Sunday 31 January 2016

PICTURES: RSPB The Big Garden Birdwatch, Essex by Chris Rushton

Gallery created by Chris_Rushton

PICTURES: RSPB The Big Garden Birdwatch, Essex  by Chris Rushton

Still no sign of road crossing at site of controversial Burnham...

WORK on a controversial windfarm continues to progress despite the absence of a promised pedestrian crossing to cope with building material deliveries.Thousands of lorries are expected to make their way along Maldon Road, Southminster Road and Marsh Road, near the site of Ormiston Rivers Academy in Burnham-on-Crouch, to carry materials to Turncole Wind Farm.But a £45,000 pedestrian crossing funded by energy developer RES is yet to be installed as the developer agreed in a £5m...

Still no sign of road crossing at site of controversial Burnham...

January 2016 in Pictures from around Essex by Chris Rushton

Gallery created by Chris_Rushton

January 2016 in Pictures from around Essex by Chris Rushton

Friday 29 January 2016

Essex Outdoor Cinema unveil summer showings for Chelmsford,...

One of the county's favourite summer attractions has announced its new list of events for 2016.Essex Outdoor Cinema Scores put on open-air film events in parks and promenades across Essex, and for this year, have compiled a blockbuster selection including Grease and Top Gun.Almost 10,000 people like the Essex Outdoor Cinema Facebook page, with the first event of the season due to take place at Weald Country Park.For more information, visit www.essexoutdoorcinema.com.Here is the full list of the...

Essex Outdoor Cinema unveil summer showings for Chelmsford,...

Burnham Pharmacy mistakenly hand out Viagra instead of migraine...

A pharmacy in Burnham-on-Crouch mistakenly gave a woman medication for erectile dysfunction instead of her usual migraine prescription.Elaine Davies, from North Fambridge Road, was at home when her medication was delivered to her door by the Burnham Pharmacy."I have a condition called fibromyalgia which causes muscle spasms and migraines but my medication, sumatriptan, usually knocks them on the head pretty quickly."When my prescription was delivered, I checked the box and saw that the...

Burnham Pharmacy mistakenly hand out Viagra instead of migraine...

Things to do in Essex this half term

Half-price half-term activity days at Essex OutdoorsEssex Outdoors' activity days give young people aged 8 to 16 the chance to try out exciting outdoor activities such as archery, canoeing, climbing, and mountain biking. As a special half-term offer, all activity days are reduced from their usual £30 to £15 per child at all four centres in Bradwell, Danbury, Harlow and Mersea.Participants, who will be supervised throughout by qualified instructors, should bring comfortable (and...

Things to do in Essex this half term

Thursday 28 January 2016

Essex house prices likely to be much higher on streets ending...

Houses across Essex on roads that have a 'Warren' or 'Chase' in the name are far more likely to be expensive than those one other streets, according to new research.Property website Zoopla looked at the most common street names in the entirety of the UK to find out which had the highest average house price.If a house was on a street with 'Warren' in the name they were valued at an average of £607,267, more than twice the national average, and over £100,000 more than 'Chase'...

Essex house prices likely to be much higher on streets ending...

Wednesday 27 January 2016

Five fun things you can do in Essex this weekend

There's all sorts of things happening around Essex this weekend - and we've rounded up five events that may tempt you.Horror film nights in SouthendIf you fancy a scare, then head along to the 'Horror-On-Sea' film festival, which runs until Sunday. From 7pm, the White Bus Cinema at TAP on North Road on Friday night will show Kill, Granny, Kill! which focuses on a clan of ruthless elderly women, while President Wolfman will also be shown – as will two short films.Saturday's offering will...

Five fun things you can do in Essex this weekend

Tuesday 26 January 2016

Essex mental health provider 'unsafe', say CQC

An Essex mental health provider has been branded unsafe in a report published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) this week.The North Essex Partnership (NEP) were inspected in August last year, and while they received an overall rating of 'requires improvement', they were deemed to be 'Inadequate' for keeping their patients safe.The CQC's deputy chief inspector of hospitals and lead for mental health, Dr Paul Lelliott, said: "Trust managers took a long time to make improvements to...

Essex mental health provider 'unsafe', say CQC

Saturday 23 January 2016

Essex weird winter weather to become the norm thanks to climate...

Record winter temperatures in December and wild fluctuations from minus figures to teens in only a couple of days this January could well become similar to the norm as the world's climate changes according to one expert.Dr Aled Jones, director of Anglia Ruskin's Global Sustainability Institute and expert in responses to climate change, said that while weather is basically random a lot of the changeable conditions we have experienced this winter can be put down climate change and a strong El...

Essex weird winter weather to become the norm thanks to climate...

Thursday 21 January 2016

Mini winter heatwave on the way for Essex as unpredictable winter...

After just two weeks of winter it appears as though Essex will return to the unusual weather of December as temperatures are set to soar into double figures this weekend according to the Essex Weather Centre.Reports of wind, rain, and temperatures into double figures for this weekend come hot on the heels of the biting cold that has seen heavy frosts and in some places snow settle in the county.As the cold weather sitting over the UK moves away much of the country is expecting further heavy rain...

Mini winter heatwave on the way for Essex as unpredictable winter...

Tuesday 19 January 2016

Fallen overhead cable causes power cut in Essex village

A village has been without power for most of this morning (January 19) after a power cut was caused by a fallen cable.Tillingham residents reported the problems before 7.30am, with power not expected to return until after 11am. The outage was sparked by a fallen overhead cable in East End Road, Bradwell-on-Sea.UK Power Network informed residents that a specialist team would be needed on the site to carry out repairs before the power was restored.

Fallen overhead cable causes power cut in Essex village

Forth Road Bridge inquiry to begin

MSPs on Holyrood's infrastructure and capital investment committee are to begin an inquiry into the closure of the Forth Road Bridge.

Monday 18 January 2016

Sainsbury's recalls bread over fears of metal inside

Sainsbury's have recalled loaves bread over fears they could have pieces of metal inside. The orange shopping giant has asked customers to return Sainsbury's own 800g thick and medium wholemeal loaves, both of which have 'best-before' dates of January 19. A spokesman for the supermarket chain said: "Our supplier has made us aware of the possible presence of tiny metal pieces in a small number of the above products. "As a precautionary measure, we are asking customers who have...

Sainsbury's recalls bread over fears of metal inside

Sunday 17 January 2016

Five fire crews tackle Essex furniture warehouse blaze

Five Essex Fire and Rescue crews tackled a two and a half hour blaze at a furniture warehouse. The fire started at the warehouse in Turkey Cock Lane, Colchester, with the crews arriving at 5.58am. The entire building was alight until crews put out the fire at 8.16am.

Five fire crews tackle Essex furniture warehouse blaze

Saturday 16 January 2016

PICTURES: Racing at Chelmsford City Racecourse Gallery 2 of 2

Gallery created by Chris_Rushton

PICTURES: Racing at Chelmsford City Racecourse Gallery 2 of 2

PICTURES: Racing at Chelmsford City Racecourse Gallery 1 of 2

Gallery created by Chris_Rushton

PICTURES: Racing at Chelmsford City Racecourse Gallery 1 of 2

Revealed: Essex's top dogging spots

Essex's top dogging spots have been revealed in an online blog dedicated to the social activity.The list of 13 sites, found on 'doggingsites' includes the woods by the old public toilets in the west of Witham and a field off Hurrells Lane in Little Baddow, Chelmsford.Other sites include Langdon Hills Country Park in Basildon, Cudmore Grove Country park in Mersea Island and a car park off Colchester Road in Coggeshall.Further sites include a spot behind Leigh-on-Sea railway station, a car park...

Revealed: Essex's top dogging spots

Essex man swallowed £40,000 worth of cocaine in British...

A BASILDON man who bombed 311 grams of cocaine in a bid to smuggle £40,000 worth of the drug into Britain has been jailed.Preston Rogers, 23, of no fixed address but previously of Waterville Drive, was intercepted by Border Force officers at Stansted Airport on Tuesday, December 1 last year when he arrived on a flight from Lisbon following a three-day trip.When asked for his boarding pass he also produced an e-ticket showing a trip from Heathrow Airport to Sao Paulo, via Madrid, on 22...

Essex man swallowed £40,000 worth of cocaine in British...

PICTURES: Chelmsford Parkrun Gallery 2 of 2

Gallery created by Chris_Rushton

PICTURES: Chelmsford Parkrun Gallery 2 of 2

PICTURES: Chelmsford Parkrun Gallery 1 of 2

Gallery created by Chris_Rushton

PICTURES: Chelmsford Parkrun Gallery 1 of 2

Essex pizza restaurant workers threatened in night time robbery

Police are investigating a robbery at Perfect Pizza in London Road, Benfleet.A man entered the shop and demanded money at about 10.45pm yesterday, Friday January 15.He threatened staff members and ran off with a small amount of money.No weapon was seen.Officers attended and carried out an extensive search of the area for the suspect, who has yet to be located.He was described as white, about 5ft 5ins tall, aged in his late 20s, and of small build. He had a shaved head and wore an earring in his...

Essex pizza restaurant workers threatened in night time robbery

Scotland's top-rated visitor experiences

Scotland's top-rated visitor experiences revealed

Missing Braintree man sparks police search

Police are appealing for help to trace Jai Stead, who is missing from Braintree.He was last seen at 8.15am yesterday, Friday January 15.Jai, 35, is described as being 5ft 11in tall, of slim build, with short brown hair and a beard. He has a tanned complexion. He was last seen wearing dark tracksuit bottoms, a dark hooded top, dark polo shirt and a black coat.Jai is believed to have links to Southend, Wethersfield and Clacton and has used hotels, night shelters and support services offering short...

Missing Braintree man sparks police search

OPINION: I'm shocked at how much bad feeling there is for...

YOU only need to do a quick Google search these days to see what people are saying about any given subject.I had reason to talk about my local MP, Sir Simon Burns, during the week and was surprised at how much vitriol there is for him.It just so happened that a day or two later he announced that he would be stepping down from his position at the next election, giving someone else a chance to run in Chelmsford, so it seems like an ideal time to talk about him here.I've had exchanges with him in...

OPINION: I'm shocked at how much bad feeling there is for...

Pictures: Essex man taken to hospital after BMW crashes through...

THIS was the wreckage left after a BMW smashed through a roundabout's railings following an early morning crash.The £25,000 three series was left wedged at a 45 degree angle after a collision with a Peugeot 206 on Broadmayne in Basildon.Paramedics and police attended the scene of the accident which happened at around 5am on Thursday (January 14) and the driver, a man in his 20s, suffered minor injuries.An Essex Police spokesperson said: "Police were contacted at 5.15am with reports of...

Pictures: Essex man taken to hospital after BMW crashes through...

Essex braced for snow and ice following cold snap

Chelmsford has been warned to expect snow after a week of bitterly cold temperatures. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice for the entire East of England region including Chelmsford, Braintree, Brentwood and Loughton. Drivers will face the unenviable task of scraping ice from their windscreens after temperatures plummeted as the sunset on Friday. A statement from the Met Office said: "A frontal zone moving eastwards into Britain on Saturday will run into and stall...

Essex braced for snow and ice following cold snap

Friday 15 January 2016

Essex plan to care for children with mental health problems among...

A plan to transform the way children and young people's emotional wellbeing and mental health are cared for in Essex has been singled out for praise by NHS England.Ten authorities across our county have teamed up to launch the five-year plan named 'Open up, Reach out' that will see an extra £3.3m per year added to the field's current budget.The plan has been rated as the best in the Midlands and East of England, and will see – among other things – expanded services for eating...

Essex plan to care for children with mental health problems among...

Thursday 14 January 2016

Wintery showers forecast across parts of Essex tonight

After the freezing cold temperatures Essex has seen throughout today it seems as though winter is keen to drive home reminders of its - rather late - arrival by showering us with winter snow. Some parts of Northern Essex saw light dustings of snow this morning, and most of the county has seen sleet fall in patches throughout the day. ☃ Light Snow in Braintree.— Michael Johnson (@MichaelDJJohnso) January 14, 2016 This evening the possibility of further snowfall has been forecast, with...

Wintery showers forecast across parts of Essex tonight

Did your Essex MP vote for or against forcing landlords to make...

The House of Commons yesterday, Wednesday January 13, voted on whether the new Housing Bill should include rules that would apparently force landlords 'to ensure that their properties are fit for habitation'.Labour's shadow housing minister Teresa Pearce proposed the amendment, arguing that some homes in England are "frankly unfit for human habitation being let, often at obscene prices."She did, however, acknowledge that most landlords let property of a decent standard and will fix...

Did your Essex MP vote for or against forcing landlords to make...

Wednesday 13 January 2016

Networking tips for work and business: expert career advice to...

New year is the typical time UK workers start looking for a new job or researching a career change. Jobseekers in Essex are no different so over the next few days we'll be running some expert career advice to help your job search. Today, we have some advice on networking - how to network in business successfully, beginners tips and practical advice whether you're an introvert or a beginner. In today's connected society, knowing the most is no longer good enough, and being the best won't...

Networking tips for work and business: expert career advice to...

One killed in Tolleshunt Major midnight crash

A two-car midnight crash in Tolleshunt Major resulted in one death.The accident happened in Witham Road with two fire crews attending the scene this morning at 12.13am. Paramedics also arrived to treat those involved with one being pronounced dead at the scene.The fire crews and paramedics left at 12.55am.

One killed in Tolleshunt Major midnight crash

Two-car crash blocks A130 at Howe Green

A two-car crash has blocked one lane of the A130 at the Howe Green junction of the A12. Peak time traffic has been slowed down as motorists are forced to merge into the one remaining open lane. Essex Travel News tweeted their followers to inform them of the accident. A130 Northbound - Accident involving two vehicles partially blocking the carriageway between the Rettendon Turnpike and Howe Green (A12/J17)— Essex Travel News (@Essex_Travel) January 12, 2016

Two-car crash blocks A130 at Howe Green

Three Tube strikes could hit Essex commuters

London Underground strikes could mean packed bus journeys for many Essex commuters later this year if three 24-hour walkouts go ahead over the proposed new Night Tube service.Tube staff announced earlier this week that they were to stage the strikes along with other industrial action from the evenings of January 26, February 15 and February 17.All of these dates for the strikes, which would be by members of the RMT, ASLEF and Unite unions, occur on weekdays.RMT general secretary Mick Cash said...

Three Tube strikes could hit Essex commuters

Women hospitalised after assault in toilets at Maldon's Swan Pub

TWO women were allegedly punched in the face, and another punched and pushed into a wall just minutes after they celebrated the new year.Jessie Barton, Corianne Spenner and Courtney Armstrong were assaulted when they told a man to leave the women's toilet in the Swan Pub, Maldon, in the early hours of New Year's Day.The nursery worker shared what had happened as well as photographs of her injuries on Facebook, in the hope of finding the attacker.Ms Spenner wrote on Facebook: "Literally...

Women hospitalised after assault in toilets at Maldon's Swan Pub

Snow, sun, floods and storms - Just what is causing our...

As winter arrives in Essex with a vengeance on all of us who took December off as a chance to go sunbathing, we spoke with forecasters at Essex Weather Centre to work out why this winter is proving so tough to predict."It's all because of El Niño," said Tom Defty from the weather centre, "December was the warmest ever in Essex and five years ago we had the coldest ever, which shows the effect of El Niño which is playing a key part in all of this."El Niño...

Snow, sun, floods and storms - Just what is causing our...

Monday 11 January 2016

Ten Essex runs to set as your fitness goals in the first six...

While many of us have made resolutions this year to run more and to get fit it is often the case that we lose focus with nothing to aim for and slip back into routine.Fortunately Essex is a hotbed of parkruns and 10k runs to keep the ambition going, here's a rundown of ten different runs across the county that are perfect to set your sights on in the next six months.1. Essex parkruns Five km parkruns are an integral part of the running scene in Essex with 21 different venues across the county...

Ten Essex runs to set as your fitness goals in the first six...

Friday 8 January 2016

Overturned lorry causes nine-hour A130 closure

An overturned lorry carrying wood has brought traffic to a halt on the A130 with traffic being diverted from the Sadler's Farm junction.The main road, which connects Basildon and Chelmsford was shut following the accident at around 7am this morning. Drivers are being advised to find an alternative route while police cordon remains in place during an operation to remove the vehicle. Congestion has calmed down since the accident but motorists have been warned the road could still be closed until...

Overturned lorry causes nine-hour A130 closure

How four Lotto winners' lives changed

How life changed for four Lotto jackpot winners

Wednesday 6 January 2016

Essex could lose 200 full-time firefighters as fire service looks...

MORE than 200 Essex firefighter positions could be cut in dramatic proposals to save up to £15m by 2020.The Essex County Fire and Rescue Service was told last month that its multi-million pound grant from central government, around 20 per cent of its annual budget, will disappear in four years' time.One option that could potentially deliver savings of £8.6 million would involve cutting the number of wholetime firefighters, who work both day and night shifts, from 570 down to 360, but...

Essex could lose 200 full-time firefighters as fire service looks...

Tuesday 5 January 2016

Police search for teenager missing from Danbury home

Police are appealing for information to help locate a 15-year-old boy missing from his home in Danbury.Enriko Selmani was last seen at home at around 2pm on December 29. He has not been seen since.He was reported missing to police the following day after he failed to return home.Enriko is described as white, 5ft 9ins tall, with short brown spiked hair and a moustache. He was last wearing blue jeans, a blue hooded top, black fur-lined jacket and grey Nike trainers. Anyone with information on his...

Police search for teenager missing from Danbury home