Jack Warren
BBC Local Live

That's all from us this side of Christmas - the team returns on Wednesday, 28 December at 08:00. 

Whatever you're up to, have an excellent festive period. 

Good night.

A newly-constructed third lane on a major road between Rettendon and Howe Green won't be opened until safety improvements are made, Essex County Council says.

Image source, Google

Concerns were raised earlier this year after routine investigation work on the A130 dual carriageway. 

A long-term solution to the issue is still being sought. Road chiefs say an opening date for the new lane is likely to be revealed in the new year. 

Chris Bell
BBC Look East weather

A brief period of heavy rain and gusty wind are possible at first, but clearing to the east by about 20:00, leaving a dry night with clear skies across the BBC East region.

Strong southwesterly winds at first with some gusts over 50mph (80 km/h)possible, but winds easing to moderate after the rain clears as the temperature dips to 2-4C (upper 30sF).

Christmas Eve will be dry and long spells of sunshine, but turning cloudier later from the west, with the temperature peaking at 9-10C (upper 40sF).

Visit BBC Weather for a more detailed forecast where you are.

A fallen tree has damaged overhead electric wires near Audley End, meaning trains are now running at a reduced speed. 

There are currently up to 15 minutes delays to journeys running through the area. 

This is expected to continue until approximately 19:30.

Network Rail staff are working to remove the tree as quickly as possible. 

Only in Essex...

The Co-op recalls 165,000 hollow milk chocolate Santa figures after two alleged tampering incidents.

Two men, one armed with a gun concealed in a McDonald's bag, have raided a Domino's pizza takeaway in Pitsea, police say.

Image source, Google

The suspects ordered staff to open the till before locking them inside a store room with a broom handle at the shop in Station Lane at about 00:00 this morning. 

The drawer from the till was the removed and the suspects left.

Read a description of the men on the Essex Police Facebook page, external. 

Nic Rigby
BBC News

Train company Greater Anglia, external is reminding customers about planned disruption to rail services due to engineering work over the Christmas period.

Engineering work is due to take place from 24 December to 2 January.

There will be no Greater Anglia services between Ingatestone/Billericay and London Liverpool Street during this time.

There are no services at all on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, apart from a special Stansted Express service from 06:30 on Boxing Day.

At weekends and bank holidays (24, 27, 31 December, 1 and 2 January) there will be rail replacement bus services between Witham/Ingatestone and Billericay to Newbury Park for Central Line services.

From 28 December to 30 December, passengers from Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Braintree, Clacton, Walton-on-the-Naze and Harwich should change at Witham for rail replacement bus services to Stansted where they can catch the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street.

Passengers from Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford and Ingatestone should use a rail replacement service from Ingatestone to Newbury Park for Central Line services.

On 1 January, London Liverpool Street services will be replaced by buses between Cheshunt and Bishop’s Stortford. Stansted Express services will be replaced by direct buses between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.

Tendring District Council needs to find £600,000 worth of savings by March in order to balance its books, the authority has revealed. 

Image source, Google

The council says it has already saved almost £1m - but more is needed. 

It's blaming "significant and unprecedented cuts" to its funding from central government.

Rucksacks full of warm clothes, sleeping bags and tinned food have been distributed to people living on the streets in Chelmsford. 

The Rucksack Project in the city has been operating independently for about a year, having worked with the national scheme last year. 

Brian McGovern from the project says although it doesn't offer solutions for the homeless, it "makes life a little easier".

The number of motorists in Essex caught drink or drug driving has risen compared to this time last year, figures from the police show.

Image source, PA

The force has arrested 129 drivers so far on suspicion of the offences, up from 86 during the same period in 2015. 

Sgt Danny Parsons, from the police's casualty reduction unit, said: "I really don't know what the motivation is. Some people simply just don't care."

Police want to trace this man after a worker at Tilbury Town railway station was racially abused and assaulted.

Image source, BTP

It's understood the incident happened following an altercation over money to pay for a ticket on 9 December.

PC Laura Heath from the British Transport Police said: "We will not tolerate aggressive behaviour like this towards any person on the rail network, particularly someone who was just trying to do their job and diffuse a tense situation."

The Co-op grocery chain has announced a nationwide recall of 165,000 hollow milk chocolate Santa figures after two alleged tampering incidents.

Image source, Co-op

A spokesperson for the Co-op said two of the chocolate figures had been found to contain a small button-cell battery.

"The health and safety of our customers is our top priority," said the spokesperson, adding that the chain store was investigating and the police and Food Standards Agency were being notified.

The chocolates that had been subject to tampering were bought at two different locations, one in Suffolk and one in Essex.

Today is expected to be the busiest day of the festive season on UK roads as the Christmas getaway gets under way. 

Our major routes seem to be coping well so far today, and at Stansted Airport, it looks like business as usual.

Three men arrested after a police officer was attacked while helping an injured man in Braintree are appearing in court today.

Essex Police says the officer had just returned from the fatal house fire which killed a mother and her young daughter when he was assaulted. 

The men have been charged as follows and will appear at at Colchester Magistrates' Court later: 

• A 37-year-old roofer from Braintree, was charged with possession of a blade in a public place
• A landscape gardener, 32, of Basildon was charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer. He was also detained for breaching a court order and failing to answer bail
• A 42-year-old unemployed man, also from Braintree, was detained under the terms of a court warrant

Another man, 32, was arrested in Braintree in the early hours of this morning on suspicion of assault and assaulting a police officer. He is currently in custody for questioning.

Police are continuing to investigate a package that exploded when opened at a house in Colchester on Wednesday.

The shoebox was found to contain a number of lighter gas canisters and wiring and was delivered to a property in Othello Close. 

Det Insp Daniel Stoten said: "Initial inquiries have established this was a specifically targeted attack and my team have arrested two people.

"There is nothing to suggest anyone is at risk and I am pleased we have been able to secure some early arrests."A 54-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man, both from Colchester, are currently in custody.

There are no reports of any injuries. 

Richard Smith
BBC Essex

The fire service has returned to the house in Braintree in which a mother and her daughter were killed on Wednesday night as efforts to determine the cause continue.

Shortly before 09:00, three uniformed crew members arrived at the badly damaged Victorian-style property. 

After speaking to police at the cordon, they walked slowly along the garden path and were seen briefly inside the blackened ground floor front room.

Two officers are guarding the scene.

Richard Smith
BBC Essex

One tribute, left on South Street, Braintree, reads:

A special mass has taken place overnight in memory of Alina Kordaszewska and her daughter Emilia.

The service, held at Our Lady Queen of Peace church in Braintree, was described as "poignant" by those who attended.

Father Kristof Kita, who led the mass, said: "God always wants us to bring hope in whatever we experience, so we must all come together in this such difficult situation." 

A house has been ransacked and Christmas presents stolen during a daytime burglary in the Billericay area, police say. 

Image source, Essex Police

Thieves are said to have carried out a "messy" search of the entire house in Mill Road, Great Burstead - even rummaging through loft insulation and behind bath panelling. 

Anybody who is offered items for sale and is suspicious where they have come from is asked to contact Essex Police.