Archive
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Skills on show as new park is finished
TEENS have been showing off their best moves after an £8,000 refurbishment of Felmores skate park. Cash was spent on the park at Northlands Park after keen skaters and BMXers wore out the surfaces of the old ramps. Pitsea councillor, Kevin
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Floods haven’t put dampener on Hockley firm
LAST week’s flooding hasn’t stopped one business in Hockley from continuing to operate. DLA Computers, on Southend Road, filled with water just hours after closing for the day. Owner Derek Law closed the store at 1pm on Saturday while rain
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Carl Josey named as new Essex Leopards captain
CARL Josey has been announced as Essex Leopards’ new captain for the forthcoming campaign. Josey enjoyed a successful first season with the Big Cats last time around. And he is now aiming to achieve even more this term. “My focus is to
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Rayleigh rallies to the aid of flood victims
IT has been billed as the Blitz spirit, and the people of Rayleigh have been living up to that with their kind generosity in the wake of last week’s floods. The floodwater left many houses severely damaged, in turn destroying items such as carpets
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Kris Clark joins Essex Leopards
ESSEX Leopards have added American Kris Clark to their 2013/14 roster. The 6’2” tall guard played alongside Leopards’ player-coach Robert Youngblood at MK Lions in the 2011/12 season, averaging 11.2 points, 5.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds in the BBL
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New nature reserve proposal for island
AMBITIOUS plans are in the pipeline to create a new nature reserve on Canvey. Volunteers from the Canvey Wildlife Group are seeking permission to take over the management of an acre and a half of land, opposite the Waterside Allotments site, off
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Basildon Hospital 'failed patients' over Legionnaires'
A HOSPITAL which was criticised over high mortality rates failed to protect patients from a chronic and fatal legionella infestation, a court has heard. James Compton, 74, from Billericay, died in 2007, and Raymond Cackett, 54, from South Ockendon
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Lunch club facing closure on Canvey
A LUNCHEON club for older residents on Canvey could be forced to close due to a lack of volunteers. An urgent appeal has been launched by the charity Age Concern to recruit more people to run the Tuesday lunch service at the Paddocks Community
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Doctor says Southend stroke unit is best in the world
SOUTHEND Hospital should be designated as one of three specialist “super” stroke units for Essex, a senior doctor and councillor has said. Long-serving Westcliff GP Dr Marimuthu Velmurugan has called on the Essex Stroke Review Board to recommend
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Danny Heale still fuming at his 'lazy' Canvey Island team
DANNY Heale branded his Canvey players “lazy and not good enough” following their first 5-0 defeat for 25 years. The Gulls boss was fuming with his side in the wake of their humiliation at Bognor Regis on Saturday, although he revealed they had
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Public alert over bootleg Wonka Bar chocolate
FAMILIES and businesses are being warned about the dangers of bootleg chocolate. Essex Trading Standards team is reminding Essex businesses and residents about the danger of counterfeit food after they seized a batch of fake Wonka Bars at an unamed
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Skinny thief stole muscle gain powder from Westcliff shop
A SKINNY thief is being hunted by police after he stole muscle-building powder worth £50. The weedy suspect walked into Boots in Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, on Tuesday, August 6, at 11.05am. He was carrying an empty EE mobile phone bag which
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80 boy racers to appear in court
Eighty drivers have been summoned to a special court hearing for speeding offences connected to illegal street racing in Thurrock. 80 boyracers are being hauled before the court for alleged incidents of anti-social driving in an unprecedented move
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Canvey Island's Harrison Chatting is hoping his hat-trick will lead to return
HARRISON Chatting says he hopes to return to Canvey’s first-team fold after scoring a hat-trick for their reserves on Saturday. The winger played a big part in a 4-1 victory for the second string over their Southend Manor counterparts at the Prospects
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Conservatory order is the final straw
A WOMAN who is dealing with her husband’s terminal cancer says she has been ordered to tear down two conservatories behind her home. Janet Church, 53, said she was struggling to cope with the latest blow to hit her family–a demand she spends thousands
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Golf course homes vote delayed
A VOTE on plans to build 350 homes in Butts Lane, Stanford-le-Hope, has been put on hold for a month by Thurrock Council’s planning committee. Members decided they wanted to make a full site visit before voting on the detailed plans. Concerns
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Don Cowan released by Southend United
DON Cowan has been released by Southend United. The striker, who was on a month-to-month deal with the Shrimpers, has been allowed to leave by Phil Brown after picking up a thigh injury which was due to sideline him for at least a fortnight.
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Chris Green leg break is a huge blow to Southend Rugby Club
SOUTHEND Rugby Club’s Chris Green has been ruled out for the season after breaking his leg in his side’s final warm-up match against Rosslyn Park at Warners Bridge on Saturday. Green, who is also the Seasiders’ director of rugby, will soon have
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This sax man has got talent
HE blew Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan away, Simon Cowell described him as a “huge talent”, while Amanda Holden simply said “stunning”. Now sax man Julian Smith is kicking off his latest mini-tour in Great Bromley. It’s more than 20
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Benefits cheat ordered to repay £12k of handouts
A BENEFIT cheat from Rochford was ordered to pay back more than £12,000 he falsley claimed while having £32,000 in savings in the bank. John Bignold, 61, of Roche Close, pleaded guilty to four counts of making false statements to claim benefit
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Coach Paul Grayson issues Essex four-win challenge
ESSEX'S head coach Paul Grayson has challenged his team to win all four of their remaining games and give themselves a shot at promotion. Worcestershire arrive at the County Ground today, one point behind third-placed Essex, who have a match in
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I blamed medical condition for not losing weight
FOR 13 years, Lorraine Hammond thought the reason she could not lose weight was down to her underactive thyroid. Although the condition contributed to her being overweight, she has since gone on to prove she can drop the pounds. Just a few
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Hospital set to be sentenced over Legionnaire's
A HOSPITAL which failed to protect the public from the potentially fatal effects of Legionnaire's disease is due to be sentenced. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Basildon University Hospital under the Health and Safety at Work
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VIDEO: Luke's staying positive after missing out on X Factor spot
A SINGER and songwriter will have to “Think Positive” after he missed out on a spot in this year’s X Factor despite impressing the judges with his own song. Luke Britnell, 19, from Canvey, flew the flag for Essex as millions of people around the
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Man in court over Lloyds TSB robbery
A MAN has appeared in court, charged with robbing a bank by telling a cashier he had a gun in his bag. Gary Horn, 56, of Hainault Avenue, Westcliff, was freed on bail after yesterday’s hearing – but told he was not allowed to set foot inside any
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Focus on my music not on my weight - curvaceous chart-topper speaks out
SHE’S the gorgeous, curvaceous Dutch jazz singer who is dominating the music charts across Europe. Despite being hailed a retro pin-up, Caro Emerald admits that she feared she would be labelled “the fat girl” among her pop star contemporaries.
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Jackie’s star-struck time at chip shop
CHIP shop worker Jackie Hall has served a number of famous faces in her 37 years of service, but now she has flipped her final fish and retired. Jackie, 66, from Westcliff, worked her last shift at Oldhams chip shop on Saturday. Jackie has
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Countdown's Rachel Riley is favourite to win Strictly
COUNTDOWN maths boffin Rachel Riley has clocked up some impressive figures of her own after bookies installed her as favourite to win Strictly Come Dancing . She will take on the likes of Hairy Biker Dave Myers, fashion designer Julien Macdonald
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81-year-old disco fan to raffle her art
A DISCO-DANCING 81-year-old is using her skills with a brush to raise money for a cancer charity. On her upcoming 82nd birthday, Leigh artist Sheila Appleton will raffle a 2ft by 3ft acrylic painting of dancers at aTalk of the South reunion, which
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Fire at derelict Stambridge Mills
POLICE and fire will carry out a joint investigation following another fire at the derelict Stambridge Mills site. The warehouse and office block in Mill Lane, Rochford has been hit by several fires recently. Fire crews from Southend, Rochford
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£1,000 probe into who took photo of mobile phone gaffe
SENIOR Tories have defended Basildon mayor Mo Larkin after it emerged she ordered a council employee to find out who leaked an embarrassing picture of her. The £1,000 probe was launched after someone at Basildon Council leaked a photo of Mrs Larkin
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Flood delays start of school’s new term
A SCHOOL faces weeks of disruption and is unlikely to open in time for the new term tomorrow, after it was left in a mess by the floods on August 24. Glebe Infants School, Creswick Avenue, Rayleigh, suffered extensive water damage during the deluge
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Cyclist knocked to ground by red light jumper
A CYCLIST was knocked to the ground by a motorist jumping a red light on a level crossing. The cyclist approached the level crossing on London Road, Purfleet next to the station as the lights began to flash. A silver car, following the bike
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Woman in wheelchair fell on to rail track
PASSENGERS came to the rescue of a disabled woman after her wheelchair plunged on to the tracks at Southend Central rail station minutes before a train was due to arrive. The woman, in her seventies, was waiting on the London-bound platform when
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£44,000 of cannabis is found in armed raid at Southend industrial unit
ARMED police seized more than £44,000 worth of cannabis from a Southend industrial unit. Officers stormed the address on the building off Grainger Road, close to Short Street, and discovered 148 plants in various stages of maturity. A man was
