SHE has made up a thousand famous faces but now Sue Moxley has set her sights on beautifying the good old British public. The former model turned celebrity make-up artist from Aveley has teamed up with trained beauty therapist Cheryl Carter from Ramsden
A CHARITY keeping the community in touch over the airwaves is calling on keen runners to help boost its funds. Link Radio has places available for athletes to take part in next year's Flora London Marathon to raise money for its new appeal. The charity
TAX evaders watch out... Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs officers are about. Two officers from the Hidden Economy Team swooped on businesses in south Essex to ensure they were "inside" the tax system. It is the job of senior officer Caroline Benbrook
FESTIVE hampers will be distributed to the most deprived areas of Southend - to ensure everyone has a proper Christmas feast. The 50 grocery parcels will be distributed to needy families and individuals by Southend Rotary Club, with the help of Asda
SOUTH Essex will have to find an extra 185 official traveller caravan pitches if new regional government proposals are accepted. If the recommendations are approved by ministers, Basildon would bear the brunt, taking 81 new pitches - enough to accommodate
A BUSINESSMAN is about to clinch a £32million deal for the sale of a well-known mobile home park on Canvey. Jack King, who has built up Kings Park over the past 48 years, is said to be poised to sign a deal with Britannia Parks, which currently has nineteen
THE last major domestic event on the 2007 calendar, the men's Artistic British Championships, finished with a seasonal sackful of medals for South Essex Gymnastics Club. In the under-12 competition 2006 champion Brinn Bevan successfully retained the
POLICE smashed down a front door during a raid on the home of suspected drug dealers - but found nothing. Officers surrounded the house in Frettons, Basildon, at the front and back as they forced their way in to search for illegal substances. Once inside
A COUPLE have told of three and a half years of misery at the hands of a group of travellers living within an illegal campsite around their home. David and Jill Walsh, of Hovefields Avenue, Wick-ford, have logged more than 230 incidents and have now
FORMER sub-postmaster and Belfairs' new captain Alan Gribbon stamped his authority on the club's annual turkey trot competition with a first class score of 42 Stableford points to take first prize. Recently appointed president Dave Smith also took
A BUSINESSMAN has moved his garage to a neighbouring site he previously branded unsuitable. Ray Ride is a director of Quick Fix, which has moved from 3 Runwell Road, Wickford, to the adjoining site formerly occupied by national garage chain Kwik Fit.
THE British National Party has been accused of hypocrisy for attacking the standards of education in a leaflet littered with spelling mistakes. Scores of leaflets, aiming to pick up support for the far-right party in south Essex, were posted to households
RAWRETH B overcame Lentern B 7-2 in the Premier Division of the Southend and District Table Tennis League with a hat-trick from Andrew Halling inspiring the victory. The last game of the evening saw Lentern's Les Taylor win a hard-fought encounter
KING'S caravan park on Canvey is poised to be sold. We wish owner Jack King a happy retirement after 48 years of running the park, and offer a suggestion as to how that retirement could happily be spent. Why not take up caravan touring? After so many
THERE can be few people who have not been affected by the rise in oil prices. One campaign group, Transaction 2007, plans to take its concerns beyond mere words. A blockade of the Coryton oil refinery may form part of its action programme. Transaction
TWO pubs in the heart of Leigh which have applied for new outdoor drinking licences to keep up with the smoking ban have faced their first obstacle. Leigh Town Council opposed plans for a year-round outdoor drinking licence at the Sarah Moore pub, in
CANVEY Town Council's new offices could finally be open for business next month. Councillors' search to find a suitable premises has taken longer than originally hoped, after initial plans to take over the former Woolwich building in the town centre
A RETIRED man has been sentenced to 100 hours unpaid work after admitting theft. Arthur Murray, 63, of Grange Avenue, Wickford, appeared at Basildon Crown Court after pleading guilty to stealing various items from a shop and two charity shops in Brentwood
RESIDENTS are being urged to become lifesavers. A recruitment drive has been launched to find volunteers who can support the ambulance service and attend life-threatening incidents, particularly in Grays, Stanford-le-Hope and Corringham. The self-funded
WEST Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has stepped down and sold his five per cent stake in the Premier League club. Hammers' owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has bought Magnusson's shareholding to become the Irons' club chairman and executive chairman. Magnusson
High tides for Monday December 17 are at: 0407 and 1659 High tides for Tuesday December 18 are at: 0504 and 1802 High tides for Wednesday December 19 are at: 0612 and 1907 High tides for Thursday December 20 are at: 0719 and 2011 High tides for
A FAMILY has been made homeless weeks before Christmas after smouldering candles set their home alight. The family-of-four were out when their detached home in Thorpe Leas, Canvey, caught fire at 1.50pm yesterday. Half of the property caught fire and
A WATER company has announced a long-awaited £2.1million scheme to fix a leaky sewer which has flooded homes in Hadleigh. Residents on the Westwood estate had feared delays in repairing a leaky sewer had left their homes vulnerable to flooding with waste
THIEVES stole a pensioner's handbag after conning their way into her home. The woman, 78, of Armada Close, Laindon, opened the door to a man who claimed he had been asked to call on behalf of the landlord. The pensioner let him in and left him in her
Can someone please explain to me why our councillors seem to think if a building is over a certain age it needs to be pulled down and replaced, preferably with some kind of monstrosity? Since becoming an adult. I have seen local councillors agree to
Who on earth is Len Lierens to deny his own history? (Letters, December 6) Does he live in a cultural vacuum, without respect for the past? The "Saxon King" may only have been a tribal leader, but he was still someone of note. We're in the time of Beowulf
I am really pleased to see something is going to be done about litter. I am sorry to say though, some of the comments passed by the younger generation and printed in the Echo made me angry. Don't get me wrong. They are entitled to their point of view
Give the staff in our local newsagents a medal! Every day I buy my papers at about the time senior school kids are going to school. How I pity those who work in newsagents. Signs limiting the number of kids in the shop are ignored. They keep their hoodies
It never ceases to amaze me the depths to which Rochford District Council can plummet. If it can make our lives more unpleasant, that's the route it will take, be it hiding spy cameras in dustbins, covering pretty towns with ugly, oversized flats or
At Pitsea cemetary, the council is saying people need to remove wind chimes and ornaments on loved ones graves. I think this is wrong. My Dad was buried there more than 24 years ago. My mum had to pay for that plot, so I don't see we should remove anything
My doorbell rang and as I opened the door, three children aged between five and 10 burst into song: "We wish you a merry Xmas, we wish you a merry Christmas...". I said to them: "That's not a proper carol - sing me some carols," to which they replied
I understand why Vic York is disappointed Basildon development control committee did not consider alternative plans to make access to Laindon School development site via Archer Road instead of the High Road. Councillor Dornan has been arguing for the
I have just seen Snow White, the Christmas pantomime at Basildon's Towngate Theatre. It was an excellent show with an excellent cast. The staff running the theatre work extremely hard and their great efforts should be rewarded with good publicity.
It is commonsense and accepted business practise to sell of the asset that is losing the most money (No to Sports Village, Echo, Dec 4). In view of this, what justification does councillor Hedley have for selling Markhams Chase to property developers
A HEADTEACHER fears for the safety of pupils if a lollipop lady is not replaced. Sylvia Rallis, 68, has been patrolling the zebra crossing outside Quilters infant and junior schools, in Billericay, for 25 years. However, nobody is yet willing to take
SOUTH Essex MPs have made a plea to save local post offices. An announcement on the future of branches across Essex is due to be made today. Rayleigh MP Mark Francois and Billericay MP John Baron met Post Office Minister Pat McFadden to plead for branches
Big Ben strikes again - Ben Preston, 19, displays his first place trophy after winning the Essex Championship's senior 100 metres freestyle title in a time of 54.42 at Blackshots Pool in Grays. Preston, who lives in Benfleet, swims for the Rochford and
ALTHOUGH it affects around two per cent of the population psoriasis remains a mystery to many. Yet it is one of the most common skin conditions and occurs when the skin cells replace themselves too quickly during their normal renewal process according
SOUTHEND United manager Steve Tilson will have a personal message for 1,500 Blues fans later today. For communications provider Relay Station are helping Southend United become the latest club to adopt its voice broadcasting technology and services
TEENAGE goalkeeper Jack Buckfield could be the latest Billericay Town star to make the move into the Football League. Almost a year ago striker Nathan Elder switched to League One Brighton and, in the summer, highly-rated midfielder Chris Whelpdale
SOUTHEND United's under-18 coach Ricky Duncan is keen to see the FA Youth Cup bring the best of his side again tomorrow night when Premier League Derby County visit Roots Hall, kick off 7.30pm. The young Shrimpers have surprisingly struggled so far
ALAN Curbishley was an angry man after seeing Yakubu fire Everton into the Carling Cup semi-finals at the expense of his West Ham side at Upton Park. The Irons manager blamed referee Mark Halsey for failing to spot a foul on striker Dean Ashton in
SOUTHEND United's Alan McCormack is hoping to give table-topping Swansea City the needle this weekend. The midfielder is fighting to be fit to face the Welshmen after hobbling off with a hamstring problem during Tuesday night's 3-0 FA Cup triumph over
PANTOMIME parties for children will be held at libraries across south Essex. The events, organised by Essex County Council, will enable children to test their knowledge of fairytales, listen to silly versions of well-known stories and enjoy a range of
A BOY who worked hard to shed his troublesome ways has been rewarded for his positive change of attitude. Harry Maskell was lost for words when he received a Christmas present of a Nintendo Wii console. Harry, ten, from Canvey, was deemed to have earned
THE sudden departure of Thames Gateway chief executive Judith Armitt has prompted renewed attacks on the multi-billion pound regeneration scheme. Judith Armitt left her post less than two weeks after Prime Minister Gordon Brown launched a £9billion delivery
A HAIRDRESSERS is hoping to spread some Christmas karma by returning a soggy present found in the street. Staff at Karma in Leigh Road, Leigh, stumbled upon the festive gift after it was dropped outside their shop. It contained a framed photograph
A JUNIOR school has won international recognition for its efforts in forging a relationship with students in Africa. Buttsbury Junior School in Norsey View Drive, Billericay, has landed itself the prestigious British Council International Schools Award
A mum-of-two from Westcliff believes identity fraudsters are rifling through her household recycling sacks. Caroline Smith, 36, of St George's Park Avenue, Westcliff, put out her recycling earlier this week and noticed one of the bags had been taken
THE sound of Christmas carols filled the air as pupils at William Edwards School and Sports College, Grays, performed in their annual concert. The Year 7 choir sung Jingle Bells and Away in a Manger, and there were several solo performances by
A TORY MP has highlighted a loophole in a new planning Bill which could lead to more building on green belt land. The Government has said brownfield sites, which had previously been used for industrial purposes, should be identified and used before green
FIREFIGHTERS tackled a fire which broke out due to faulty electrics in a bungalow wall. The owner of the bungalow in Oxford Road, Ashingdon, was putting expanding foam into the wall when it caught fire at 9.30pm on Wednesday. Firefighters had to pull
CONCERN is growing for a pensioner who has disappeared from his sheltered accommodation in Shoebury. Joseph Brooks, 71, went missing from his home in Eagle Way on Sunday, December 9, and has not been seen since. He is described as white, 5ft 6ins tall
A JURY in the trial of a chauffeur accused of inflicting grevious bodily harm by driving recklessly is expected to retire today to consider its verdict. Paul Prior, 38, claimed he has no recollection of the crash which left physiotherapist Cate Stephens
SOUTHEND Lawn Tenn-is Club has been sold to a mystery individual. The club, in Broadclyst Gardens, Thorpe Bay, was sold for £275,000 at auction by Savills. The estate agent said it could not reveal the buyer's identity, but would only say the man was
PASSENGERS on Arriva Buses will have to do a double take when they see Batman and other superheroes behind the wheel. Eight drivers are dressing in costumes between Monday, December 17, to Friday, December 21, to raise money for the Sands charity, which
NEW pitched roofs at Bullwood Hall Prison will improve security, according to a Ministry of Justice submission to Rochford District Council. The council's development control committee will be asked on Tuesday to approve the new roofs over existing flat-roofed
Millions of pounds of cost savings may not been enough to stave off cuts, Essex County Council has warned. A report to yesterday's council cabinet meeting said bosses had managed to slash spending by £36 million through making services more efficient
A CHARITY pampering night featuring topless soldiers proved a smash hit with the ladies. The Just for Girls event organised by Canvey Junior School's PTA raised £1,400. More than 200 women went along to the event at the Long Road school site to enjoy
PARTY games, magic tricks and a special meeting with Santa put youngsters in the festive mood during a charity bash. Eighty children went along to the annual Christmas party on Canvey, helping to raise more than £900 for Little Havens Children's Hospice
A hundred members of a popular club for the handicapped enjoyed a Christmas dinner and dance with their carers. The Phoenix club put on the event at the Paddocks in Long Road, Canvey. Members were treated to turkey with all the trimmings followed by
Members of the Canvey Ladies' Luncheon Club enjoyed a pre-Christmas meal at the Oysterfleet Hotel on Canvey.
THE latest plans to develop a controversial site in Rayleigh with a block of flats could finally win approval. The scheme for the site of 8 and 10 Weir Gardens is for a two-storey block of 14 flats fronting on to the access road for the Brook Road industrial
A MAN has admitted conning people out of thousands of pounds by pretending to be a landlord. Mohammed Arif, 34, of Saxondale Gardens, Shoebury, pleaded guilty to six charges of fraud totalling £4,975 between July 27 and August 1 this year. His partner
