RICKY Ponting hit a masterly 65, his highest score in the Friends Life t20, but it was not enough to prevent Essex from ending Surrey's run of four successive victories with an eight-wicket triumph in front of a crowd of nearly 15,000 at the Oval.
A SENSATIONAL second-half free-kick from Canvey trialist Ty Smith earned them a 2-2 draw at home to Millwall in a pre-season friendly tonight. Smith, who looks set to join the Gulls from Met Police, drove the ball into the top corner from 25 yards
DON'T miss Tuesday's Echo for our 32-page pullout packed with pictures of primary school leavers from across south Essex.
DISABLED people from across Essex came together for their very own version of the Paralympic Games. Lions Clubs in south Essex held their annual mid-summer sports day and fun festival at the King John School, Thundersley, providing vital opportunities
STROKE sufferers will get better support to adapt to life at home, thanks to a new scheme. A team of health workers has been set up to reassure and support patients and get them back to normal life more quickly after leaving Southend Hospital.
SOUTHEND United have completed the signing of left-back Ben Coker. The 24-year-old has impressed Blues boss Phil Brown while on trial at Roots Hall. And Brown is delighted to have now added the defender to his squad. “Ben’s done really
CONCERNED residents are being invited to get their comments in quick before the closure of the public consultation on the future of the Deanes School. Essex County Council is currently undertaking a six-week consultation on whether or not to close
SOUTHEND has retained a prestigious award recognising the town as a safe and vibrant place for a night out. The town centre was handed the purple flag by the Association of Town and City Management for the second year running. The accolade
THE young, compassionate faces of Havens Hospices were recognised for their dedication and commitment at a special ceremony. Havens Hospices presented certificates of achievement to 20 young people from across Essex who have all been a part of
WOMEN are being asked to get “down and dirty” to help raise cash for the fight against cancer. Basildon will be one of just four places to host a Race for Life Pretty Muddy event this year to raise muchneeded funds for Cancer Research UK. Pretty
DANNY HEALE started his reign as Canvey manager with a 3-0 friendly win over Burnham Ramblers on a sweltering day at the Prospects Stadium. Many of the new Gulls signings made telling contributions, and none more so than striker Simon Thomas, who
UK Power Networks engineers are working to restore electricity supplies to customers in part of Westcliff following a fault on a high voltage underground cable. Power was interrupted to 1524 customers in the Hamlet Court Road area at 11.22am today
THE mum of a promising singer owes her daughter’s success to the Deane’s School and said it would be “disastrous” if it closed. Issie Dowd, of Common Lane, Thundersley, sang at the O2 in London on Sunday, July 7, after beating 9,000 others to reach
AN INSPIRING line-up of guest speakers has just been announced for the opening festival at Southend's brand new £25million library. Tickets will go on sale from 9am on Thursday for this eclectic programme at The Forum Southend. Among the featured
POLICE, hunting missing 47-year-old Michael Redmon, are now putting up posters as their search continues. It comes as specialist officers continue to search woodland and undergrowth at the Kingswood Golf Club in Clay Hill Lane, Basildon. Mr
CANVEY manager Danny Heale says he has a bit of a score to settle with his friend Neil Harris when he takes charge of a Millwall side in an attractive pre-season game on the island tonight. Former Southend United striker Harris has taken up a coaching
DEFIANT parents say they will still send their pupils to the Deanes School, Thundersley, despite the threat of closure. Dozens of prospective students and their parents were invited to a crisis meeting at the school in Daws Heath Road, on Wednesday
IT HAS become a household name used by thousands of people from right across the county. But one man claims he was the first to coin the phrase “Bas Vegas” to describe the Festival Leisure Park, in Basildon. John Cord, of Mistley Side, Basildon
POLICE are appealing for information after goods worth a five figure sum were stolen from a car in Westcliff. The goods were stolen from a BMW in Hamlet Court Road between 9.45pm and 10.45pm on Saturday, July 13. They included a distinctive
A NEW £7.1million dog rehoming centre is taking shape ahead of its launch next year. The Dogs Trust’s new centre is being built on the 13-acre Stevenson Farm site, at the junction of the A127 and Nevendon Road, near Wickford. The outline and
A DEJECTED Gianni Frankis admits he may have to consider his future in the sport after it seems almost certain he will miss out on a spot at the World Championships. Despite finishing second in the 110m hurdles at the British Championships and
During National Transplant Week, which ends on Sunday, the NHS is encouraging people to register as organ donors. CHRIS WILKIN talked to a man with good reason to be grateful to someone who did just that A CANCER victim who “died” twice during
GREAT Wakering continued their pre-season preparations with a 4-2 win at Olympian side White Ensign. The talented Hamid Zamani gave Ensign an early lead, but goals from Rovers’ player-manager Dan Trenkel and Aaron Baldwin put them in front before
SOUTHEND United are close to completing a double signing, according to boss Phil Brown. Former Colchester United left-back Ben Coker and a midfielder who played in League Two last season are both in advanced discussions with the Shrimpers.
TWO cars have collided outside Sainsbury's in London Road, Southend. Police were contacted at about 12.40pm today after the collision involving a blue Jaguar and a silver Audi. Two men were taken to hospital with minor head injuries.
TWO celebrities have signed up as official patrons of an up-and-coming Southend based theatre company. Old Trunk was set up last year by friends Sadie Hasler and Sarah Mayhew, who met while working on a show at the Palace Theatre, in Westcliff.
TEENAGE star Jessica Judd hopes the selectors picking the Great Britain squad for the World Athletics Championships will overlook what she called her worst race of the season. The 18-year-old, from Canvey, could have rubber-stamped her spot at
A MAN who was stabbed eight times in a vicious Westcliff street attack is no longer in a life-threatening condition. The victim’s condition has improved as police are continuing to hunt Eric Brophy, 18, who has links to the Southend and Dagenham
THE answer to the UK's airport problem could be "Foster Island" rather than "Boris Island" under proposals from London Mayor Boris Johnson. Mr Johnson did put forward his outer Thames Estuary, artificial island plan - dubbed "Boris Island" - for
SIX people caught measles across the Anglia and Essex area in May, new figures reveal. Data published yesterday showed the number of cases from January to May was more than the total number in 2012. Last year, there were 37 cases, but there
AN experienced biker who fell off his motorcycle and was struck by a lorry on the A127 could have slipped on the icy road surface, an inquest heard. Chris Simpson, 43, of Seaview Drive, Great Wakering, was riding along the inside lane of the London-bound
A PUPPY was found dumped in a Basildon park with horrific injuries. The one-year-old Yorkie, which has been named Penny, was found in a park in Great Mistley. She had a huge wound on the side of her body and damaged tissues around her eyes,
THE father of Chelsea footballer John Terry has been charged with carrying out a racist attack following a scuffle in London. Edward Terry, 59, of Lennox Close, Grays, has been charged with racially aggravated common assault and causing racially
AN after school club for children that distraught parents claim has changed the lives of their disabled youngsters is under threat. The group, which is organised by the charity Crossroads Care is under threat after Essex County Council pulled
TWO teenagers have been discharged from hospital after their faces were slashed in a knife attack. A group of six teenagers, boys and girls aged between 14 and 16, had been in Chase Park, off Fairfax Drive, when the incident happened. They
MORE than 1,000 people had to queue in sweltering heat outside Southend’s Chalkwell Park as organisers struggled to squeeze everyone in for the popular Village Green Festival. Police and event organisers keep the festival goers waiting on Saturday
RESCUE teams on Southend’s beaches were kept busy on the hottest day of the year, with several calls, but no casualties. Calls to the coastguard on Saturday included one, via an emergency line to report a child disappearing into the sea near Southend
PARKING charges at Southend Hospital raked in more than £1.2million last year. Figures show the hospital has been receiving more and more cash from its parking spaces for the three years up to 2012. In 2009-10 it raised £707,400 and in 2010
RESIDENTS fear another Dale Farm could be allowed to develop if travellers move on to a new pitch in Rayleigh as part of a development for 772 homes. As part of the plans, 15 traveller pitches will be created on the site known as Michelin’s Farm
YOBS who trashed one of the fun new planters in Southend were marched back to their crime scene by cops and made to clean it up. The young vandals, who tried to destroy a plant arrangement in the shape of a teacup, thought they’d got away with
HOLLYWOOD Babes is a glitzy, bling-filled women’s fashion boutique in Thorpe Bay. Inspired by shiny, jewel encrusted American glamour, the shop stocks clothes, hats and accessories for women of all sizes. Owner Michelle Jameson is as bright
