Archive
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Borough’s soaring recycling rates praised
THE success of recycling across the borough is due to be discussed by councillors today. Residents in Basildon, Billericay, Wickford, Laindon and Pitsea have continued to increase the amount of glass, plastics and cardboard they recycle. It
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Southchurch to host first hate crime convention
SOUTHCHURCH will host Southend’s first Hate Crime Convention, aimed at raising awareness of the issue among people with learning disabilities. The event will take place at the Plaza Centre in Southchurch Road, and is being jointly hosted by Southend
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Beach shower gets go-ahead
CONCORD beach’s first shower will be installed after councillors overruled their own officers to push through the scheme. The plans to build the £13,000 beach shower had been thrown out by Castle Point Council’s development control committee earlier
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Your chance to grab a £10,000 grant from the Echo
THE Echo’s parent company is offering as much as £10,000 to Essex charities and organisations looking to carry out community projects. The cash is the latest in a long line of grants offered by the Gannett Foundation, part of the parent company
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Come and celebrate Wickford library's half century
LIBRARY staff are throwing a party to celebrate the centre’s 50th anniversary. The building in Market Road will be 50 years old on Wednesday, September 18, with staff organising a day of activities to take a trip down memory lane. Staff have
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Biker in hospital after seafront collision
A BIKER has been taken to hospital following a collision with a taxi outside the Kusaal in Southend. It is believed the incident, which occurred around 6pm on Southchurch Avenue, happened after a blue Toyota AC Radio Taxis car was pulling a u-turn
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VIDEO: QE2 Bridge closed after major security alert
A MAN has been arrested after a major security incident on the QE2 Bridge at Dartford. The bridge and tolls have now been closed for three hours and the M25 is in total chaos. A suspicious package has been found. Police have also now closed
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Relays medal rush at final day of Essex Championships
SOUTHEND AC’s girl sprint teams were in dominant form at the final day of the Essex Championships at Colchester. The day was predominantly taken up with relay events with steeplechase titles also decided. And it was in the relays that the Southend
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25 jobs to be created by new bank
TWENTY-FIVE new jobs are to be created as a new bank is set to open a branch in Basildon town centre. Metro Bank, which is the first new retail bank to open in the UK in the past 100 years, hopes to open a branch in the former Barclays bank building
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BMX stars in Benfleet this weekend
BMX stars will compete in Benfleet this weekend. Legacy XS will hold a BMX Jam on Sunday, in Richmond Park. Professionals will perform for crowds and there will be a chance to take home a cash prize. Doors open at noon, with competitions
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Twelve year-old boy struck by car
A CANVEY road was closed for over an hour after a 12 year-old boy was struck by a car. Police shut Long Road to clear the scene and carry out initial investigations following the collision, which took place at 3pm. The road re-opened at around
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Calls made for derelict mill to be demolished following latest blaze
ANOTHER fire at a derelict mill has prompted calls for it to be demolished, sooner rather than later. Rochford council leader Terry Cutmore spoke out after the latest blaze at Stambridge Mills empty warehouse and offices in Mill Lane, Rochford.
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Woman fights off would-be robber in Westcliff attack
A WOMAN fought off a would-be robber who attacked her in broad daylight in Westcliff this morning. The 42-year-old victim was in the alley which runs from The Ridgeway to Chalkwell Avenue at about 8.20am when a man approached her from behind,
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Car rolls over after Shoebury crash
A car rolled over after a crash in Shoebury. The orange Fiat was left on its side in Ness Road after it collided with a blue/silver Ford Mondeo between Trafalgar Road and the roundabout.
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Blow for Wickford park revamp
PLANS to kickstart a £1million revamp of Wickford’s Memorial Park stalled after councillors rejected proposals. Basildon Council revealed earlier this summer it planned to spruce up the park, in Rettendon View. Under the proposals – and using
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Woman seriously injured in attack by teenage girls
A WOMAN was seriously hurt after two teenage girls punched, kicked and stamped on her. The 29 year-old fell to the floor unconscious and was left with a swollen face and bruises across her body following the unprovoked attack in Wickford High Street
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Benfleet Ladies seal their seventh straight Essex Way title
CLUBS took part in one of the more intriguing races on the county calendar – the Essex Way Relay. The race is split into 10 legs – varying in length between 5.3 miles and 11.2 miles – along the 81 miles of the Essex Way, from Epping to Harwich.
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Levi Causton and Michael Shields win bronze medals at English Championships
BASILDON AC’s young hammer thrower Levi Causton produced the throw of his life so far to win his first national medal. The Castle View pupil, from Canvey, launched the hammer 54.19m to just edge out his local rival Billy Praim-Singh, of Southend
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VIDEO: Air ambulance in dramatic landing for man trapped in car smash
A MAN was left fighting for his life after his car smashed into a tree in Southend. The man, in his twenties, was airlifted to the trauma centre at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, with serious head injuries after a silver Golf collided
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Nethermayne blocked by four-car crash in Basildon
MOTORISTS can expect delays in the Nethermayne area of Basildon after a four-car crash blocked the carrigeway heading into the town centre just after 1pm today. Emergency services, including paramedics and police, are currently on the scene.
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Police arrest two people after £12,000 glasses theft at Southend Boots store
POLICE have made two arrests following the theft of glasses from Boots the Opticians in Southend. A 59-year-old woman and 69-year-old man from London were arrested by officers from Kent Police following an incident in Boots in King Street, Maidstone
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Fatal crash showed me the need for speed cameras
A CAMPAIGNING councillor has spoken of the importance of speed cameras after he witnessed a young man being cut from the wreckage of a fatal crash. Peter May, Canvey Independent Party member, was one of the key figures who campaigned for the £700,000
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Library books are on the move
THE huge task of packing up and moving 85,000 books to Southend’s new £27million library is under way. Southend Central Library, in Victoria Avenue, closed on August 17 to allow time for the transfer of stock to the Forum in Elmer Square. Specialist
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VIDEO: Relive the clipper round the world yacht race start from Southend
A FLEET of 12 ocean racing yachts set off from Southend Pier to take part in the world’s longest race - watch the video here.
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Southend United's Mark Phillips: I'm desperate to be involved against Morecambe
IT’S been incredibly frustrating for me not be able to play the last few matches and I’m desperate to be involved against Morecambe tomorrow as we look to get back to winning ways. I enjoyed a good pre-season and was looking forward to taking that
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Firm to invest £1.3million in Basildon
A MAJOR expansion has been announced by a Basildon business which is growing on the back of the rise of discount stores such as Aldi and Lidl. Rowan International is investing £1.3million to expand operations at its site in Endeavour Drive.
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Top Tory 'forgot' to pay his council tax
VETERAN councillor Bill Sharp defaulted on council tax payments 18 times, and only paid his latest bill after being summonded to court, the Echo can reveal. The former Castle Point Council leader was due to appear before magistrates over a council
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Firefighters consider national strike action
FIREFIGHTERS are preparing to go on strike on September 16 and 17, in a row over pensions, it has been revealed. A leading member of the Essex Fire Authority says 40 fire engines could be in service across the county on the strike days, down from
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Ryan Leonard out to help Southend United secure first ever victory against Morecambe
RYAN Leonard is desperate to help Southend United finally secure their first ever victory against Morecambe at Roots Hall tomorrow. The Shrimpers have suffered five defeats and one draw in the six previous meetings between the two teams. And
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Demolition starts on youth centre
WORK has started to strip out and demolish a former youth centre in Leigh which is earmarked for redevelopment. The ageing building at the back of Leigh Community Centre, in Elm Road, closed at the end of July and forms part of a development plan
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Police election winner spent £36,000 on campaign
ESSEX police and crime commissioner Nick Alston spent more than £36,000 in the four weeks leading up to last November’s election. Mr Alston, who won the seat for the Conservative Party, spent three times as much as second-placed Independent candidate
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Southend Rugby Club skipper James Kellard expecting tough opening test against Dings Crusaders
JAMES Kellard knows Southend will be in for a tough start to their National Two South season at Dings Crusaders tomorrow, but the new Seasiders skipper still hopes they will be able to come out on top. The summer signing will be captaining Southend
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Governors take legal advice over Deanes School closure
THE chairman of governors at Deanes School, Thundersley is taking legal advice about the decision by Essex County Council to close the school. Ian Rudd spoke for the first time about the “bewildering situation” the school is in. Parents, pupils
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Great place for a hearty meal in a rustic setting
HALL FARM CAFE AND RESTAURANT, CHURCH ROAD, STRATFORD ST MARY. 01206 323600 APPEARANCES can be deceptive, as proved to be the case with Hall Farm. I’d driven past it many a time presuming it was just a farm shop and simple cafe.
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Southend United's Mark Phillips set for return against Morecambe
MARK Phillips looks set to return to Southend United’s clash with Morecambe at Roots Hall tomorrow. The 31-year-old centre-back has missed Blues’ last three games with a groin problem. But, with the on loan Adam Thompson on international duty
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Broken down van causes tailbacks
A BROKEN down van is causing tailbacks on the A130/A127 roundabout. Queues go back as far to the South Woodham junction of the southbound A130.
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Flood-hit school re-opens after major clean-up
A SCHOOL, which was unable to open at the start of the autumn term because of flood damage, has opened again. Children are now back at Glebe Junior School, Rayleigh. Headteacher Sam Warner, who has spearheaded a massive clean-up operation with
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Today, I become a real-life princess
A WOMAN’S dreams of becoming a real-life princess will come true today when she marries the prince of a tiny republic off the Essex coast. Charley Rae Holgate, 24, a nurse at Southend Hospital who lives in Leigh, will wed the Prince of Sealand,
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Exclusive - Was woman in wheelchair pushed on to train line?
POLICE are investigating the possibility an elderly woman in a wheelchair was deliberately pushed on to a railway line at Southend, minutes before a train was due along. The British Transport Police are appealing for information about the incident
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Reluctant rock star - I never expected band to make it big, says Bastille frontman ahead of Cliffs gig
BASTILLE’S debut Bad Blood was released in March of this year and promptly went to the top of the album charts. It’s the 10th best-selling album of the year so far. An impressive stat – even more so when you consider the only artists to sell more
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Sorry if I offend, but food is my passion, says Jamie Oliver
ESSEX-BORN chef Jamie Oliver is once again courting controversy in his quest to educate the nation about cooking. The dogged food fanatic talks to Hannah Stephenson. No sooner does Jamie Oliver’s latest cookbook hit the shops, than the Naked Chef
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Basildon Hospital rated ninth best in country for its cancer care
A LEADING charity has praised Basildon Hospital for making huge improvements to cancer services over the past year. Macmillan Cancer Support used research compiled by the NHS to create a league table of hospital performance in England. Basildon
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Worried residents set up speed watch group
ANGRY residents fed up with speeding cars on roads near their homes and businesses can finally take action against the menace. A new community speedwatch scheme has been set up to catch dangerous drivers at the junction of High Road and Jotmans
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Southend United manager Phil Brown backing Cauley Woodrow for bright future after signing on loan from Fulham
PHIL Brown is certain Cauley Woodrow faces a bright a future in the game. And the Southend boss is looking forward to seeing the young Fulham front-runner flourish during his loan spell after being impressed by him in training. “Cauley has
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REVIEW: THE BUTTERFLY LION Gwen’s brilliant and production is just gorgeous
ANIMALS are always a pretty good way for tugging at those heart strings. Make that animal a lion with a kind heart, rescued by a boy with an even kinder one, throw in the horror of the First World War and a love story as well, and you have the
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Traders back airshow plan
SEAFRONT traders have backed plans to bring back the revamped Southend Airshow next September. Businesses along Southend seafront have given their approval to volunteers bringing back the crowd-pleaser, which was axed by Southend Council to save
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Strike could close every school in Essex
EVERY secondary school in Essex will close for a day when teachers go on strike next month, a leading union has warned. Members of the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers will strike
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Airport car park plan set to be refused again
A PLAN by two neighbours for a 100-space car park for airport passengers in their back gardens is set to be thrown out for a second time. Planning officers have recommended Southend Council refuse Steve Murray and Jim Peacock’s plan for a car park
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Sunrooms in Southend to close down after 20 years
ONE of Southend’s landmark alternative clubs is closing down. The Sunrooms, in Market Place, will close on Saturday, September 21, after 20 years of hosting big-name DJ’s and bands. Headline acts included Scroobius Pip, who ran his regular
