Patrick Byrne
BBC News

That's it from the Essex Live team for today... we'll be back from 08:00 tomorrow bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather updates as they happen.

These are some of the stories we have covered today so click on the link and browse through:

• Eight arrests in drugs and violence crackdown in Southend and Colchester
• Man and woman, in 20s, died in car in Chelmsford 
• FA Cup: Iron boss Hakan rues poor defence against Lions

If you have any photographs from around the county that you'd like to share, or if there's anything happening that you'd like us to know about, you can contact us via email, Facebook, external or Twitter, external.

Tom Croasdell
BBC Essex

Essex County Council's decision to put its family support service into the hands of a private company is to be scrutinised by a special panel. 

The Labour group raised concerns about Virgin Care being awarded the contract, but the Conservative-run local authority is insisting the company went through a competitive tendering process.

Dick Madden, cabinet member for adults and children, said: "The provisional contract award to Virgin Care, in partnership with Barnardos, followed a robust procurement process and significant engagement and consultation, including specific work with families. 

"Currently we are in a process of 'call in', which means my decision will be reviewed by a scrutiny committee of the council. 

"Until this scrutiny committee has made their recommendation, any comment by me would be entirely inappropriate."

Julie Reinger
BBC Look East weather

A dry night with widespread frost and fog, it could be freezing fog in places, as temperatures fall to around -2C (28F).

It’ll be a cold start to Tuesday with the fog slow to clear and in parts of the region it could linger all day.

Where the fog eventually lifts it’ll generally be cloudy with the chance of a few sunny intervals and highs of 8C (46F).

A man and a woman thought to be aged in their 20s are found dead in a car on a residential estate.

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

Eight people aged between 16 and 48 were arrested in Colchester and Southend over the weekend as part of a crackdown on drug use and violence associated with the night-time economy, police said. 

Image source, Essex Police

Police teams took to the streets of Southend on Friday night and 60 people were searched for drugs resulting in two arrests. 

A police dog drugs sniffer was in Colchester on Saturday evening checking on people walking past on the street, those queuing to get inside venues, people at bus stops and people drinking in outside areas of pubs and clubs. Six people were arrested. 

Police said drugs dogs will continue to be out in force at weekends alongside high visibility patrols, officers in plain clothes and cocaine stop checks. 

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

Firefighters and the ambulance service have left the scene where a man and a woman were found dead in a car in Chelmsford.

A police cordon remains around the vehicle, which is covered with a tarpaulin.

Image source, bbc

Police said the woman and man who died were believed to be aged in their 20s.

"Their deaths are being treated as unexplained at this time," an Essex Police spokesman said.

"Inquiries are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding their deaths and police remain at the scene.Next of kin have been informed."

As part of standard procedure, tests were conducted to check for potential noxious substances to ensure the safety of emergency services and the public.

The scene was later declared safe and there was no risk, the spokesman added.  

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

The ambulance service has also sent a hazard response team to the scene of an incident in which a man and a woman were found dead in a car in Chelmsford.

"The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust received a call today at 11:03 to reports of an incident on Fox Crescent in Chelmsford. 

"We dispatched our hazardous area response team, two ambulance crews, three ambulance officers and a rapid response vehicle. 

"Two patients, a male and a female, were sadly pronounced dead at the scene."

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

The fire service is testing a car, in which a man and a woman died, for hazardous materials.

An Essex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "The fire service were called at 11:22 to assist the police and ambulance service at the incident in Fox Crescent, Chelmsford. 

"Two people were found dead inside a car. Fire crews are currently using detection equipment to test the vehicle for any possible hazardous materials. 

"The investigation is on-going." 

The car is covered with a tarpaulin and the registration is concealed.

A man and woman have been found dead in a car in Fox Crescent in Chelmsford at about 11:00.

A police cordon has been put in place due to concerns about "a potential noxious substance inside the car", Essex Police said.

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

We incorrectly reported earlier that the two people found in a car in Fox Crescent, Chelmsford died in a fire.

We can clarify that the car was not on fire. Investigations are continuing into what happened.

A resident of Fox Crescent in Chelmsford said: "All of a sudden this morning a major incident sign was put up and police cars, fire engines and ambulances arrived."

Dan Holley
BBC Look East weather

BBC Sport

The Braintree Town manager Hakan Hayrettin says they had enough chances to take something from their FA Cup second round tie at Millwall. 

The Iron were beaten 5-2 by the League One side, having taken the lead through Michael Cheek.

Image source, Getty Images

Iron boss Hayrettin said the side did not deserve to lose by that margin, but were let down by letting through too many attacks from set pieces.

"You can't defend like that. We scored from open play, but their goals came from set pieces putting the ball into the box," he said.

"We had three or four other chances in open play and didn't take them. At any level of the game 75% of goals come from set pieces and if you can't clear your lines you're going to get punished."

The East of England Ambulance Service said it was called to Fox Crescent in Chelmsford just after 11:00 GMT.

"We dispatched our hazardous area response team (HART), two ambulance crews, three ambulance officers, and a rapid response vehicle," said a spokesman. 

"At the scene there were two patients, a male and a female... [They] were sadly pronounced dead at the scene.”

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

Fox Crescent, where a man and a woman died in a car, is about half a mile (800m) north of Chelmsford city centre on a quiet residential estate.

We have a reporter on the scene who is making inquiries with neighbours about the two people who were in the car.

Two people are believed dead in a car on a housing estate in Essex.

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

A man and a woman are believed to have died in a car fire in Chelmsford this morning.

The ambulance service was called to Fox Crescent in Chelmsford shortly before 11:15 and crews sent for the police, who are at the scene making inquiries.

Essex Police are investigating after reports two people have been been found dead in a car in Chelmsford. 

Fox Crescent has been cordoned off and emergency services remain on the scene this lunchtime. 

BBC Sport

Chigwell's Ronnie O'Sullivan was unable to clinch another major snooker title last night, but he's taking a lot from his performance. 

He lost 10-7 in the final of the UK Championship to Mark Selby, who's become only the sixth man to win the World and UK Snooker Championships in the same year. 

Former Ipswich Town midfielder and Colchester United manager Geraint Williams has left his post as manager of the Wales under-21s and intermediate age group teams.

Image source, Getty Images

The former Welsh international's contract expired last Wednesday and has not been renewed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW). 

In a statement released by the FAW, Williams said: "It has been a privilege to work for my country over the past four-and-a-half years. 

"Everyone has played their part on and off the field. I take great delight in our work and the development of all the intermediate squads."

A 67-year-old millionaire is ordered by a judge to leave his home after his wife said she had been used as "an emotional punch bag".