POLICE have charged two men with the murder of a cleaner in a Southend bar last summer. John Murray, 64, from Southend, was found lying unconscious with serious head injuries inside the locked Sunrooms bar, in Market Place. Police officers found him
WITH triathlon likely to be one of the showpiece sports of the 2012 London Olympics, there is an increasing interest in the sport. With that in mind, East Essex Tri Club are staging a training event on Sunday, February 24, at Sweyne Park School, Rayleigh
PHOENIX Swimming Club's latest venture involved a trip across the Thames to Maidstone in Kent where no less than 19 medals were brought home. And 22 county qualifying times were achieved at the host club's annual sprint event. Kathryn Pearse, 11, took
COUPLES can soon tie the knot at Castle Point Council's headquarters, with a register office set to open within weeks. Essex County Council is about to sign a lease allowing an office for the registering of births, marriages and deaths to open in the
A MAN was shocked to find his home had been burgled while he was at his twin sister's funeral. John Robertson, 48, of Keegan Place, Canvey, had travelled to Bethnal Green, London, for the funeral of his sister, Valerie, who died from blood poisoning.
DESPITE suffering nagging abdominal pain since a teenager, nothing prepared Nikki Stevens for the revelation she had a tumour the size of a melon growing from her liver. She was even more shocked to discover she had four other smaller tumours in the
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to stop a beauty spot being turned into a housing estate have suffered a setback. Developer Gleeson Homes has appealed to the Government because the council has failed to decide its Barn Hall application in time. The firm wants
AN appeal to improve the appearance of one of Canvey's most historic buildings has received a £50,000 boost. The Heritage Centre, in Long Road, has been given the cash by the Veolia ES Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust to help with a planned facelift for
PENSIONERS have demanded better bus services, complaining cuts to transport subsidies have left them stranded in their homes. Southend and District Pensioners' Campaign held a special meeting to question Anna Waite, Southend councillor responsible for
THORPE Bay IV did their promotion hopes a power of good after beating rivals Rayleigh II 4-1 in Men's Division Two. The five points Thorpe gained allowed them to overtake Rayleigh in the Leigh & Westcliff LTA winter competition and open up a three-point
LLOYD Scott is celebrated for completing the London Marathon in such heavyweight gear as a suit of armour. Inevitably, he completes the course very, very slowly, and always arrives last at the finishing post. Lloyd has turned to Laindon sculptor Aden
SOUTHEND Council is paying out £2million towards the planned new Southend Airport station. The money has been earmarked for this project for some years, so there is no question of funds being taken away from other public services. Nevertheless, the
A FAMILY left homeless by fire have suffered a double heartbreak after burglars stole £3,000 worth of goods from their flat. The thieves took jewellery, games consoles, a Compaq laptop, home-made DVDs and a TV from the ground-floor flat in Market Avenue
THE STANFORD-Basildon nine-ball cup will take place this Saturday. The clash, which will take place at Riley's in Stanford, sees the six best players from both Basildon and Stanford Rileys clubs facing each other. This will be the second meeting between
ONE of south Essex's best known independent bookshops is closing after more than 60 years in business. Grindley's Bookshop, in Leigh Broadway, which was established by Elsbeth Grindley in 1945 and later jointly run by her three children, is set to close
A SCHOOL has been forced to spend £200,000 on temporary buildings to help cope with growing pupil numbers and their desire to study more subjects. Southend Council has given the cash to Shoeburyness High School to bring in three portable classrooms on
WESTCLIFF Hardcourts' ladies' team have made the third round of the Essex LTA's Harry Brickwood Cup following a second round win over Whitehall. The winning team comprised Karen Poole, Fiona Stone, Sue Hookway, Dawn Handelaar, Sue Blackshaw & Linda Vaughan
MOTORISTS had to be diverted after a tank of diesel fell off a lorry in a Basildon road. The red Daf lorry shed its load while travelling along Miles Gray Road yesterday afternoon, causing diesel to pour out on to the road. Police were quick to the
POLICE are anxious to speak with two girls who could have been the last people to see a man before he was hit by a train and killed. The body of Michal Elwertowski, 21, from Canvey, was found lying 40m from the tracks at Southend East train station in
A FIRE chief explained how his crews had to wear specialised "gas-tight suits" to tackle a chemical spillage at Tilbury Docks. A six-metre containerised tank, carrying 22,000 litres of sodium methylate, a flammable and corrosive chemical, fell off the
SOUTHEND Council will pay out £2million towards a new rail station at the town's airport, it has been revealed. The cash comes from a reserve fund, set up when the land which is now the airport business park was sold-off. The council agreed at the time
BROTHERS Tom and Ed Pudney, who are members of Garons Tennis Academy and Thorpe Bay tennis club, have been selected for LTA Eastern Region training squads following recent successes. Ten-year-old Tom has won five of his six Essex winter series matches
BASILDON Council is planning a series of new measures to combat vandalism which is costing it £500,000 a year. The council will soon vote on plans to clamp down on vandals plaguing local neighbourhoods. Last April, the Echo revealed a council group
DETECTIVES are probing the mystery surrounding a man found with serious head injuries. The 56-year-old is fighting for his life after suffering the serious wounds, but police re-main baffled as to how he got them. Ambulance staff were called to Marsden
A public toilet is to be put up in the car park behind Woolworth's Billericay store. The new £12,000 loo is being paid for with a grant from Essex County Council's Community Initiative Fund. Basildon District Council has donated £1,000 towards the cost
A BRAZEN shoplifter helped himself to a TV set from a Basildon supermarket. The man walked into Sainsbury's, in Cricketers Way, Nevendon, picked up the 19-inch flat-screen Bush set, worth £180, and walked out. The thief was white, 6ft 3ins tall, of
PLAQUES are to be attached to trees in Lake Meadows park explaining to visitors what variety each tree is. Billericay Town Council is spending £150 on the plaques. Helen Philpott, town clerk, said: "The idea is you will be able to see what variety of
CHILDREN at a youth club can now watch all the action on a big screen, thanks to a donation. Youngsters at the Craylands estate youth club were given the plasma TV by staff at Argos, on Basildon's Pipps Hill estate. The 500 workers at the store and
A LOVELY jubbly motor turned up in Basildon yesterday - but without driver Del Boy. The replica of Trotters Independent Trading's Reliant van, from Only Fools and Horses, was filmed in the town centre for a new BBC programme. Essex sitcom fanatic Paul
A MAN who suffered mental health problems sent a text message to a friend before he died, an inquest was told. Paul Glover, 33, of Travers Way, Pitsea, sent a message to a friend saying "sorry" . He was later found dead on an industrial estate in Battlesbridge
PASSENGERS who suffered long delays on c2c trains in the past two days expressed their anger at a lack of communication from the company. The rail firm recently launched a free journey disruption alert service, which sends e-mails or text messages to
A SCHOOL is celebrating sporting success after being praised by the Government. Pupils and staff at Cherry Tree Primary School, in Basildon, picked up an Activemark award for their dedication to sports provision. The school was recognised for offering
RECYCLING rates in Southend could rise to 60 per cent when a new waste contract starts in April. Southend Council's cabinet has considered tenders from leading waste management companies to collect the town's rubbish and keep the streets clean. Details
A MID-year survey on the performance of Rochford District Council has shown it is meeting most Government targets. In more than 60 per cent of the areas covered, the council's performance from April to September 2007 did better than the previous year
A FORMER soldier viciously attacked two of his friends, leaving one with a broken nose and jaw after an unprovoked outburst of rage. Jamie Estabrook, 21, of Winifred Road, Basildon, had been out boozing and taking drugs when he called Michael Jarvis
A TEENAGER has returned to Thurrock to announce he is proud to be a villain. Former Grays School pupil Richard James Harris, 19, will appear in the Bill as villain Joel Pearce during episodes on January 31 and February 6. He said: "It was a great experience.Villain's
Does Southend Council think we are all totally thick? There will be no new swimming pool at Garon Park (Jan 10). Debating pool size is irrelevant. After the extortionate consultants' fees, it will prove too expensive. Obviously, it should be an Olympic
SOUTHEND AC's international star Ben Hunter was a top 10 hit when running for England in the prestigious international cross-country event in Elgoibar, Soain. In the junior men's race over 6.47kms Hunter, a leading candidate for the Echo's sports personality
I have lost my wife after 68 years of a wonderful and loving marriage, and have been feeling very depressed. My children are supporting me and my daughter Debby came to take me out two weeks ago. I am 87 years old and my daughter and I are both blue
ALAN Curbishley cut a disappointed figure after seeing his West Ham side dumped out of the FA Cup at the third round stage for just the sixth time since the East Enders lifted the trophy in 1980. Manchester City sneaked past the Hammers following a tightly-contested
I couldn't believe the article Goodbye Civic Centre (Jan 9). Maybe it has finally been recognised it is a big building, with huge running costs. Instead of demolishing it, I believe it would be a good idea to use it as a place where young offenders
How right councillor Tania Painton is - the Beecroft Art Gallery in Westcliff has played Cinderella for far too long (Jan 11). But why is this? We believe Southend Council does not care too much for the visual arts, preferring the performing arts instead
CANVEY Island under-16's Eastern Junior Alliance team are looking to add a couple of players to their squad. Call Richard Walker on 07887 605740 for more information.
Properties to Let in South Essex WESTCLIFF CLOSE TO STATION Single & double rooms in clean, quiet house, suit single person over 30, no DSS, use of all facilities. (01268) 751869 / (07887) 953636 SOUTHEND room to let,unfurnished, for single person
Players in Ballards Gore's January Stableford encountered completely different playing conditions. Those playing for the Saturday medal had to contend with very windy conditions. In division one, Paul Kicks (10) and Clive Harrison-Betts (14) both finished
Isn't it strange that following an Echo report (Jan 9) about proposed new dog controls, people contacting Rochford Council offices were told it was "old news" and a rehash of a report from last autumn. Responsible dog owners already pick up after their
An injury-time winner from prolific striker Kurt Smith earned Dockers a vital three points against Ryman Division One North relegation rivals Ilford. A largely dour, hard-fought battle saw Tilbury hold the edge for much of the encounter and they went
Can anyone tell me where all the compassion, sympathy and understanding for elderly patients has gone? My neighbour is 85 years old, disabled, relying on a mobility scooter, on oxygen for 15 hours a day and lives alone, as relatives live a long distance
The firm Iguana installed a new boiler in my house recently, after having previously insulated the walls and loft. The cost was £2,700, which needed a £300 council top up. On ringing the council, I was told a £600 top up was already approved and no further
The Echo has given considerable publicity to parking measures proposed by Southend Council. But these measures, it seems, end up having an adverse knock-on effect elsewhere. One letter from a reader expressed concerns over more double yellow lines being
SOUTHEND United's under-18 side are hoping to set a new club record at Roots Hall this evening, kick off 7.30pm. For if the Shrimpers see off Stoke City in tonight's FA Youth Cup clash they will reach the fifth round of the competition for the first
A FUNDRAISER and a talented Laindon sculptor have teamed up to make this year's London Marathon a robotic race to remember. Action man Lloyd Scott, who famously completed the 2002 Marathon in an old-fashioned deep-sea diver's suit weighing a titanic
THRILLSEEKERS are needed to throw themselves out of a plane for charity. Havens Hospices is looking for 25 people to undertake the brave challenge, marking each year the charity has been caring for local adults and children. A day of tandem parachute
A NEW Essex Police Federation chairman will shortly be taking up the reins. Chief Insp Tony Rayner will begin his new job at the beginning of next month, after current chairman PC Sue Kelly retires. The 50-year-old has served around the county throughout
FISHERMEN have met with a Government minister to argue for a better deal on quotas. Castle Point MP Bob Spink organised the meeting with Jonathan Shaw, fisheries minister, allowing south Essex trawlermen to demand a fairer deal to allow their businesses
A WOMAN launched into a foul-mouthed rant as road rage erupted over a parking space outside a leisure centre. The victim arrived at Clements Hall Leisure Centre, in Hawkwell, and drove her Peugeot 206 into a parking space. As she got out of her car,
THE number of people killed by fires in their homes has fallen by half in Essex. Figures just released by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service show there were four fatalities in domestic properties last year, compared to nine in 2006. The reduction
THE "appalling" state of cracked and dangerous pavements in south Essex is leaving many pensioners too scared to go out after dark. As figures reveal more than a quarter of all pavements in Essex are in need of repair, the plight of elderly people who
A GIRL who suffered a hacking cough every night for three years finally found out her allergy was caused by cow's milk. Lerryn Tempest, now six, is fronting a national campaign to highlight the benefits of goat's milk - Thank Goodness For Goats. Lerryn
A WOMAN was dragged to the ground and bitten in a vicious attack by what may have been an illegal pitbull terrier. The 24-year-old woman was walking along an alley behind houses in Brecon Close, Pitsea, when she was approached by the white dog, thought
PUPILS at a Canvey school took advantage of a revamp at a local supermarket to study health and safety in the building trade at first hand. The Year 10 youngsters from Furtherwick Park School visited Morrisons' building site to observe building work
WEST Ham winger Matty Etherington has signed a new contract with the club that will keep him at Upton Park until 2012. The 26-year-old's current deal had been set to expire in the summer of 2009, but the Cornish-born star has agreed to extend his stay
A GP is hitting the road to give free talks highlighting the importance of health awareness. Dr Saqib Mahmud, of the Jones Family Practice, in Hockley, is applying to the Government for UK residency having lived in the country for ten years. In the
SOUTHEND council's cabinet members have approved a 4.95 per cent council tax rise, along with a raft of projects for the coming year. Members agreed to a budget which will see council tax on a property in Band D rise to £1,229 - about £60 more than the
A TOURING show coming to the Cliffs Pavilion has defended itself against criticism its music is not played live. The Musicians' Union said it was "dismayed" at the use of recorded music over the choice of a live band in the touring production of Oh!
A LEADING builders merchants is celebrating the success of its community spirit' scheme which saw good causes across the district given a boost. Workers from the Laindon branch of Travis Perkins spent a lot of time last year helping community projects
THOSE who suffered at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust are to be remembered through a series of events in Thurrock. The council has arranged the events on and around January 27 to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau
AN OPTICIAN has praised his customers for supporting his hugely successful campaign to give new toys to underprivileged children. Derek Gick, manager of D Glick opticians, says he was touched by the generosity of his clients who supported the recent
JAMIE Oliver protege Aaron Craze has been offered another job in the celebrity chef's empire, after his "struggling" pub closed. Mr Craze took over the Cock Inn, in Beazley End, near Braintree, after winning one of Jamie's Fifteen Foundation contests
A LITTLE lamb is pining for her sister after she was stolen from a rare breeds centre. Staff at the Salvation Army Farm Rare Breeds Centre, in Hadleigh, believe thieves may have checked out the farm ahead of the raid, Two suspicious characters were
