AMNESTY International is campaigning for the release of a foreign doctor jailed in his homeland soon after he visited south Essex in 2005. Basildon branch of Amnesty staged a demonstration in London this week to secure Kamal al-Labwani's release. Mr
THE family of a dog who was last seen causing havoc on the seafront are appealing for help in finding her. Dot, a crossbreed, escaped through the front room window of her home in Elizabeth Road, Southend, and took herself off down the street and to the
CHRONIC Fatigue Syndrome or ME has been dismissed in the past simply as fatigue. Sufferers will tell you, however, there's a lot more to the illness than feeling tired. The extreme exhaustion is often accompanied by an array of symptoms, ranging from
ANGRY drivers were left fuming about minor roadworks which caused major traffic hold-ups. The works on lights at a pedestrian crossing in Nethermayne, near Basildon Hospital, caused tailbacks from the Five Bells pub to Basildon town centre in both directions
A CONTROVERSIAL kissing gate installed to deter nuisance bikers has mysteriously disappeared. The Echo reported last week the £1,000 gate, installed a month ago in Dyke Crescent, Canvey, had sparked criticism from residents. People living nearby were
A GROUP of dedicated charity supporters marched the 13 miles around Canvey to raise money to help house some of the world's poorest people. Supporters of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, managed to raise more than £2,500 pounds during the
ESSEX motorists could soon be filling up with green fuels at the pumps if plans for a new biodiesel plant are successful. Sure Green Fuels and consultants Royal Haskoning have submitted plans to build an industrial-scale biodiesel and glycerine production
AN annual charity race in honour of a three-month-old girl who lost her fight for life could be under threat because of expensive red tape. Steve and Kay Kemp have organised the race on Canvey for 13 years in remembrance of their daughter, Nicola, who
A CANVEY secondary school launched its 50th anniversary celebrations in style with a 50s theme day. Students went to school dressed in 1950s clothing, had themed lessons, a special dinner and a disco after school. A time capsule was buried in the centre
CARNIVAL time could be returning to Rayleigh next year - after an absence of more than 50 years. The town's chamber of trade and commerce is hoping to revive the old tradition in an effort to bring more shoppers and visitors to the town. The chamber's
A DEFIANT cyclist says he has no choice but to break the law by riding on the pavement or risk his life on increasingly busy roads. Albert Howard, 85, who lives in the Amelia Blackwell residential home in First Avenue, Canvey, relies on his bike to get
HOMEOWNERS are preparing to get their hands dirty in an effort to tidy up a rundown part of town. People living around Warrior Square, Southend, have united to make their area a cleaner and safer place to live. The Residents of Warrior Square Association
Staff from Southend's branch of the NSPCC are calling on people to take part in the charity's annual Big Bike Ride. From June 29 to July 1, people from all over the country will take part in the ride to help raise money for the charity, which supports
The late Benfleet Aeromodelling Club was active in the late 50s and 60s. Mr Foley had a shop opposite the police station which sold Airfix kits. My husband and a group of friends, with Mr Foley as chairman, formed this club and met in the back room
A recent four-day visit to Disneyland Paris was an enlightening experience of the magical world of a genius whose talent had delighted millions of children the world over for many decades. This was an incredible world of make-believe, yet there was something
SOUTHEND Hospital has become a global front-runner in radiotherapy treatment, thanks to the installation of one of the biggest scanners in the world. Patients will benefit from the new large-bore computerised tomography (CT) scanner which can give doctors
ARSONISTS are believed to have caused the first grass fire of the year at Two Tree Island. Firefighters were called when people saw two teenagers using a lighter to set fire to the grass. Despite one of the witnesses chasing the boys, who are thought
I dropped my little girl a playschool and decided to take a walk with my baby son, so I could check if the new Fishmarket restaurant on Benfleet High Road had opened I was greeted by the busy chef and owner, who invited me in to have a look at the terrace
TWO Southend choirs are being given the chance to perform at the Royal Albert Hall. Southend Boys and Girls' Choirs will take part in the BBC Blue Peter Proms. Around 100 choir members aged from eight to 18 will sing in two concerts. They will be joined
SOUTHEND Council has managed to keep the cost of a consultation on the pier's future down to under £11,000 - by ditching consultants and using postcards instead. A few years ago, the authority paid consultants Deloitte and Touche £167,070 to come up
NEIGHBOURS spent a day with speed guns at the ready, clocking drivers breaking the law. The volunteers, from the Burges Estate Residents' Association and Thorpe Residents' Association, took part in a training exercise to encourage drivers not to break
A LANDMARK leisure centre planned for Southend seafront has cleared its final hurdle. Southend Council's planning officers have signed a final agreement with developer John Remblance for his multi-million pound Marine Plaza scheme in Marine Parade.
Your columnist Sally King asked where were the people with passion in politics. Several of them were out all day on Thursday, leafleting, knocking on doors and working to maximise the vote for their political party. The day's activity was not unusual
SOUTHEND has emerged as one of the most popular seaside resorts in the country, with foreign tourists flocking to the town in the summer. A study by bargain website lastminute.com ranks Southend the fifth most popular coastal resort for overseas visitors
Aubrey Stein's interpretation of of scientists' statements about global warming is wrong. What they have actually said for years, is that global warming is a natural phenemenon and there is no evidence man's contribution is other than minimal. As to
As the election agent for the UK Independence Party in Basildon, may I thank everyone who voted UKIP last Thursday. We are pleased with our results in our maiden attempt at winning representation to serve on Basildon Council. There will be those who
When Sir Richard Branson built his splendiferous fitness centre in Hadleigh he was allowed to do so only on condition that he he paid for the refurbishment of the public tennis courts in John Burroughs fields. Some might infer a kind of bribery here,
FROM humble beginnings, Southend Rugby Club has gone from strength to strength - and has now been commemorated for its historical significance. The club, now based at Warners Bridge Park, off Sutton Road, Southend, has unveiled a blue plaque to celebrate
A MORI poll voted Essex roads the best in the country (May 1). As a paramedic working in Southend and the surrounding district, I spend a large amount of time driving on these roads and would like to know where the voters visited to make this judgement
I sympathise with the residents of Wheatley Close, Rochford (May 3), about children playing ball and cycling, as it is a nuisance. We have the same problem where I live in Prittlewell, but where do the children play when there isn't an appropriate place
I have not got my knickers in a twist as Suzanne Edey (May 3) so elegantly puts it. I am simply concerned about what is happening to my country. In my letter to which Mrs Edey refers, I mentioned PC language and asked for a translation. Mrs Edey uses
A MUM has told how her 20-year-old daughter regularly risks her life searching for bombs in Afghanistan, with her trusty dog Sparky. Proud Marie Harris of Stokefelde, Pitsea, said she felt fear every day for Anna, a Lance Corporal who has been in the
IF the thought of exercise makes you want to yawn, then perhaps you should try going Japanese. Genki Aerodance is an unusual form of aerobics that will have you laughing off the calories if nothing else. It was devised by Japanese woman and Leigh resident
SINGERS are being sought to take part in a "scratch" performance of Handel's Messiah. Choristers from all over Essex are invited to sing with members of the Basildon Choral Society to raise money for local hospices, including St Luke's in Basildon and
IF the thought of exercise makes you want to yawn, then perhaps you should try going Japanese. Genki Aerodance is an unusual form of aerobics that will have you laughing off the calories if nothing else. It was devised by Japanese woman and Leigh resident
A giant bouncy castle will return to a Southend park at the end of the month. The event will be held at Priory Park from Tuesday, May 29, to Friday, June 1, and it will raise money for Southend Hospital's new Strokebusters Appeal for a state-of-the-art
A BRAVE cancer survivor is gearing up for a gruelling 1,000 mile bike ride the length of Great Britain. Peter Hall, 42, of Sutton Road, Southend will set off on the marathon ten-day expedition on Saturday, May 26 alongside his friend Rob Sollars. The
A MAN who suffers from a disease which causes muscle and other tissue to turn into bone has regained his independence thanks to a new minibus. Paul Sands has Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, which causes lumps to develop on his skin if he has a
A GENERATION has now grown up with Wat Tyler park, and the place occupies an affectionate spot in many lives and memories. So Basildon Council's plans for a facelift are a natural way to build on success. In particular, the introduction of a bigger restaurant
ECO-FRIENDLY to their last breath, Essex Green party activists want Canvey residents to take to bikes if the island is hit by a flood. This is supposedly to prevent traffic congestion. Being greens, however, the real reason is probably environmental.
CRAFTSMEN and businesses based in Wat Tyler Country Park fear a £5million revamp will force them out. Basildon Council wants to transform the Pitsea country park into a tourist attraction with a modern visitor centre including educational facilities
THE Government has been accused of "smoke and mirrors" over an apparently lost letter about plans for a mini-hospital in Basildon. Tory MP John Baron wants to know why a promised review of plans for a privately-run NHS treatment centre for patients failed
BASILDON crimefighters met with home office minister Vernon Coaker yesterday. The meet coincided with the release of the lastest figures, from the British Crime Survey, which claimed crime in the Basildon area had fallen by 18 per cent between December
TWO brothers who came from humble beginnings to amass a £500million fortune have dropped a place in the Asian rich list. Vijay and Bhikhu Patel, who were born in Kenya and own Waymade Pharmaceuticals, in Miles Gray Road, Basildon, are now only the third
A DRINK-DRIVER who ploughed into a group of teenagers has narrowly avoided being sent to jail. Peter Newton, 25, of London Road, Rayleigh, had a drunken argument with his girlfriend, then jumped into her Jeep and roared away from the front of their
HELPING people who are struggling to cope with a disability can be one of the hardest jobs in the world. The hundreds of people who come to Southend's Disability and information Advice Line every year are often at their wits' end, and need a shoulder
THE number of dangerous criminals on the run in Essex has soared. Police have confirmed 104 category A suspects have failed to turn up for their first court appearance - 24 more than listed in November last year. At that time, police said they were
PANCAKE-FLIPPING members of the clergy and a carnival court helped to make a fun day a success. St Margaret's Church, on the corner of London Road and Lime Avenue, Leigh, held a family fun day opened by Southend Carnival Court who then took part in events
A TAXI driver who was convicted of a series of sexual offences against a young girl failed to get his conviction quashed, despite claims he knew one of the jurors. Michael Kavanagh claimed a juror at his trial knew of him and possibly had a vendetta
LONDON marathon runners eased their blistered feet with bangers and burgers at a thank-you barbecue. The event, in the grounds of Little Havens Children's Hospice in Daws Heath Road, Thundersley, was attended by many of the 130 people who completed the
VANDAL-RESISTANT toilets have been installed in Benfleet as part of an ongoing council scheme. The toilets, in Richmond Avenue, are designed to reduce the possibility of vandalism by preventing more than one person gathering inside the facility. They
COMMON lizards are waking up after their hibernation and can be seen in most parts of the UK. Although there are plenty of them, you will need to look hard to spot one. They are well camouflaged - with olive-green, black, brown and yellow markings -
ONE of Southend's most prolific graffiti taggers has been jailed for three months. Nicholas Davison, 24, of the Meadway, Westcliff - who goes by the graffiti tag Nasty - was found guilty of vandalism in the Varsity Bar, Southend. Southend magistrates
A MUSICAL bed and a tube full of bubbles are the more unusual features of a new sensory room at a popular nursery. Rochford Day Nursery's new room is designed to help develop children's senses. The musical bed vibrates to the beat of a tune being played
A BILLION-POUND project to merge regional fire call centres in the East of England could have disastrous consequences, firefighters have warned. They say the money the Government wants to plough into creating a supersized 999 control room for the entire
A WOMAN has appeared in court charged with the murder of her adoptive mother. Tracy Clifton, 36, has been accused of murdering Hannah Phillips, 76, who had been reported missing three weeks ago. Clifton, who shared a home with her two-year-old son and
NEW Southend Council leader Nigel Holdcroft will be shaking up the cabinet as one of his first actions. At a meeting last night, Mr Holdcroft was selected as the new man in the top job after former leader Murray Foster lost his Prittlewell seat to Ric
SOUTHEND United assistant manager Paul Brush believes beating Manchester United was the worst thing that could have happened to the Shrimpers this season. A fantastic Freddy Eastwood free-kick saw the Seasiders secure one of the biggest upsets ever
SOUTHEND Rugby Club have received a double boost ahead of their first ever season in National League Two. For Seasiders coach Kevin Harman today confirmed that star centre Faapulou Soolefai has agreed a new one year contract with the club. And the
GOALKEEPER Lewis Ward has signed a two year scholarship with Ipswich Town. The Ashingdon based 16-year-old recently returned to Portman Road after a spell with Premiership giants Arsenal. And Ward is delighted to have been snapped up by the Tractor
AS birthday presents go, victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford and Premiership survival will do Mark Noble just fine. The West Ham midfielder - who turned 20 yesterday - can achieve both in one afternoon if the Irons can win at the home of
STAY up and next season could be something special, according to West Ham defender Lucas Neill. The Australian, who shocked the football world in January by turning down a move to Champions League finalists Liverpool to move to Upton Park, claimed
ESSEX will rest a number of first team regulars when they meet Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence in the three-day friendly that commences at Fenners this morning. In the absence of regular skipper Ronnie Irani and first-choice
BASILDON matchman Alan Busby took a tremendous 25-carp haul when he fished a feeder at Gloucester Park, with just a single bream adding variety. Busby was in fine form at the Basildon water and celebrated his comeback after a two or three-month layoff
VIDEO nasties of playground brawls have been removed from the internet after an Echo investigation. Films of frenzied fights between students as young as 11, which contain foul language and violence, have left parents stunned. Two playground punch-ups
