IT’S been 45 years since Danny Wells last set foot inside Shoreditch Town Hall, but the retired bantamweight remembers it like it was yesterday. He faced Dixie Dean over eight rounds but, despite giving a good account, lost on points. Wells, now a
BOXING starlets from Essex rubbed shoulders with former world champions during a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York. A group of 21 fighters from across the county arrived back in the UK yesterday following an action-packed week in the Big Apple.
THERE will be an action replay when Leigh & Westcliff LTA stages its summer finals on Sunday. The men’s singles final will see a repeat of last year’s showdown with Rayleigh’s Ryan Wilson attempting to defend the title he won against Hadleigh Park’s
SOUTHEND Council has paid consultants £45,000 of public money for a study to discover the “character” of the town. London-based consultancy firm Urban Practitioners have been hired to prepare an “urban characterisation study” of the borough alongside
DEBUTANT Ashley Hawkins hit a brace to give Great Wakering their first league win of the season and lift them off the foot of the Ryman One North table. Luca Frankis also helped himself to a double as Ryan Wilkinson’s side ran out 4-2 winners against
JOSH Simpson has admitted he would be keen to extend his stay with Southend United. The on loan Peterborough United midfielder, who will line up against Morecambe at Roots Hall tomorrow, has caught the eye for Blues this season. And
FIGHTERS from a Benfleet karate club have added British glory to their English title. Uechi-Ryu members Rob Camp, Jack Lowe, Alfie Ambrose, Joe Denham and Jamaal Otto won the English boys cadet team gold medal in April. And they landed the national
IT’S the town with the longest pleasure pier in the world and has seven miles of seafront and boasts the mighty Shrimpers, but now Southend can also claim to have the UK’s sexiest people. The town has been voted Britain’s Sexiest Town by lads mag Zoo
THE family of tragic baby Leo Coombs laid him to rest yesterday and launched a charity appeal in his name. Leo was born four months’ premature at Southend Hospital, on August 25 last year, but died 20 days short of his first birthday. His mum Donna,
PROGRESS on refurbishing Canvey’s war memorial is at last being made after a new committee took over the project. Plans for the memorial, at the Paddocks Community Centre, have been on hold for almost two years because the designs were rejected
PLANNED improvements to Canvey Lake may take up to five years to complete, according to the town council. But its chairman John Anderson stressed to the public it hoped to do the work in three. The council is planning to refurbish the
ESSEX is preparing to welcome what is predicted to be an action-packed stage of the country’s biggest bike race on Friday. The seventh stage of the Tour of Britain will take in Braintree, Witham and Heybridge, before finishing in Colchester. Organisers
ONE of Rochford Hundred’s brightest prospects now plays off plus one after a sparkling four under par round on Sunday. Arthur Leonard notched 40 Stableford points to win the cadets Malcolm Fox trophy thanks to five birdies — three on the trot — and
POLICE have named a man who died following a serious collision with a van on one of the main roads into Southend yesterday. Raja Khan, aged 60 from Earls Hall Avenue, Southend was killed as he crossed Victoria Avenue, just outside St Mary's Church
WEST Ham have confirmed manager Avram Grant will not take charge of the team for Saturday’s Premier League match at Stoke so he can observe the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. The Israeli will pick and prepare the side as usual, but will not be on the
ESSEX Pirates have signed Great Britain under-20 international Myles Hesson. The talented youngster played for the Southend-based side in their pre-season friendly against Mersey Tigers on Saturday. And he has now completed a permanent switch to the
A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Southend detectives are questioning a 31-year-old man from Westcliff in connection with an incident in Station Road, Westcliff on Friday, September 3, which left a man with serious head injuries
SOUTHEND angler Danny Read lead the way at Doggetts this week by landing a 29lb common carp during a 24-hour session. He caught the fish near the reeds by the short arm at the Rochford venue and also hooked and landed mirrors of 25 and 18lbs pounds.
BILLERICAY Town have signed attacking left-back, Darren Ebsworth. The 21-year-old is a product of Millwall’s youth system and spent the majority of last season at East Thurrock United, before starting this term with Brentwood Town before they released
THE NUMBER of motorists who have won court battles against LBS Enforcement and are still waiting for compensation has risen by almost a third, the Echo can reveal. LBS, based in Southend and Wickford, now has 26 outstanding county court judgments
A FORMER Essex County cricketer was accused of fraud today over claims he deliberately played poorly. The Crown Prosecution Service said Mervyn Westfield had been charged with conspiracy to defraud. Investigators allege he acted dishonestly
NEIGHBOURS have called on Southend Council to act against an empty home that is blighting their area and affecting property prices. Residents living near a run-down, three-bedroom property, in Ilfracombe Road, Southend, say it is attracting rats and
POLICE are treating an incident involving a boy and an ice cream van as an accident after the youngster told his parents he was playing about and fell off the van. The five-year-old was airlifted to hospital after being found laying in the road at
A MAN has been bailed by police following a serious road crash in Sutton Road, Southend which left a woman and a young boy suffering from serious injuries. The crash, which involved a white panel van, a black Peugeot Sport, a silver Volvo Vectra
STAFF and parents fighting to get a replacement lollipop lady at their school have been told they will win their campaign if they can get 50 children to use the crossing. Mums and dads of pupils attending Runwell Primary School, in Canewdon Gardens,
CONGESTION caused by roadworks in the centre of Southend has forced bus operator Arriva to divert buses. The services which have been hardest hit by delays of around 40 minutes are services 7, 8, 9 and 29. All the routes use Victoria Avenue and head
TRAVELLERS are launching a series of protests over the quality of accommodation offered to them facing eviction. Tomorrow residents of Dale Farm in Crays Hill will hold a demonstration in protest at new homes being offered to families facing
BASILDON district’s first ever art trail hits the road today. The scheme, which turns streets into linear art galleries, follows the pattern set by other successful art trails in local towns, including Leigh, Chelmsford, Brentwood, and Maldon. Work
BUILDERS are working flat out on a new £20million Canvey school as they battle to finish ahead of schedule. VIPs were at Cornelius Vermuyden School to witness the official start of construction on the new building, which is being funded by
DUST down your platforms and flares as Abba Mania hits the Cliffs Pavilion, in Westcliff, tonight. One the world’s biggest touring musicals, it features all the music from Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anna including Mamma Mia, Voulez Vous, and Dancing Queen
A NEWLY-APPOINTED council chief executive is one of the highest paid leaders in the country, despite the borough having one of the smallest populations. Graham Farrant, who took over at Thurrock Council from interim boss Bob Coomber, on August
MORE than 3,300 parking fines have been dished out by Basildon’s CCTV Smart Car in its first 11 months. However, nearly a quarter of the tickets were incorrectly issued. Basildon Council expects to collect £105,880 in penalty charges
