THIS time of year, with the Christmas party season in full flow, I often get concerned patients asking me how much alcohol is safe for them to drink. Many are concerned they may be overindulging without realising. The best way to explain alcohol limits
A BRISK walk on a crisp winter’s day can be one of life’s pleasures. Not only is it enjoyable, it can also help keep you fit and well, by improving the condition of your heart. Since 2003, Rochford District Council has used the power of walking to improve
WINTER vomiting disease is the most common cause of gut infection in the UK. Most years there are between 600,000 and a million cases in England alone. Last winter saw the disease hit record numbers as almost three million people succumbed to the sickness
LOOKING at cheeky little Reggee-Lee Cole today you would never guess, exactly a year ago, the tot was battling for his life in hospital. As the energetic toddler gears up to celebrate his first birthday on Wednesday, his mum, Mary, still proudly
ALTHOUGH Southend High for Boys received the major local plaudits for winning their 18th national athletics title in the past 10 years at the English Schools’ Cross-Country Cup, Eastwood certainly made plenty of friends at the event with their best ever
A WOMAN was sprayed in the face with a noxious substance after she disturbed burglars in her home. The woman, who is in her 40s, came across two men in her home at Rochford Road, Southend. They fled empty-handed about 1.40pm today in
NEW training and vehicle facilities will be built if a £2million upgrade of an ambulance station is approved. The East of England Ambulance Service is hoping to undertake a major modernisation of its station in Great Oaks, near Basildon town centre.
Making their mark — Greensward Academy’s under-13 girls’ soccer team from Hockley won the Castle Point and Rochford tournament, beating their counterparts from King John, Thundersley, in the final
BILLERICAY clinched first place when the annual Basildon and District Senior Schools Cross-Country Championships were staged at Basildon’s Gloucester Park. In bitterly cold weather there were some great individual and team performnances. Eight schools
London Four North East: Canvey Island triumphed over local rivals Billericay 18-14 to move up to sixth in the standings. Canvey’s first half dominance should have put the game out of reach for Billericay but the islanders could not find the finishing
PUPILS have been settling into a hi-tech block of temporary classrooms as a huge building project gets under way at their school. The 16 classrooms at Barstable School, in Basildon, were designed to create a temporary building the size of a primary
A DRIVER is furious she had to fork out more than £500 to get her car back from clampers. Paula Barrell, parked on land off Websters Way, Rayleigh, just before 10pm on Friday and when she returned the next day, found her car had been towed
Ryman One North: Aveley, who suffered their first league defeat on Saturday when they crashed at Maldon, will look to quickly bounce back tonight when they host fellow promotion hopes Wingate and Finchley. The Millers are still top despite the weekend
PEOPLE power won another victory in Castle Point after a key vote on greenbelt development was called off at the last minute. More than 150 concerned residents piled into Castle Point Council’s offices last night where councillors were due
London Two North: A last-ditch ankle tap that brought down Paul Radley as he was sprinting for the line stopped Westcliff from at least drawing a match that they should have won against Bury St Edmunds. Westcliff lost 17-12 but had Bury on the back
AN ELDERLY motorist smashed through the window of a packed hairdresser’s, after he reversed out of a parking bay. The 82-year-old crashed his automatic Vauxhall Astra through the front of Blood Sweat & Shears in Rayleigh Road, Eastwood.
A SCHOOL sport scheme which sends sixth-formers to local primary schools to teach tag rugby, is proving a success. The scheme is currently running at Quilters Infants and Primary, Sunnymede Infants and Juniors, South Green Junior, Brightside Primary
Councillors have rejected officers’ advice and ploughed through green belt regulations in a bid to tidy up a Thurrock eyesore. Members of Thurrock Council’s planning committee have given permission for St Clere’s Golf Club at Stanford-le-Hope to replace
A LOST greyhound, known as the ghost dog, is recovering following her amazing rescue nine years after she first escaped from an Ockendon racing kennels. Having stalked the greyhound for weeks, Jodie Adams, from Castledon Greyhound Rescue, near Wickford
A £50,000 upgrade to a swimming pool is to be unveiled today. Billericay swimming pool, in Lake Meadows, Radford Crescent, will reveal improvements to the facilities as well as longer opening times and more staff. The pool will also feature new equipment
A SPECIAL needs school is hoping its plans for a new outreach centre will get the go-ahead from Basildon Council. Essex County Council, on behalf of Castledon School, in Wickford, has applied to build a self-contained 122m by 122m building in the school
MOVIE making brothers are celebrating a £250,000 win enabling them to make a feature film. David and Keith Lynch, of Crouch Beck, South Woodham Ferrers, were named winners of nationwide competition the Big Pitch on Saturday. The brothers, with Simon
THE leader of Basildon Council has insisted plans for a £35million sports village will continue, even though only one developer is still interested in the scheme. Council leader Malcolm Buckley held private talks with other senior councillors in the
A PENSIONER has died after a fire tore through his home. Fire crews raced inside the house in Crowstone Avenue, Westcliff, yesterday morning and carried the unconscious 78-year-old out of his home. They gave him first aid and he was
FEARS have been raised about overcrowding at Bullwood Hall prison, in Hockley, following a Government report. More prisoners are sharing cells because of increases in the prison population according to the annual report by the Ministry of Justice’s Independent
BURGLARS who caused £1,000 of damage made off with just £15 worth of children’s money boxes and cash. The thieves broke the lock on a garage door in Leon Drive, Vange, between 6.30am and 8pm on December 5. They then smashed another door inside the garage
TERRIFIED Luke Betts got the shock of his life after arriving home to find this tarantula had been posted through his letterbox. Mr Betts, 23, of Bridgwater Drive, Westcliff, was called home after his younger brother Paul found the four-inch-wide
THE first performance of the hit musical We Will Rock You was held at a Leigh school yesterday. Belfairs High School is staging the musical, which was written by comedian Ben Elton and based on the songs of rock band Queen. Yesterday afternoon
A CONCERT will bring a bit of Christmas cheer to Basildon. St Martins Church, in Basildon town square, will host a charity carol concert today between 7.30pm and 9pm. The Southend Band and the De La Salle School Choir will give the performance
Essex Senior League: Southend Manor will be looking to consolidate their third spot placing tonight with victory at out-of-form Basildon United. Since starting the season with six straight wins, the new towners have not managed a victory. But Manor
EXTRA recycling sacks will be provided for Rochford households over Christmas. During the week starting Monday, December 29, residents will be allowed to leave out four clear sacks of recyclables for collection alongside the grey recyclables bin they
Blue Square Premier: Grays Athletic, having boosted confidence with a hard-earned win at York City on Saturday, will look to further ease their relegation fears tonight at Stevenage Borough. But they will not find it easy as Stevenage themselves are
A RADICAL plan to recreate the lost landscape of Wallasea Island has been unveiled to the public. The RSPB wants to restore saltmarsh, creeks and mudflats by flooding 1,500 acres of land at Wallasea, the biggest project of its kind in the UK
Ryman One North: East Thurrock United, still filling the final play-off spot after Saturday’s 5-0 home thrashing of Waltham Forest, will look to put extra pressure on the teams above them when they visit mid-table Leyton this evening. Their hosts suffered
ROCHFORD Hundred consolidated their position at the top of the London Three North East table with a 25-15 victory over promotion rivals Brentwood on Saturday. Tries from Matt Norris, Jon Baker and Greg Stubbs secured a ninth win in 11th games for the
SOUTHEND Rugby Club have been drawn away to Civil Service in the third round of the EDF Energy National Trophy. Service are currently in London Two North and the match will take place this weekend. They have already knocked out High Wycombe (56-6)
Ryman One North: Concord Rangers, currently lying sixth, will bid to keep up the pressure on the teams above them by sinking naval town visitors Chatham Town at Thames Road tonight. Fresh from Saturday’s solid win at bottom club Hillingdon Borough, the
Ryman One North: Great Wakering Rovers will have an old favourite back in the ranks when they bid to unload the points from the Dockers in tonight’s Essex derby at Tilbury. Joel Ettienne-Clark has re-sign-ed for Rovers following a lengthy spell at fellow
CRAIG Calver rescued a point for Southend United’s under-18 team on Saturday as they drew 1-1 against Dagenham and Redbridge at Boots and Laces. Calver’s second-half strike arrived five minutes after Dagenham took the lead with a freak goal from a corner
LEDLEY King scored his first goal in three years as Tottenham continued their revival under Harry Redknapp with a 2-0 victory at West Ham. King, who last scored against Portsmouth in December 2005, headed Aaron Lennon's curling cross past Robert Green
SOUTHEND United’s eager season card holders rushed to Roots Hall yesterday to snap up 2,000 of their allocated 5,886 tickets for next month’s FA Cup clash at Chelsea. Queues formed across the car park, with Keith Overall, 48, of Shoebury, the first
A WOMAN received burns to her hands in a house fire in Shoebury. The 50-year-old was treated for smoke inhalation and burns following a small fire in Datchet Drive last night. Fire crews from Shoebury and Southend were called to the
FIRE chiefs have promised there will be no job cuts as a result of their controversial overhaul of services in Essex. Chief Fire Officer David Johnson reassured firefighters in the county none of them would lose their jobs and no fire engines would be
AN ART teacher who insulted pupils and confronted a parent is being sent on a behaviour course to improve his conduct. Lee Warren, formerly of James Hornsby High School, in Laindon, was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct over the incidents
AN MP is arranging crisis talks following the latest armed incident at Hovefields traveller camp. Tory John Baron will also address revelations about a family from the illegal camp getting legal aid to try to stay in a caravan, despite owning
POLITICIANS have called for more investment in south Essex’s two main trunk roads. The A13 became gridlocked with drivers seeking alternative routes after a lorry jack-knifed on the A127 and the accident has led to renewed calls to improve
A NEW vintage clothes shop has opened with a party in Southend. As the drink flowed at Threads Atomic Dustbin, in Clifftown Road, some guests took the opportunity to snap up some of the clothes. Owner Stevie Millington, said getting the shop up and
TOTS have raised cash for charity by holding a sponsored bounce in a bouncy castle. The children at Home From Home day nursery, in Westminster Drive, Westcliff, will give the money to the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital for new toys and equipment
PATIENTS in Castle Point who need an ultrasound scan for certain conditions could be able to avoid a trip to the hospital thanks to a new clinic. Residents registered at one of nine GP surgeries in Benfleet, Hadleigh and Canvey can now visit the purpose-built
A HEADTEACHER has paid tribute to the hard work of her secretary who has now twice reached the finals of a national competition for school PAs. Carol Nye, PA to the head of King John School, Thundersley, reached the finals of SecEd magazine’s PA of the
PRECIOUS funds will be raised for two Basildon children’s charities at a Christmas carol concert. All money collected from the event at St Martins Church, in Basildon Town Square, will be donated to Basildon Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and
PUPILS at Hilltop Infant School proved they are top class when Ofsted described their school as outstanding. The Wickford school was also labelled outstanding in 2005. Deputy headteacher Liz Wilkinson said: “The staff, governors, children
BLUES boss Steve Tilson wants to keep Dan Harding at the club until at least the end of the season. And he will also try to bring Lee Sawyer back to Roots Hall. The duo have both impressed during loan spell with the Shrimpers.
