Archive

  • Car set alight beneath Southend flats

    A CAR was deliberately set alight beneath a block of flats, leaving residents shivering in the cold as firefighters tackled the flames. The fire was discovered beneath Penny Steps, in Hawtree Close, Southend, shortly before 8.55pm tonight, Thursday

  • Win over old leaders puts Lloyd on the top

    DAVID Lloyd toppled Southend Lawn II to take over leadership of mixed division three. The Eastwood-based club secured a 4-2 win over their Lawn rivals to top the table on sets difference. But the fixture saw both rubbers go to three sets. Kevin Barrs

  • Stroke patients get 7-day physio service

    STROKE patients are getting faster access to physiotherapy to get them back on their feet and back home. Southend Hospital has introduced sessions every day of the week in a bid to up standards. New therapy rotas have been drawn up after a four-month

  • Coastguards braced for Government spending cuts

    LIVES could be lost if coastguard services in Southend are cut back. That is the message from worried residents and lifeboat volunteers after the Government revealed it is considering axing control centres across the country to slash costs. Fears surround

  • Italian warmed our cockles

    A HEARTY Italian was what we needed to warm our cockles on a bitter December evening. We looked no further than Azzurro, in Westcliff. The warm welcome immediately made us feel like our custom was valued and we were quickly shown to our table. The restaurant

  • Book festival’s stars are from near and far

    BOOK lovers can look forward to some top literary names – as well as some homegrown local talent – at the 2011 Essex Book Festival. Taking place in March, this will be the event’s 12th year and the line-up features a combination of top international

  • Cruel teen robbers steal woman’s Christmas gifts

    SEVEN teenagers in school uniforms attacked a woman and stole her Christmas shopping. The woman, 44, was walking in Felmores End, Pitsea, when she was set upon by the gang, who punched her in the face and pinched her presents. The gang of five boys

  • German returns to QPR

    ANTONIO German’s loan spell with Southend United has been cut short. The striker scored just once in seven games while at Roots Hall. But he has now returned to Queen’s Park Rangers. “It’s been very diffuclt for Antonio to come

  • Beeb award for Hammers bosses

    LAKESIDE Hammers’ bosses Stuart Douglas and Jon Cook have won a prestigious BBC London award. The promotional duo scooped the Outstanding Contribution to London Sport Award 2010. The pair, who are now entering their fifth year together at the Arena-Essex

  • Kingswood aces rivals in club of year awards

    CLUB Kingswood has been crowned the king of clubs at a national awards ceremony. The Basildon health and fitness centre beat competition from a host of rivals from across the country to land the top award at the National Fitness Awards. It is the

  • Student fee hikes may hit unis

    The logic that taxpayers should not pay for university students’ education if consistently applied should mean the healthy should not pay for the sick, those without children should not contribute to other children’s education, that the fire

  • Our bus service is the worst in the country

    Congratulations, Southend, for what must be the worst bus service in the country, with buses not turning up and rude drivers. I live in Southchurch, a lovely village, but not for buses. We are not a war zone or a plague zone, so why ignore us

  • Gravy train is still on time

    With the transport infrastructure having been in chaos due to a bit of snow, it’s good to see no slowing up of the gravy train, still steaming along at full throttle. I’m referring to the latest farce of David Cameron, Prince William and David

  • Dale Farm’s time is up

    Further to Kim Gandy’s letter about travellers, it is a fact that any person or persons liable to become chargeable to the parish (or council), must forfeit their assets to reimburse any loss to the parish. Since Dale Farm has cost us hundreds

  • Metric confusion

    I take issue with the comments from Nick Beach (Dec 8) concerning the use of metric measurements. Like Mr Beach, I was educated in the Sixties, completing my A-levels in 1969. The most troublesome aspect I found in my studies of physics and applied

  • Sad to see restaurant go

    My wife and I were very sorry to read that Mr Chulani Perera will not be able to continue with his excellent restaurant, the Rose Garden, in Hockley. We have visited the restaurant on many occasions and have always been extremley satisfied with

  • Posties’ dog concerns not backed by police

    POLICE and postal workers are at loggerheads over whether a resident's rottweiler is dangerous. The Royal Mail suspended deliveries to Woodville Road, in Canvey, three weeks ago after a postman was allegedly bitten by the animal. However, Essex Police

  • Dog owners encouraged to microchip their pets at event

    DOG lovers are being encouraged to microchip their canine friends at a special event in Shoebury tomorrow. Organised by Southend Council and the town's Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, the event will take place between 11am and 3pm tomorrow

  • Pilot scheme to get our icy streets gritted

    STOCKS of grit-salt have been boosted in Billericay with a delivery to the town council. Now 100 one-tonne bags of grit-salt, which is used on icy pavements and highways, will be given out to residents across the town in time for this weekend’s cold

  • Batch hot on ice for Brits

    STICK-wielding ice warrior Josh Batch is proving to be hot stuff in a British team shirt. The former Westcliff High School for Boys pupil is representing Great Britain at the ice hockey U20 world championships in freezing Belarus this week. So far

  • 70 years wed – and still going strong!

    THEIR marriage has seen 14 prime ministers move into Downing Street, two monarchs’ reigns and a terrible world war. And 70 years after their wartime wedding, Joan and Ernie Keeble are still going strong and looking forward to their platinum

  • Morris consistency is the key to Presidents Cup honour

    BURSTEAD SENIORS: The weather in recent weeks has made it impossible to play the December Medal and it was also necessary to postpone the Christmas Competition. Several of the hardier seniors ventured forth to play in a non-competition event in the

  • Georgia has a triple triumph on her mind

    GEORGIA Wheatley picked up a hat-trick of titles at the fifth David Lloyd Championships. Wheatley claimed a 6-4 6-2 victory over Rosie Clarke to claim the ladies’ singles crown before enjoying two doubles wins. The first came in the ladies’ doubles

  • Wycombe next in two-goal Midson’s sights

    JACK Midson wants to maintain top form when Southend United host Wycombe Wanderers this weekend. The on-loan Oxford United striker made a disappointing start to his loan spell at Roots Hall and failed to score in his first six games. But he bagged

  • Herd’s hopes for stint

    JOHNNY Herd is hoping to end four months of frustration by becoming a regular in the Southend United back four. The left-back has endured a disappointing start to the season after falling out of favour and came close to leaving the club on loan. But

  • Road restrictions granted to deter students with cars

    DELIGHTED residents have won a three-year campaign to crack down on “indiscriminate” parking in two Thundersley streets. Residents living in The Dale and Cherrymeade, which are both closes, have long-complained students from nearby Seevic College regularly

  • Fans are left flat by Widdrington exit

    SOUTHEND United fans were quick to express their opinions on Tommy Widdrington’s exit from Roots Hall. Jamie Forsyth, the editor of Blues’ fanzine All At Sea, said fans had never really developed any affection for Widdrington and had been left feeling

  • Sturrock says: Win was so sweet

    IT was great to get back to winning ways at Cheltenham Town on Tuesday night. And I think it showed that what I have written in my last couple of columns is true and that we need our influential players to be in the side. We welcomed back Bilel Mohsni

  • Essex duo get chance to roar for the Lions

    ESSEX cricket club’s Ravi Bopara and Maurice Chambers have been called up to England Lions for their tour of the West Indies in the new year. The selectors named the squad yesterday and the Essex duo were in the side which will also feature Ashes bowler

  • Basildon Council to shed 100 staff and cut services

    AS many as 100 Basildon Council jobs are likely to go to help the borough cope with Government grant cuts which will leave it £2.3million short. The council says it will have to cut about a tenth of its workforce by March 2012, to help balance

  • County Hall's budget hole shock

    Essex County Council jobs and services will have to be savagely slashed next year to meet a £126million budget deficit caused by cuts in Government grants. The shortfall is about £18million greater than expected, Tory county council leader Peter Martin

  • Castle Point leader: Tough choices ahead

    CASTLE Point Council has been told its Government grant will be cut by 17.6 per cent in 2011/12 and 12.1 per cent in 2012/13. This means it will get £970,000 less from Whitehall next April 2011 than it did the year before and £570,000 less the following

  • Billericay High Street closed due to gas leak

    Billericay High Street has been closed for more than an hour because of a gas leak. 60 people were evacuated from nearby shops and businesses. The road was closed between Western Road and Chapel Street but it has now been reopened.

  • Huge police blitz on Essex roads

    A LARGE-SCALE police operation brought 170 officers from six forces on to Essex’s roads with the aim of catching crooks on the move. Officers from Essex, Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire Cambridgshire and Bedford-shire manned checkpoints on main

  • Southend stands to lose £5.6m in April

    COUNCIL bosses in Southend have been told they must save a total of £5.6million from next year’s budget, something they have described as a challenge. As the full scale of the Government’s grant cuts were revealed by Conservative Communities

  • Anna Waite: My war on town’s rogue landlords

    THE senior councillor in charge of social housing in Southend has pledged to wage war on rogue landlords following an Echo expose. Anna Waite launched the offensive in the wake of the council striking a ground-breaking legal deal with the owner