PARKING wardens at Southend Hospital have backed down after ticketing a couple’s car when they were forced to stay late for cancer treatment. Uriel Byfield, 73, and his wife Jackie, 57, could not believe their eyes when they returned from nearly three
A TWO car crash is partially blocking Watery Lane in Rawreth. The accident, near its junction with Highlands Road is causing some queuing and police are currently on the scene.
A KNIFE-WIELDING robber jumped out on a young man in Laindon. The 21-year-old victim was walking along Holst Avenue alone when the man leapt out in front of him. The thug began shouting as he made a string of demands for cash. He then pulled out a small
A MAN had his jaw broken after he was punched in the face during a street attack. The 27-year-old man was walking along West Street in Westcliff and into Roots Hall Drive, at 12.10am when he was approached by a man who punched him in the
INCIDENTS of anti-social behaviour on Shoebury's Four Rivers Estate have dropped according to police. Offices have seen a 65 per cent drop in the number of incidents of nuisance compared to last year. It comes after police launched a crackdown including
I questioned Basildon Council leader Tony Ball over the repair costs for Gloucester Park pool, which have varied between £1million and £10million. Discretion appearing to be the better part of valour, he chose not to reply. Perhaps cabinet member
It is about time Southend Council got its head on straight with respect to our roads. My road, Fairmead Avenue, Westcliff, is a dangerous place for drivers leaving at Fairfax Drive, even in good weather, owing to a pedestrian crossing less than
Further to your article on pupil attendance at Crays Hill Primary, as chair of governors I can assure you we are committed to providing a high-quality, creative and challenging education where every child is given the opportunity to achieve their
It is obvious from statements by councillors Anna Waite and Nigel Holdcroft (Dec 10) that their sympathies favour the Stobart Group over Southend Airport in preference to those of the community they were elected to serve. No matter how much
A YOUNG man was robbed of his gold chain as he walked through some woods. The 21-year-old victim was in Hangman’s Wood, Grays, when two men barged into him. They went through his pockets and stole £100 cash before ripping the nine carat chain from his
POLICE are warning shoplifters to stay away from shops in Shoebury and Southchurch. Officers will be beefing up their patrols on retail complexes in both areas and around big stores to drive out Christmas crooks. Bobbies will be out in force in Thorpe
CONCERNS have been raised about the future of the landmark Grand Hotel, in Leigh, after it was put back on the market. The East Anglia Pub Company, which owns the building in Broadway, had hoped the hotel would have been brought back to life as an upmarket
SOME travellers are cynically exploiting human rights to cash in on unauthorised green belt development, a senior planning officer has claimed. Martin Kearney, Basildon Council principal enforcement officer, made the claim during a public inquiry
SMUGGLERS had 2.7 million cigarettes seized after they tried to hide them inside some radiators. The stash of Jin Ling cigarettes worth £614,000 was discovered in a trailer shipped into Tilbury port. It had come from Belgium. A legitimate importation
TWO gold medallists took the plunge when they tried out Southend’s brand new Swimming and Diving Centre. Tom Daley and Max Brick, along with the rest of the Great Britain synchronised diving team, wowed members of the public as they performed stunning
BASILDON'S Stuart Bingham was brought crashing back down to earth as he was beaten in the final round of qualifying for the German Masters by Anthony Hamilton. Hamilton ended UK Championship quarter-finalist Bingham’s hopes of continuing his impressive
SOUTHEND Rugby Club captain Chris Green reckons he will be ready to return to action after the Christmas break. Green has not played since breaking his arm in the 28-25 defeat at Dings Crusaders at the start of November. But he is confident of making
SOUTHEND United manager Paul Sturrock was left suffering a familiar feeling of frustration after his side’s home clash against Wycombe Wanderers was called off because of a frozen pitch on Saturday. It was the third time in five games that
TRADERS have been left counting the cost of the return of snow on what should have been their busiest weekend of the year. Neil Raven, owner of Ravens department store in Clifftown Road, Southend, said: “We had a very good morning on Saturday
AUTHORITIES have been labelled disrespectful after they failed to clear up the possessions of an elderly lady who died in a house fire. Boxes of clothes, textiles and other items belonging to Christine Maxwell, 74, are still scattered in the
MORE than £2million is to be spent on revamping Shoebury and Southend East railway stations. The work, due to start next month, will include knocking down and replacing the entry area at Shoebury station, rebuilding toilets for passengers and staff and
THE battle to stop 326 homes being built on green belt land is back on after a blunder by a Government minister. Campaigners against the plans to build on Coombes Farm, in Rochford, have branded Communities Secretary Eric Pickles “incompetent” after
TRAIN services on the London Liverpool Street line from Southend Victoria have been affected by the freezing weather. Due to the low air temperature, icicles have been forming under bridges and making contact with overhead power lines, causing them
SOUTH Essex today awoke to more freezing temperatures making travel to work treacherous. Temperatures across the region plunged to -9c, adding to the icy conditions on the roads. However, gritting by Essex county and Southend councils
A MAN has died after falling through ice and plunging into a freezing lake. His family looked on in horror as he struggled to get out of the water before he disappeared. The tragedy unfolded at the Doggetts Fishing Lake in Doggetts Chase
JOBS are being cut and services slashed at Essex County Council, but how much cash are the councillors who make the decisions taking home? Allowances and expenses rates for councillors have been agreed this week, as part of the council’s updated constitution
A DISABLED farmer lost his firearms licence after two men suspected of burgling a cannabis factory on his land were allegedly shot. Edward Tibbs, 62, from Elm Farm, London Road, Crays Hill, suffers from multiple sclerosis and neuralgia. He
THE odds of a White Christmas in Essex are looking good, with forecasters predicting snow throughout the next week. Weather experts said temperatures would struggle to rise above freezing, meaning snow already on the ground will be staying
PLANS for a new £35million Southend museum have taken a step forward. Detailed images have ben released of the museum, which would be built into the seafront cliffs to house the Saxon King remains. Manchester-based AEW Architects, who
THE snow and ice left paramedics across the county struggling to cope. The ambulance service received a sharp increase in calls at the weekend due to falls and crashes. The treacherous driving conditions meant it took ambulances longer
