A FOOTBALL-MAD teenager has been give a birthday present he will never forget, thanks to his devoted mum. Liverpool fan Jack Crookes had his name legally changed to Jack James Steven Gerrard Crookes as a 16th birthday present from his mum, Jane. Jack
RAYLEIGH first XI rose to second place in Division One after a win by 63 runs against Writtle. The first’s batted first, scoring 207 all out with Jason Ox top scoring with 49. Writtle replied with a score of 144, which was not good enough to top Rayleigh
CANCER patients in Essex could be victims of a postcode lottery, new research suggests. A “cancer map” put together by Macmillan Cancer Support highlights survival rates for people with cancer, and focuses on the number who live as long as ten years
FOR many years, Thorpe Hall men have traditionally had men members, serving drinks and snacks to the players on Captains Day, as they go round the course. The advantages of having a successful restaurateur as Captain was like a breath of fresh air.
A TEENAGE girl suffered a fractured skull after she was hit by a Basildon Council-owned van which failed to stop. Siam McEwan, 17, remains on a high depency unit at Basildon Hospital after the back door of the van flung open and hit her as
A HAPPY couple decided to put their own spin on a wedding tradition by dispensing with the cake – in favour of a three-tiered pork pie. Rachel McCarthy and Jack Gundy, both 30, replaced the usual white centrepiece cake with a more unusual offering
DAMIAN Scannell looks set to become the next player to leave Southend United. The winger is available on a free transfer and is closing in on a move to Dagenham and Redbridge, who have been promoted in to League One. Full story to follow
A GANG of six youths broke into a house and threatened two people with a knife. A man in his 60s and a woman in her 90s had been asleep at their home in Southchurch Boulevard, Southend, when the crooks broke in. They threatened the man with a knife
A TEACHER has got through to the final of a national competition. Carol Cook works for the Adult Community College in Rocheway, Rochford, teaching sign language. She has come through the regional heat of the Signature Annual Awards scheme, which promotes
A MUM and six of her children are facing up to being made homeless after the caravan park where they live refused to renew their tenancy. Kerri Smith, 35, claims bosses at Thorney Bay Caravan Park, Canvey, have been trying to force her out for the past
A 66-YEAR-OLD man was whacked round the head in Southend. He was attacked next to a car which was parked by Stoke Court, in Whittingham Avenue, Southend, with an unknown weapon. He was taken to Southend Hospital at about 5.30pm on Tuesday
A RAPIST who kept a teenager prisoner before subjecting her to a humiliating sex attack has been jailed for a minimum of four years. Michael Wheeler, 23, gave the teenager a knife and forced her to cut up her clothes, before raping her twice
The Palace Hotel, Southend, is looking stunning both inside and out. It’s an absolute delight that this once rundown building has been restored to its original use as a first class hotel. No expense has been spared on the refurbishment and Southend
STAFF at Basildon Crown Court have wished a popular judge a happy retirement. Lawyers, clerks, ushers, prosecutors, probation workers, witness service officials, cleaners and security staff joined all the court’s judges to say farewell to His Honour
The British death toll in Afghanistan has now exceeded 300. Will we wait until it reaches the Russian total of 7,000 before we accept that a political solution, which requires the participation of the Taleban, can never be reached while western
There have been reports of temporary managers at Southend Council being paid high wages. It is also well known senior managers at the council are paid high wages. At the end of June I am being made redundant, so I will be looking for work. I
I am absolutely incensed by what I witnessed in Southend High Street on Friday evening. I went to Pizza Express with my grandson at about 6pm and we left at about 7.30pm. We walked towards the taxi rank and in plain view, just a few yards away
Health and safety is obviously important, but due to a combination of political correctness and lack common sense, it has become a joke. The Government needs to look at the legislation to ensure this department has a sensible remit which helps
A 91-YEAR-OLD woman has spoken of her shock after her purse was stolen in a busy supermarket. The woman, who does not want to be named, said she was shopping at Asda in Tilbury when she realised someone had taken her purse from her handbag. The woman
THE coaching method which helped establish some of the world’s top tennis stars is now also making an impression in south east Essex. The wonders of Oscar Wegner’s Modern Tennis helped Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten on his way to winning the French Open
VARIED conditions suited Rochford’s Doggetts lake this week. Match man and local angler Jon Hanks fished the south bank landing a 23lb mirror plus a 16lb common. Mark Smith fished the north bank for a night banking an 18lb common, a fully scaled at
ALLEYN Court Preparatory School have eight pupils flying the East Anglian flag at the National Independent Schools Association athletics championships. The students made it through to the regional team following their performances at the East Anglian
TANER Adu has left Essex Pirates to join the Plymouth Raiders. Adu top scored for the Southend based side last season, bagging 588 points, and has been called up to the England team for the first time this weekend. But he has now opted
PITSEA-based sprint hurdler Gianni Frankis has been ruled out of this weekend’s European Athletics Trials in Birmingham with a hip injury. The 22-year-old, who raced in last summer’s World Champion-ship in Berlin, picked up the problem while racing
TWO cars have collided in Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, at the junction of Canewdon Road. It happened shortly before 12.30pm today and police are still on scene dealing with the incident. Early reports suggest one person has minor injuries.
ROBIN Womack has boosted his chances of another international call-up with his best shot put performance for two years. The wheelchair bound 39-year-old, who is based in Southend, launched the shot out to 10.67m at Stoke Mandeville. And that took him
SOUTHEND United have cancelled the contracts of both Adam Barrett and Alan McCormack. Barrett had two years left on his contract at Roots Hall, while McCormack had 12 months remaining. But they have both been released on free transfers
FIVE arrested for attempted murder following a stabbing in Rayleigh have been released on bail. A 32-year-old man had been attacked inside the Downhall Stores off licence, in Downhall Road, at about 9.20pm last Wednesday. He was loaded onto
BASILDON Hospital chiefs say they are taking steps to improve the way they treat patients with learning disabilities after being criticised by a mental health charity. A survey by Mencap revealed 50 per cent of doctors and nurses in the east of England
A MUM has said she will never know the full details surrounding her son’s death. An inquest heard Luke Howard, 21, died three days after a taxi and his scooter were involved in a crash on the Thai island of Koh Phangan, on July 11 2009. The taxi driver
HUNDREDS of people have supported plans for a night bus in Southend. A 300-signature petition was handed into Southend Council, calling for an affordable service. The campaign was started after complaints buses stop running too early, so people had
PITSEA tip bosses want to extend opening hours because not enough rubbish is being dumped there. The collapse of the construction industry, because of the recession, has resulted in lower amounts of waste and rubble being dumped at the huge landfill
FIREFIGHTERS and fire stations across Essex could be cut as the Government presses public bodies to save money. Essex Fire and Rescue Service has launched a comprehensive review of operations, ahead of likely funding cuts and a council tax freeze.
CASTLE Point MP Rebecca Harris paid tribute to her predecessor, Dr Bob Spink, when she made her maiden speech in the House of Commons. During a debate on the strategic defence and security review, Mrs Harris told Parliamentary colleagues how
YOU would think he might have been named Bas Vegas, but the new mascot for Basildon’s Festival Leisure Park is called Bobble. The big, orange character, with a bowling ball-shaped head, will be hobbling out at public events at the park throughout
THIEVES who have repeatedly tried to strip the lead off a Prittlewell church have been damaging gravestones in the process. The problem has become so bad at St Mary’s Church, in East Street, it is costing a fortune to replace the lead.
A COMEDIAN is taking to the stage to help raise money to fight the condition that killed his dad. Former Westcliff High School for Boys pupil Marc Shalet, 20, of Southchurch Boulevard, Southend, was on a gap year before accepting a place at Cambridge
THE cause of the horrific A127 crash which led to the death of a mother and her young daughter, will remain a mystery, an inquest heard. Michelle Williams, 38, was killed instantly when her car hit a lorry parked in a layby last July. Her three-year-old
