This is the state a tack room was left in on Canvey Island, after vandals smashed their way into a stables last night and sprayed an extremely offensive swear word on to a horse.
Image source, Mollie Marie Savage
Image source, Mollie Marie SavageVandals have sprayed an extremely offensive swear word on to a horse while wrecking its stables on Canvey last night.
Image source, Mollie Marie SavageThe animal's owner, Mollie Savage, says she made the discovery while visiting the stables in Haven Road this morning.
"When I turned up the stable doors were open, and the whole tack room had been smashed up," she told BBC Essex.
"I started crying and trying to find him".
After discovering her horse had escaped to a nearby field, she noticed the swearword had been sprayed on to his coat using an antiseptic spray used to treat cuts and wounds on horses.
"It's not easy to get off. The damage is going to cost me about £200," Ms Savage added.
BBC Sport
Snooker is in a better state than it has ever been, despite Chigwell's Ronnie O'Sullivan's suggestion that the sport is a "car boot sale", Barry Hearn says.
Image source, Getty ImagesHearn, World Snooker's chairman, has suggested that O'Sullivan should know better than to be so critical.
The five-time world champion argued that snooker is a "nothing-type sport".
Hearn told BBC Radio 5 live: "The game of snooker has never been in a stronger position. Prize money has trebled in the last five years."
Temperatures in the East of England plummeted last night with the mercury falling below zero for many of us across the region.
BBC Look East weather man Dan Holley has been crunching the numbers. Santon Downham in Suffolk was the coldest at -6.4C (20F) while Cromer was a positively balmy 2.2C (36F).
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Thanks to BBC Weather Watcher "1936Matt" for uploading this cracking photo of the sunrise in Clacton this morning.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe mum of double-gold medallist Max Whitlock, who has made the final 16 of this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year, has been telling BBC Essex how proud she is.
"It's such a great line-up and for Max to be there it's so amazing," Madeleine Whitlock said.
"They've all done so well, but it would be good to see him win, so we'll just have to wait and see."
The Conservative MP for Braintree tweets...
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Max Whitlock may not be favourite to take the Sports Personality of the Year crown - but if 2016 has taught us one thing then maybe it's better to be the underdog.
Image source, Getty ImagesCongratulations to Basildon-based gymnast Max Whitlock who has been shortlisted for BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Whitlock secured two Olympic golds in one memorable day as he made history during the Rio Olympics.
He goes up against the likes of Gareth Bale, Andy Murray and Alistair Brownlee.
All 16 contenders go forward to a vote on the night of the live show in Birmingham on Sunday, 18 December.
Kate Kinsella
BBC Look East weather
After a very frosty start it will be a dry and sunny day, but it will feel cold throughout with a high of 6C (43F).
Here's my full forecast...
There are more details on the BBC Weather website.
Jack Warren
BBC Local Live
Good morning - hope you haven't spent too long scraping your car this morning.
Standby for the latest news, sport, travel and weather from Essex Live.
As ever, I love to hear your stories. Drop me an email, tweet, external or Facebook message, external.
Ronnie O'Sullivan loses his first frame at this year's UK Championship, but still cruises into the fourth round.
Read MoreRonnie O'Sullivan says snooker is like a "car boot sale" while other sports are like shopping at luxury department stores.
Read MoreWater levels are returning to normal on the River Stour, near Sudbury, after thousands of fish were rescued when a sluice gate became wedged open by debris.
Read MoreJack Warren
BBC Local Live
The Essex Live team is now signing off for the day, but any breaking news will still appear here overnight.
In the meantime, here are the top stories we've covered today:
Dan Holley
BBC Look East weather
Don't forget to allow a bit of extra time if you're driving anywhere early tomorrow morning and your vehicle's not under cover - we're in for the coldest night of the autumn so far, with a widespread, locally hard frost and a few mist patches.
Temperatures will fall to -6C (21F) in prone rural spots, in light, variable winds.
Tuesday will start cold and frosty, but it'll stay dry with long spells of sunshine.
Top temperature: 7C (46F).
Get a more detailed forecast where you live, from BBC Weather.
Passengers at London Southend Airport with so-called "hidden" disabilities are being offered extra help.
From Monday people with conditions like autism and dementia can get a blue wristband, which bosses say will discretely inform staff there that extra help might be needed.
Image source, London Southend AirportThe Environment Agency has told us the debris which was preventing a control gate from working properly, which led to a huge drop in levels on the River Stour at Sudbury, has been cleared by divers.
River Stour: Water levels return as Sudbury sluice gate fixed
A spokeswoman added: "A specialist dive team trained to study this type of structure was able to come early today to have a look at what may have caused the automatic control gate to jam open.
"The dive team was able to raise the gate freeing the debris and allowing the gate to return to normal operation.
"Now that the gate is operational again the river levels should return to normal over the next couple days.
"We monitored the river levels throughout the incident and moved approximately 10,000 fish to deeper water."
The chair of the Association of Frinton Beach Hut Owners, external has been speaking out about vandals who targeted 27 huts on the prom on Saturday night.
Peter Dias' hut was one that was broken into.
He told BBC Essex this evening: "It's very sad - we only want to enjoy ourselves.
"I've had my hut broken into. They've gone in there with a cricket bat and smashed every bit of crockery - what have they gained from that?"
BBC Essex reporter Richard Smith has been down to Frinton-on-Sea where 27 beach huts were damaged on Saturday night...
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