Updates for Friday, 7 October 2016
Baroness Chakrabarti to step down as University of Essex chancellor
One-punch killer cleared of manslaughter
Policeman sacked over computer misuse
Police investigate 'nasty' bar attack
Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather
It'll become rather breezy, and turn increasingly cloudy during the evening and overnight, with lows of between 6C and 12C (43F to 54F).
Thursday will be cloudier, and mainly dry although there's the risk of a few showers in places.
Highs of 15C (59F).
You can get a more detailed forecast, wherever you live, from BBC Weather.
Mariam Issimdar
BBC News
A man who killed his colleague with a single punch to the jaw at a work Christmas party where both had been taking cocaine "just panicked", a court has heard.
Image source, GoogleBradley Casey, 21, of Thetford, Norfolk, hit project manager William Wareham, 53, following an argument over taxis outside the Park Inn Hotel in Harlow, Essex, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.
Mr Casey said there had been a good atmosphere at the Bupa party until a group decided to get a taxi into town to continue drinking at around midnight on 12 December last year.
He said trouble flared when the taxi he ordered had not arrived, and Mr Wareham called him "useless".
"He got a cigarette, jabbed it in my mouth," said Casey. "I felt threatened. I just panicked and hit him."
Mr Casey said he had ash in his mouth following the incident but no burns from the stub.
He denies a single count of manslaughter, claiming he was acting in self-defence. The case is continuing.
Pupils at Clacton County High School were kept on site today as a "precaution" after two people dressed as clowns approached pupils on their way to school this morning.
Essex Police tells us it is investigating the incident and appealing for anybody who may have saw what happened to come forward.
Image source, ThinkstockThe RSPCA says hundreds of puppies bred on an illegal puppy farm were "made to look like they'd come from loving homes".
Image source, RSPCAToday, four people pleaded guilty to fraud after a travellers' site in Aveley was found to be used for the breeding and selling of dogs, many of which suffered serious health problems or died.
RSPCA inspector Carroll Lamport said: "This is a tactic that more and more of these people are using to trick the public and to avoid raising any suspicions, and it’s something we are seeing increasingly in these cases."
Two girls have been approached by two people dressed as clowns as they walked to school in Clacton and asked whether they "wanted to attend a birthday party", police say.
It happened in Oxford Road this morning as the pupils made their way to Clacton County High School. No attempts were attempted to grab the girls and the "clowns" made off in a van.
Officers are considering whether the incident could be inspired by similar cases in the United States..
The RSPCA, which raided the site in Aveley and found dozens of "cockerpoo" puppies kept in cages inside dark sheds, estimates that the fraud was worth more than £300,000.
Image source, RSPCAThe gang admitted at Basildon Crown Court each puppy was sold for an average of £450.
The dogs - some barely two weeks old - had soiled newspapers for bedding, no toys and some had no heating.
Last week we told you told two teenagers had been taken to hospital in Colchester after having a serious reaction to the former legal high Spice.
Image source, Essex PoliceToday, police have announced a 40-year-old man has a been arrested on suspicion of supplying a psychoactive substance.
The man has been released on police bail until January.
Three women and a man admit fraud in connection with the sale of hundreds of puppies, some of which died or suffered serious health problems.
Read MoreMariam Issimdar
BBC News
Commuters in the East can expect to travel on new trains as part of the Abellio franchise from spring 2019.
Abellio UK, which was awarded a new nine-year East Anglia rail franchise by the Department for Transport in August, says it has finalised contracts worth nearly £1.5bn to procure and finance the replacement of all existing trains on its routes.
The company says its fleet will increase by 10%. All the new rolling stock will be in use by autumn 2020. Two-thirds of the 1,043 carriages will be built in Derby, and the rest in Switzerland.
Dominic Booth, managing director of Abellio UK, said: "They will be the centrepiece of many other improvements, including more frequent services, faster journeys and more capacity with 55% more seats into London in the morning peak."
Four people have admitted fraud over the sale of hundreds of puppies at a farm in Essex.
Image source, RSPCAThe gang, from Essex and East London, admitted that between July 2013 and October 2014 they handled around 750 puppies, some of which died or suffered serious health problems.
Teresa Wade, 57, of Ship Lane, Aveley,; Victoria Montgomery, 54, of Melford Avenue, Dagenham; and Roxanne Montgomery, 54, and Tony Hammond, 54, both of Grafton Road, Dagenham, pleaded guilty to the offence at Basildon Crown Court today.
Three women and a man have pleaded guilty to fraud over the sale of hundreds of puppies in Essex, some of which died or suffered serious health problems.
More on this shortly.
Jack Warren
BBC Local Live
Here are our top stories from Essex Live today:
The afternoon will be dry with plenty of sunshine but feeling breezy, particularly along the coast.
Maximum temperature: 15C (59F).
Popping out? Get your local forecast via BBC Weather.
A man has been charged with causing death by careless driving after an elderly man was hit by a double- decker bus in Tilbury, police have said.
Image source, GoogleThe collision happened in Civic Square in August. An 82-year-old local man was killed.
A 49-year-old man from Rochester, Kent, has been released on police bail and is due in court in November.
As the Jamie Oliver paella chorizo row continues, BBC Essex has asked a Harlow sausage-maker his thought on the whole saga.
Image source, TwiiterJason Drage said he could see why it had caused some upset as some people didn't want recipes to be "messed around with".
But he added: "However, there are also any many people who want to experiment."
Good news if you're planning on visiting the world's longest pleasure pier.
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After 12 weeks out of action, the train, which runs the length of the Southend landmark, will be back in service to members of the public from lunchtime.
The train was stopped back in June after cracks appeared in the pier's structure. Today, the train will be running at a reduced speed and capacity.
Ben Fryer
BBC Essex sport
Meanwhile, Southend fared better in the same competition as they secured their place in the final 32 with a win over Leyton Orient.
Image source, Getty ImagesMarc Antoine Fortune got the only goal in the Blues' 1-0 victory.
After the game assistant manager Graham Coughlan said: "Hopefully we'll build a bit of momentum here now at Roots Hall as this is possible the best squad I've seen at this place."
Listen to live BBC local radio commentary from Saturday's action in the National League and National League North.
Read MoreBen Fryer
BBC Essex sport
Colchester United have exited their second cup competition of the season.
A 2-1 home defeat to Southampton's academy side last night means they can't qualify for the last 32 of the Checkatrade Trophy, with one group game to do.
Head coach John McGreal is annoyed with how they conceded the first goal, saying: "We haven't conceded any set-pieces throughout the first 10 games, then we concede in the last two."
Simon Dedman
BBC Essex political reporter
Sam Allardyce lasted longer as England manager than Diane James did as leader of UKIP.
Image source, BBC/PAAfter just 18 days in the post, Ms James stepped down last night, claiming she did not have "sufficient authority" to see through changes she had planned.
The party's only MP, Clacton's Douglas Carswell, said he was "sad" and "surprised" by her move and hoped she was all right.
