DOCTORS do not need to prove they are fit to practice. That is the view of local GPs who have criticised plans announced by the Government’s chief medical officer, Liam Donaldson. Prof Donaldson recommends consultants, GPs and private doctors are assessed
ESSEX’S wheatfields might not be on the same scale as Kansas, but they still take up nearly 250,000 acres. There is quite a bit of rape, too – just over 74,000 acres – plus barley, sugarbeet, vegetables and fruit. In fact, if it has
RAIL commuters and tourists will get speedier journeys after the £16billion Crossrail scheme was given final approval - but a leading Southend councillor said the line will not go far enough into Essex. A Bill for the cross-London railway has
A STRIKE by Argos workers at a Basildon distribution centre has been called off after managment put forward a revised pay offer. Workers at the centre in Miles Grey Road were set to stage another walkout today after Unite members rejected a below inflation
THE father of a seven-year-old girl who died in a quadbike accident has been charged with manslaughter by gross neglect, lawyers said. Elizabeth Cooke was riding behind a Range Rover driven by her father Gary, 46, when the accident happened near the
THE date has been set for a public inquiry into traveller site provision in the east of England. It will closely examine the validity of evidence which suggests Basildon needs an extra 81 legal caravan pitches, Thurrock 44 and Southend, Rochford, Castle
A FAMILY-OF-FIVE were arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis during a drugs bust. A couple, their daughter and two grandsons were taken away by police from a house in Swanstead, Vange. Officers arrested a 60-year-old woman, a 61
A GREEN fuel storage plant will not be built on Canvey amid concerns about the industry and the economic climate. Sure Green Fuels has withdrawn plans for a biodiesel and glycerine plant at the Oikos terminal, in Haven Road, seven months after
PUPILS from a Wickford school are so keen to be green they could net their school a £20,000 environmental makeover. The group of ten pupils from Year 7 at Beauchamps High School made it through to the final of the Npower Green SOS Climate Cops
SUNWORSHIPPERS headed to Southend yesterday as temperatures finally started to soar. Temperatures hit 25 degrees yesterday and are expected to be hotter at 26 degrees today. It is predicted to reach 28 degrees by the end of the week. Traders are hoping
A PETITION against the proposed closure of a Westcliff post office has been signed by more than 1,000 residents. Up to 3,000 customers who use the branch at Argosy Toys, in London Road, will be left in the lurch if the branch is closed in September.
CASTLE Point councillors have voted to increase their expenses bill by almost £80,000. At a full council meeting, members agreed with an independent recommendation to increase their annual allowances from £187,108 to £266,908. The review
SOUTH Essex MPs have led attacks on the Government over the “fiasco” surrounding the marking of Sats exams affecting thousands of pupils across the country. Mark Francois and Bob Spink spoke out in a Commons debate in which Schools Secretary
TWO new multi-storey car parks are set to be built in Southend, to free up room for major town centre developments. Existing ground-level car parks in Clarence Road and Alexandra Street will be scrapped to make way for a Brighton Lanes-style
WEST Ham United have completed the £5million signing of Switzerland international Valon Behrami from Lazio. The 23-year-old can play at right-back or in midfield and has signed a five-year deal with the Barclays Premier League club after passing a
TWO new bail hostels are set to be opened in Southend, but neighbours will not be consulted beforehand. The Ministry of Justice has asked Rayleigh-based private company ClearSprings to find two three-bedroom houses in the Southend area, which
AN eight-year-old schoolboy has landed a role as a munchkin in the West End version of the Wizard of Oz. When Jamie Davies, of The Fairway, Leigh, finishes school today he will head for London to make his debut at the Royal Festival Hall.
A DRUNK woman took a drive in her car...and smashed it into her neighbour’s wall. Victoria King, 28, was almost twice the drink-drive limit when she crashed on the way back from her boyfriend’s home. The force of the smash meant police had to call a
BRITISH anti-hooligan police have asked American media outlets for footage of disturbances at Sunday’s friendly between West Ham United and Columbus Crew in Ohio. One American supporter was arrested for a minor public order offence, while the half-time
GEORGE McCartney has signed a new five-year contract with West Ham United. The 27-year-old left-back has committed his long term future to the Irons just weeks after the Hammers turned down a £4.5million offer from former club Sunderland. McCartney
NORTHLANS Park regular Kevin Wall had a battle on his hands when he hooked a 16lb 8oz mirror carp. He was fishing for beam and tench with just 4lb line! Wall had already taken a succession of bream and tench from his road lake swim when a more positive
A FAMILY-RUN bakery is aiming to raise the spirits of British troops in Afghanistan, by sending them shoeboxes full of goodies. Barkes Craft Bakery, in the Ladygate Centre, Wickford, is collecting toiletries, sweets, crisps, writing paper and small gifts
A SCHEME to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home is set to be rolled out in Southend. Better bus stops, cycle storage facilities and passenger information are among the ways the Government is aiming to get rail users to use environmentally
NESTLED in between trendy newcomers to the Hamlet Court Road eating scene, Masala Hut with its Eastern decor is a veritable institution. The canteen-style restaurant has operated for ten years from the same venue, but is every bit as vibrant and welcoming
So Essex County Council has recommended plans should go ahead for a waste plant at Courtauld Road, despite thousands signing a petition against it The site is in Basildon isn’t it? Shouldn’t our local own officers be deciding the area’s fate? True
I read the letter from Scott Elliott saying how lucky he was to witness the Veterans’ Day march past in Southend (Echo, July 17). I was on the pier for the first day of the event, but was unable to be there on the Saturday owing to another appointment
Before stories and pictures of Southend bandstand, now sited in Priory Park, finally hit the back pages, does anyone remember a bandstand in Chalkwell Park? I remember as a small child, pre the Second World War, this lovely open-air music chamber in
Daphne Jopson’s letter, Desperate need to find new home for Southend market, has spurred me give you my views on the subject (Echo, July 16). Back home in Australia, in Perth and Melbourne, we have city farms. These are collectively managed by community
BILLERICAY Town continued their pre-season build-up with a 3-0 home win over Ryman One North Redbridge last night. With tomorrow’s New Lodge encounter with Southend United looming (7.30pm), Ryman Premier Town rested a number of first-teamers, but took
BUSINESSES may be invited to sponsor Essex Police, to help put more officers on the beat. Companies could have their logos and brand names splashed over police cars or uniforms to fund the extra 600 officers promised by the Chief Constable
BERT Trautmann, Calum Davenport... The list of footballers who have had to recover from a broken neck is a blessedly short one. And just like Manchester City’s 1956 FA Cup final goalkeeping hero, the West Ham United defender is determined to make a
Reading that most doctors do not now swear to the text of the Hippocratic Oath, I wonder why? Could it be they no longer see themselves as a profession? Avril Jo Mulcahy Cambridge Road Southend
I agree with Myra Pallen that McDonalds do not have a waitress service. However, Wimpy places usually do, so it’s possible Aubrey Stein got the two confused, although I don’t remember seeing a Wimpy Bar in Basildon. If Mr Stein has a fancy for waitress
JONTY Clarke begins his Olympic odyssey today believing Great Britain can shock the hockey world. The 27-year-old forward, who began his career at Old Southendians two decades ago, flies into the squad’s holding camp in Macau tonight before heading
HE might be twice the age of some of his team-mates, but Southend United striker Paul Furlong is still full of youthful enthusiasm ahead of the new season. And, despite failing to score in any of the four pre-season friendlies in which he has appeared
THREE pupils at a Southend school have won the Diana Anti-Bullying Award. The award recognises work by young people to combat the problem and Ricky Seaby, 15, Adam Bowler, 15 and Phillip Robinson, 13, at the Priory Special School were all honoured.
CROOKS stole scrap and sheet metal after conning security guards. The three thieves drove up to security guards at the yard of the Ikea store in Lakeside. They told the security guard that “Steve” had sent them and they were coming to pick up some scrap
POLICE are warning business owners in Leigh to step up security after a spate of criminal damage and thefts. Shops, estate agents and auction houses along London Road and the Broadway, have been targeted in the past two weeks, where thugs have smashed
A DELIVERY driver faces jail after admitting being part of a gang which stole thousands of pounds from a Securicor van. At Basildon Crown Court, Danny Brooks, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal cash at Tesco Extra, Pitsea, on July 4 last year.
DOZENS of charities will receive a share of £33,000 raised by walkers. Billericay Tory MP John Baron swapped Westminster for his walking boots to organise and take part in his annual fun walk. The walk, at Billericay’s Barleylands Farm, raised a best-ever
A THIEF was chased by three musicians after stealing a horn players’ handbag from a church. Helen Crate, 30, who plays horn with Southend Band, had her black canvas bag stolen from the foyer of Thorpe Bay Methodist Church an hour before she was due
FRAUDSTERS claiming incorrect discount on their council tax are being given a chance to come clean during a five-week amnesty. Castle Point Council is targeting people claiming single persons discount, worth 25 per cent of the total bill, while not actually
MP John Baron has attacked the lack of bowel cancer prevention services available to patients in Basildon. Speaking at Health Questions in parliament yesterday the Tory politician challenged the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, about bowel cancer screening
A CAR was written off after smashing into a lamp post early today. The silver Peugeot 106 hit the lamp post, in Woodgrange Drive, Southend, about 2.30am and knocked it over. The driver, in his late teens, was treated by paramedics for
RESIDENTS are being asked to have their say on shaping Basildon’s first cultural centre – and a museum is currently the frontrunner. Chase, which stands for Cultural Heritage for All South Essex, is a campaign group that champions the arts.
TWO succcessful students have been held up as shining examples as part of a college campaign to encourage more people to take up vocational courses. South East Essex College, in Southend, has highlighted the hard work of students who choose to study
CORPORATE sponsorship for Essex Police, as suggested in a consultation document, would certainly be an interesting step. But it demands careful handling and monitoring. Yet there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the idea, or with the general trend
DICK Wilkins survived the living hell of the World War 2 Japanese camps that claimed the lives of 13,000 companions. The old soldier became a doughty fighter for the rights of Far Eastern veterans. Now time has carried off the old warrior. But he leaves
FAMILIES claim they have been left in the dark about changes to rubbish collection days under the three-bin system, which started in the Rochford district this week. The new regime uses three wheelie bins – one for recyclables, a second for
A GROUP of people gave chase after two teenagers stole a bike from a 12-year-old boy. A police helicopter hovered over Leigh railway station at 2.40pm yesterday after the boy was threatened by two teenagers, who made off with his bike.
RESIDENTS fighting plans for a huge waste plant in Basildon are urged to make their feelings known at a meeting on Friday. Essex County Council’s development and regulation committee will vote over plans for a mechanical biological treatment and recycling
SUPPORT groups have welcomed news of a new drug to treat aggressive prostate cancer as the best news in 50 years. Initial test suggest the new drug, abiraterone, shrink tumours in 80 per cent of patients with the more aggressive form of the cancer.
FOUR dancers have won places at the Royal Ballet School. The students are all studying at the Angela Allport School of Performing Arts, based at LA Fitness centre in Southend and Grays. Katie Gallivan, 12, of Eagle Way, Shoebury, Laura Bishop, 11, Princes
WHEN David Davies first laid eyes on Bay Tree Cottage he was taken aback by the state of the place. The derelict old cottage, parts of which are between 200 and 300 years old, had been left to rot. But Mr Davies saw its potential and has spent the
A LANE of the A127 was closed last night after four cars collided on the Southend-bound carriageway near Rayleigh Weir. Emergency services were called at just after 5.30pm yesterday to the crash at the Rayleigh Weir underpass. The cars
HUNDREDS of people joined Southend firefighters after they opened their doors for their annual station open day. Visitors were given fire prevention advice and a tour around the fire station in Sutton Road. There were also vintage and state-of-the-art
A NEW traders’ group has joined forces with Essex Police and Castle Point Council to improve its estate. The Manor Trading Estate Association recently met senior police officers and councillors in the Castle Point council chamber to discuss ways to improve
TEAMS of play rangers have been enlisted by Basildon Council to help encourage youngsters to make the most of the district’s parks during the summer holidays. Seven rangers armed with hoola-hoops, giant skipping ropes, beanbags, giant dice
