Kate Scotter
BBC News

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are visiting a secondary school in Harlow this morning.

Image source, PA

Prince William and Kate will meet staff, students and parents at the Stewards Academy, external. 

The visit is part of the couple's Heads Together campaign.

They will find out more about the pressures faced by pupils when they are going through big changes in their lives and how peers and parents can support them. 

Kate Scotter
BBC News

Police have become increasingly concerned about the welfare of a 24-year-old man who went missing from his home in Colchester.

Image source, Essex Police

Xuefeng Hong was last seen at about midnight on 9 September in Wivenhoe near Colchester. 

He is 5ft 8ins tall, of slim build and has short brown hair, and wears glasses.

Kate Scotter
BBC News

Women may no longer be able to give birth at the midwife-led unit at Harwich.

Colchester Hospital, which runs the service, is proposing to stop the service from next April. 

The final decision will be made in the next few weeks.

Nick Hulme, the hospital's chief executive, said not enough women are using it.

He said: "There were only 44 births in the last financial year, that's less than one a week.

"And since April this year, up until the end of August, there have only been 15 women who have chosen to give birth at Harwich Hospital, external. 

"We are offering choice, but for whatever reason women are choosing not to give birth there."

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

A wet start to the day, with thundery and torrential downpours bringing a risk of disruption.

These will gradually ease away during the evening, although some eastern areas will remain wet throughout.

Temperatures reaching 19C (66F).

BBC Weather has more details. 

In a picturesque Suffolk village with an ageing population, a local referendum saw residents vote in favour of a plan to make a third of new homes affordable for young families.

Essex fall short in their chase of 264 as Glamorgan beat the Division Two champions by 11 runs at Chelmsford.

Zoe Applegate
BBC News

That's all for today from the BBC Local Live team, unless a story breaks overnight in which case we'll keep this feed updated.

We'll be back tomorrow from 08:00, but for now we'll leave you with a round-up of today's headlines:

• A Chinese energy firm release an artist's impression of what the proposed Bradwell nuclear power station could look like after Hinkley Point gets the rubber stamp
• Polish police officers join their Essex counterparts on the beat in Harlow for a second day to help "break down barriers"
• Stretches of the M25 Dartford Crossing will be closed over the next two days for urgent safety repairs following an accident
• A woman in her 80s is badly hurt in a violent mugging in Southend

For more on these and other stories across Essex, scroll down the timeline.

Bye for now.

Chris Bell
BBC Look East weather

Tonight will be humid with clear spells. There's a risk of scattered, heavy showers and thunderstorms moving northwards through the night.

Light winds, with temperatures falling to 15(C) (59F)

Image source, BBC Weather

The Met Office has issued a warning for heavy rain for much of the region for Friday.

It'll be a mostly cloudy day with thunderstorms and rain - the heavy downpours could lead to some very localised flooding.

Moderate north westerly winds, with a maximum temperature of 20(C)  (68F).

BBC Weather has more information for where you are.

Two Polish police officers have started patrols in a town where a Polish man died after being punched to the ground.

As we told you earlier, two Polish policemen have gone on the beat around Harlow with their Essex counterparts to help "break down barriers".

Yesterday, they visited the spot at The Stow shopping precinct where Polish worker Arkadiusz Jozwik, 39, was set upon by attackers before dying two days later in hospital.

Essex's Police and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst, external has told the BBC that people need to feel safe.

"The Polish community is feeling under a lot of pressure, a lot of scrutiny, a lot of threat and we need to work hard to reassure them and make sure they know that as a police service and as a community... they will be treated well by the law and protected by the law," he said.

"They need to feel secure in their community and we need to put a plan in place to make sure that happens."

Going back to plans for a new nuclear plant at Bradwell...

The Chinese company helping to build the new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset will submit its design for the Essex station for UK regulatory approval soon - but the process could take four years.

Image source, CGN/PA

State-owned CGN will need to get the reactor design and technology approved for use in the UK before building the station, with one third of its funding coming from French energy firm EDF. 

Today, the firm released this artist's impression (pictured) of what the Bradwell plant could look like as it said it was now able to "move forward and deliver" nuclear energy at other UK sites following the go-ahead for the £18bn Hinkley Point project.

A woman in her 80s has suffered a dislocated shoulder and fractured arm during a mugging in Southend.

Image source, Google

The victim was pushed over from behind by the thief who fled with her handbag.

She was attacked in Elizabeth Road, just before 13:00 on Wednesday.

Her face was cut and bruised during the assault and she was taken to Southend Hospital for treatment.

Essex Police, external are appealing for witnesses.

Parts of the M25 Dartford Crossing are being closed over the next two days for essential repairs to a safety barrier after an accident earlier today.

Drivers are being warned the first lane of the carriageway at junction 31 will be closed until 22:00 as a "safety precaution".  

The anti-clockwise carriageway will then be shut from 22:00 until 05:30 on Friday between junctions 31 and 30, then three narrow lanes will be opened. 

The carriageway will also be closed tomorrow night from 23:00 until 06:00 when the road will be fully re-opened.

Highways England, external, which is carrying out the repairs, said a diversion will be in place from the junction 31 slip road and northbound link road to junction 30.

Drivers are being advised to leave plenty of time for their journeys and to check the traffic, external situation before they set off.

Up-to-the-minutes updates are also available at BBC Travel.

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

A man arrested in connection with a collision on the A12 yesterday near Capel St Mary has been charged with a string of motoring offences. 

The 58-year-old from Essex has been charged with dangerous driving, obstructing a police officer, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.

He appeared before magistrates in Ipswich today and will appear appear again at the crown court in October.

BBC Travel

A crash involving a car and a bike has closed a road in both directions in Billericay.

Dunton Road is blocked at the Rectory Road junction.

For up-to-the-minute updates go to BBC Travel.

BBC Weather

This afternoon is expected to remain hot, humid and sunny across Essex with a few heavy, thundery showers in places and the odd rumble of thunder possible. Top temperature: 29C (84F). 

Tonight, some showers or thunderstorms could break out at times. It should be dry elsewhere, but mist patches are possible. Temperatures will dip to 17C (63 F).

Tomorrow, it should be a dry but cloudy start with rain, perhaps heavy and thundery arriving from the west later. Temperatures should rise to 20C (68F).

A more detailed forecast is available for your part of Essex at BBC Weather.

A Basildon man has been arrested after a police officer was bitten on the hand when a passenger was removed from an Ibiza-bound flight.

Image source, LSA

Police were called to Southend Airport, external to help remove a man from the Easyjet plane when the crew said he was too drunk to fly last night.

There was a scuffle on the aircraft steps as the passenger refused to leave and the officer was bitten in an attack that required hospital treatment.

The 24-year-old was being questioned on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.

BBC Business reporter Theo Leggett notes the differences in official responses to the Hinkley Point announcement...

Essex seam bowler David Masters will retire from cricket at the end of the season, aged 38.

The two Polish policemen were invited after their bosses met Essex Police's, external Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh last week to raise concerns over hate crime.

Ch Insp Alan Ray said although the Polish officers don't have any powers, it's hoped their presence will help boost people's confidence in the force.

"We know over the last year only 2% of our crime had been against Polish victims, but we also know there’s a lot of hidden crime out there. We want to speak to Polish victims and victims from every community," he said.

"We’ve heard the Polish community don’t trust police, but we’ve also heard comments from other Polish people that they’re really pleased to see us on the streets and they want to speak with us."