norwich. Basildon had slipped off the top of the table following two successive league defeats. But they got back on track with a well deserved win at the weekend
ESSEX Pirates’ head coach Tim Lewis was left to reflect on what could and should have been after Saturday’s 70-58 defeat at home to the Glasgow Rocks. Pirates were leading at the half-time break and were still in contention right until the final few
MIKE Stanley continued his fine run of try scoring form to help Southend get back to winning ways with a 38-5 victory over Westcombe Park on Saturday. Fly-half Stanley touched down twice at Warners Bridge to take his tally to nine tries in five games
TABLE topping Westcliff made it nine wins out of ten with a 29-5 triumph over Letchworth Garden City. Westcliff went in front within the opening five minutes. Paul Radley put in a thunderous 70 metre sprint down the left wing to run round and score
A SLIP on his dismount from the pommel horse cost Max Whitlock a podium place at the finals of the DTB World Cup in Stuttgart, Germany. The 17-year-old had finished second out of 36 – behind reigning World Champion Krisztian Berki – in Friday’s qualifying
USED needles are being found at housing estates across Canvey, causing concern for parents. The needles are suspected to have been used by drug addicts and left dumped in fields and alleyways across the town. Areas where the needles have been found
A WOMAN was forcibly restrained by two robbers while they rifled through her handbag. The crooks struck in Benfleet High Road where one held her arms behind her back while the other ripped her bag from her shoulder. He rifled through the bag to take
ROADSIDE memorials for loved ones killed in car crashes could be taken down after two months. New details about the future of roadside memorials in the Basildon district have emerged in a report to councillors next week. The Basildon Council dossier
A WOMAN has admitted stabbing her ex-boyfriend several times as he was driving a car. Vicky Caskey had been due to stand trial for attempted murder at Basildon Crown Court yesterday. But Caskey of Miramar Avenue, Canvey, pleaded guilty to the lesser
OWNERS of legal traveller pitches are to be pursued by Basildon Council to find out why they are empty for much of the year. Campaigners say most of the 40 legal caravan pitches at Dale Farm, Crays Hill, are empty despite a dire shortage of
THE owner of Canvey’s Thorney Bay Park caravan site has taken Castle Point Council to court to challenge the number of homes he is allowed to site there. The council limited the number of static caravans to 1,200 under an updated licence issued in March
A WOMAN claims she had to cough up £928 after being clamped while helping a pregnant friend. Rebecca Duff, 20, had parked in front of flats at Priory Mews in Station Avenue, Southend, when LBS Enforcement pounced. She said she was helping
SWIMMERS took the plunge yesterday following the opening of Southend’s new £13.5million swimming pool. The facilities at Garon Park, Eastern Avenue, boast a 25m, eight-lane pool along with a children’s section which includes a water slide and a giant
ARMED police units across Essex are to be centralised into a single unit. Essex Police’s armed response vehicles are based with road policing units at Laindon and Stanway, but will be centralised in Boreham from December 1. Moves to
MACCLESFIELD Town finally ended their Roots Hall hoodoo to knock Southend United out of the FA Cup tonight. The Silkmen had lost all six of their previous visits to Blues. But they triumphed 5-3 on penalties in the first round FA Cup
