Updates for Thursday, 4 February 2016
News, sport, weather and travel updates resume at 08:00 on Friday
Updates for Essex have finished for today - thanks for joining us.
We'll be back in the morning from 08:00 with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Have a great evening.
Charlie Jones
BBC Local Live
Police want to identify two men after two plain clothed officers were assaulted in Springfield Road in Chelmsford.
Image source, Essex PoliceBoth are around six foot tall; one is of slim build, has short light brown hair and was wearing a quilted body warmer and jeans. The other is of a stock build, has a bald head and was wearing a dark jumper and jeans.
Four people have already been arrested in connection with the incident, which happened on 21 December.
Glenn Speller
BBC Essex Sport
Colchester United boss Kevin Keen says his side is not panicking despite failing to win a league game since 20 October.
Image source, Getty ImagesColchester are bottom of the table and seven points adrift of safety.
"There is a gap but there is still a considerable amount of games left," Keen said. "If there was only five or six left we can start panicking."
It will stay largely cloudy throughout tonight, with further patchy outbreaks of rain from time to time. A breezy night, though it will be mild. Minimum temperature: 9C (48F).
Charlie Jones
BBC Local Live
A woman in her 60s has been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after a crash in Buckhurst Hill.
Image source, GoogleA man in his 80s also suffered serious injuries to his arm in the collision, which happened in Roding Lane at 11:20 this morning. The road has been closed for most of the day but is expected to reopen shortly.
Tom Croasdell
BBC Essex
Here are your headlines for this evening:
Ian Puckey
BBC Essex
Police are appealing for witnesses after a man and woman, both aged in their 60s, were attacked inside a property last night in Corona Road, Basildon.
Image source, GoogleThey suffered serious but not life threatening knife wounds and are still in hospital, police said.
A 31-year-old man, who officers say is known to the victims, was arrested in Grays and is being questioned on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder.
Tom Croasdell
BBC Essex
Tendring District Council says it's clamping down on people who are living on holiday parks all year round, after monitoring sites in Clacton for the past three winters.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe council says it's not ruling out evicting people from caravans and chalets for breaching the conditions of their lease, especially in high-risk flood areas.
Cath Bicknell, head of planning, said: "Our first step will be to try to resolve the situation and we will only use formal action as a last resort.”
Charlie Jones
BBC Local Live
A foal has been rescued from a field in Tilbury after she was found with an untreated leg wound.
Image source, Redwings Horse SanctuaryViolet, who is just a few months old, is recovering at Redwings Horse Sanctuary, external after her owner could not afford veterinary treatment, and agreed to hand her over.
Lynn Cutress, the charity's chief executive, said: "We’ve all fallen in love with Violet and we’re looking forward to seeing her enjoy a happy life with fellow youngsters at the sanctuary, and hope she may be able to have a second chance through our rehoming programme."
Nic Rigby
BBC News
Dog owners' group the Kennel Club has said it's sceptical of the plans approved in Alresford to test the DNA of dog mess.
In a statement, the group said: "It would be difficult to make this compulsory and enforceable, which would likely mean that only responsible owners, who already pick up after their dogs, would register.
"The irresponsible minority who do not pick up after their dogs would simply continue to flout the law."
BBC Travel
There are severe delays and two lanes are closed on the M25 Dartford Tunnel anticlockwise, between J1a, A282 (Swanscombe) and J31, A1306 (West Thurrock), because of emergency repairs.
Congestion is to J3, M20 (Swanley Interchange).
Elsewhere, one lane is closed and there's queuing traffic on the A12 London-bound between J14, Wantz (Margaretting) and J13, B1002 (Ingatestone), because of a car fire.
BBC Travel
The M11 is blocked on the exit slip road northbound at J7, A414 (Harlow), because of a broken down vehicle.
Tom Croasdell
BBC Essex
Police are no longer searching for a 15-year-old girl who went missing from her home in Pitsea, near Basildon. Shelbie Potter was found in Basildon this afternoon.
Ben Fryer
BBC Essex Sport
Southend United striker Noel Hunt is a doubt for the Essex derby against Colchester on Saturday.
He picked up a back injury in the midweek win at Shrewsbury.
Tyrone Barnett is likely to replace him. Hunt missed Tuesday’s match as he couldn’t play against his parent club.
Claire Sawyer
BBC Essex
A million pound revamp of a site on Clacton seafront has been given the green light by councillors.
Image source, Tendring District CouncilA children's water park, a new adventure golf facility and the conversion of a redundant toilet block into a restaurant have all been planned.
The revamp will create more than 20 full time jobs, councillors say.
Ben Fryer
BBC Essex Sport
Basildon's Dan Brooks (left) and Chigwell's Oliver Fisher (right) have made a solid start to the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament.
They both shot a first round 69, three under par.
Swede Alex Noren leads the way, with Rory McIlroy two shots further back.
Image source, Getty ImagesEssex peer Baroness Anne Jenkin is leading a debate in the House of Lords later on the issue of food waste.
Image source, PAFigures published today suggest the average family wastes around £700 worth of food every year.
The research says one in four people in the UK discard food that is safe to eat.
This afternoon will remain rather cloudy, with perhaps the odd spot of rain and drizzle in places. A few brighter spells may also develop at times and where these occur it will feel very mild for the time of year. Maximum temperature: 12C (54F).
Thanks to Weather Watchers user Jacqui for this photo showing how things are looking in Ramsey today.
Image source, Weather Waters: Jacqui
BBC News UK
Attitudes towards allowing refugees into Great Britain have hardened, a ComRes survey for BBC Local Radio suggests.
Two in five (41%) of the 2,204 people interviewed say Britain should accept fewer refugees from Syria and Libya. The figure was 31% in September 2015.
Here you can see where attitudes in the East stood in the survey compared to other regions.
Nick Alliker
BBC Essex
Here are your headlines this lunchtime:
