SHE’S one of CBeebies most popular presenters and Katy Ashworth will be at the Towngate over the weekend with her touring roadshow. The star of I Can Cook is a familiar face to youngsters and she’ll be entertaining them with a magical mix of
FORMER ME sufferer Gwen Cook and cycle partner Lea Marshall are celebrating after breaking three national cycling tandem records. Cook, 42, took her latest crown when she and Marshall sliced more than five minutes off the UK National Ladies’ Tandem 100
A MAN was headbutted outside a pub in the early hours of the morning. The 38-year-old man was attacked outside the Plough, in London Road, Westcliff, at 1:30am on Sunday, September 11. Investigating Officer, Pc Dan Bray, said: "Hopefully, there will
Two accidents caused traffic chaos on the A127 tonight as drivers struggled to get home. An overturned car blocked one lane of the A127 westbound in Laindon. The car blocked a lane between the A176 Upper Mayne junction and Fortune Of War
SOUTHEND council chiefs must be willing to go to court if this year’s census is miscalculated – as it is estimated the 2001 miscount has cost the bourough an estimated £80million. James Duddridge, the Tory MP for Rochford and Southend East, feels the
PLANS to build 800 homes at Thorney Bay Caravan Park look set to be dropped because of safety fears over a nearby gas plant. Canvey councillors say planning officers raised concerns over the proximity of the Calor gas plant off Thames Road
THE man in charge of the troubled £45million Basildon Academies has quit. Alan Roach, executive principal of the flagship schools, has not returned to work since the summer break. The academies, which merged Chalvedon School in Pitsea
BASILDON manager Paul Larke says he expected to be sacked following last night’s FA Vase replay at Wootton Blue Cross, whatever the result. The 43-year-old says he has been inundated with messages and phone calls this week from players, managers and
THRILLSEEKERS could soon enjoy adrenalin fueled fun on a lake as a firm bids to bring wakeboarding to Basildon. JVP Leisure has bought the lake behind Festival Leisure Park, off Cranes Farm Road, Basildon, and could now create a wakeboarding facility
RESIDENTS are keeping a watchful eye on troublesome late-night drinking in Billericay as part of a new campaign. They are creating a log of incidents of antisocial behaviour, crime and noise in and around the High Street to encourage Essex Police and
A PRE-SCHOOL says it is being driven out of business by a rent increase and competition from primary schools with their own nursery classes. Busy Bees has been based in a hall behind the Our Lady of Canvey and the English Martyrs Church, in
CELEBRITY Big Brother star Paddy Doherty has urged supporters to back travellers at Dale Farm. The star of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding has urged people to join travellers due to be evicted from the site in Crays Hill on Monday. *Full story
PAIGE Kemp’s successful season continued with victory at the Boyce Hill Ladies’ Championship. Fresh from finishing runner up in a strong field in the East of England Ladies’ Championship, the 15-year cadet member beat Joanne Herd to claim the crown at
A BRAZEN thief has been snared after he stole a computer from the Civic Centre. Radek Dostal admitted taking the computer from a self-serve room of the council building in Victoria Avenue, Southend. This is the first successful investigation
TRIBUTES have been paid to the former chairman of Rochford District Council, who has died at the age of 78. Tony Humphries represented Rayleigh Central on Rochford District Council from May 2002 until his death. He was also council chairman
A MENTAL health and rehabilitation centre in the heart of Southend will be closed. South Essex Partnership Trust plans to scrap the base at the Taylor Centre in Queensway House, Essex Street. Admin staff have already started moving to
A SCHOOLGIRL almost died when her body reacted badly to a tampon. Paige Roffey, 15, spent ten days in hospital with toxic shock syndrome, after using the tampon for just four hours. Initially Southend Hospital doctors sent her home,
A FORMER West Ham footballer says a series of petty thefts is killing the youth football club he helps run. Langdon Pumas Youth Football Club has had more than £1,800 of equipment stolen since it moved to the McLaren Sports Ground, in Dunton Road, Laindon
A HOST of acts will come together to raise funds for Help for Heroes with a special charity show at the Towngate theatre, in Basildon, tonight and tomorrow. Featuring Eurovision star Josh Dubovie as well as teams from Kayzar Dance School, BBC Essex’s
I ONLY just missed out on being involved against Gillingham on Tuesday night and hope to be contention for this weekend’s game with Plymouth Argyle. I would again describe my chances of playing as 50/50. But if I train tomorrow then I’m sure I’ll be
PETER Gilbert wants Southend United to record back-to-back home wins when they host struggling Plymouth Argyle at Roots Hall on Saturday. Gilbert was recalled to the starting line-up for Tuesday night’s dramatic 1-0 win over Gillingham.
BASILDON cyclist Russell Hampton is determined to hang on to his lead in the King of the Mountains competition right until the end of the Tour of Britain. The 23-year-old, right, will wear the polka-dot jersey of the King of the Mountains leader during
RESIDENTS in Castle Point have recycled more food waste than expected in the first two months of the scheme. The council collected 881 tonnes of food and garden waste in July, and 883 tonnes in August. When you take out the amount of garden waste collected
I must comment on the article relating to the clean bill of health at Southend Hospital (Aug 16), which said an inspection was carried out during July. I spent time in Castle Point ward in July, and I can confirm the floors were not cleaned daily
We saw the Thriller Live show on Saturday and it was fantastic, unlike the service at the Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff. We arrived an hour early because my wife is disabled, so her walking is limited, and there were only eight blue badge parking
The national planning policy framework is badly drafted and is skewed too far in favour of developers, which will have unintended consequences. This policy is one our Conservative councillors in Basildon are only too happy to quote and use to
The travellers of Dale Farm may be warm and gentle, according to Vanessa Redgrave, but it doesn’t entitle them to break the law. A traveller “mum” was quoted as asking “where will we go?” You’re a traveller, dear, travel! Kathleen McCarthy was
Lord Hanningfield has been freed from jail after serving just nine weeks of his sentence. The news made me wonder quite what use the jail sentence is nowadays. Having been convicted of fiddling his House of Lords expenses and sentenced to nine
WHILE it boasts many a fine eaterie, Southend is not exactly bursting with good places to go for vegetarian food. So when the Railway Hotel launched its new vegetarian and vegan menu a few months ago, I couldn’t wait to get down there and give it a try
CONTRACTORS for Basildon Council are fitting out derelict homes on the Craylands estate so travellers can move in. THREE-PAGE NEWS SPECIAL IN YOUR ECHO TODAY GRAB A COPY - YOUR PAPER IS IN THE SHOPS EARLY
CONSERVATION experts have thrown another hurdle in the path of Southend Pier’s new £3million cultural centre. Despite councillors approving the much-delayed plans for the pierhead yesterday, English Heritage has warned it could refuse to back the development
A STRUGGLING family support charity has found enough money to stay open for another six months. Home-Start Basildon was expected to close this month due to financial difficulties, but has been thrown a lifeline thanks to fundraising efforts
ABRAND new Essex theatre company stages its first ever production this week. Elite Productions launches with the popular musical A Slice of Saturday Night. Set in a dance hall during the Sixties, the show charts the anxious learning curve involved in
THEY took a break over the summer, but skiffle-billy act Snake Oil are back with a series of gigs and a new album out this Friday. The group will be performing their music in Leigh, Rayleigh and Benfleet as they set about promoting their fourth album
THEY were disappointed to have to cancel their ambitious Zummer of Zwing at the Kursaal, but Southend swing band the Zoltans have bounced back with a gig in Rochford to celebrate the Battle of Britain. Their sounds will be perfectly in tune with the
MOST bands work intensively on a new album before taking the songs on the road and introducing them to fans. But for relaxed reggae/roots band the Beatroots, that is far too stressful. The chilled-out group say they’ve been gigging the songs on their
A FARMER has admitted he is considering an offer from a housing developer to buy some of his land and build 200 homes. Persimmon Homes has sent an e-mail to all Castle Point councillors setting out its plans to build 200 homes on green belt
WITH an appearance at Glaston-bury this year and an album out, there’s no doubting Rastamouse’s star quality. Next week will see the creators of the reggae-loving mouse, who’s ethos is to “make a bad ting good”, at the Rayleigh Arts Festival. Author
