Tributes are paid to two teenage boys who died in a car crash two days after Christmas.

A photographer has merged photographs taken from the exact spot from Britain's oldest town, decades apart.

Barnet sign Peterborough's Ricardo Almeida Santos, Simeon Akinola from Braintree and Cardiff's David Tutonda.

Chris Porter scores one late goal before creating another to help Colchester United to victory over Stevenage.

Andrew Crofts scores a last-minute equaliser as Charlton earn a point against Southend in League One.

Andrew Woodger
BBC News

BBC Essex Live is closing down until 08:00 on Tuesday, 3 January so we'll wish you a happy New Year here and now...

A reminder of the top stories we've covered today:

• Vigil by Thames for dead police pursuit teenagers attracts 300 people
• Benfleet firms fined over asbestos risks
• Star Wars portrait by Essex art student aims to raise money for Make-a-Wish

It looks like it's going to be another foggy one as we head into 2017.

Image source, .

Have a great weekend.

BBC Essex has been talking about car chases involving the police, following the deaths of two teenagers who were passengers in a Ford Escort which crashed while being followed in Leigh-on-Sea on Tuesday.

A 16-year-old from Great Wakering is facing charges of causing death by dangerous driving.

Kevin Delaney, a former policeman who is now the head of road safety at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "The rules and guidance [for the police] are all devised to minimise the level of danger that might arise from a pursuit; not simply the danger to the police and those being pursued, but to other road-users. 

"The level of danger is effectively controlled by the person driving the car that is being followed.

"The police protocols and training are geared to putting as little pressure as possible on the person being followed, but the one thing that nobody knows is what is going through the mind of that particular individual."

Two firms have been fined after asbestos was not properly contained at an industrial unit in Benfleet.

Basildon Crown Court heard that Connect Packaging moved into the building on the Manor Road Trading Estate and failed to act to control the risk of airborne asbestos fibres, which can cause lung disease when breathed in, as outlined on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website, external.

Creo Retail Marketing sub-let the unit in 2009, but both firms continued to fail to deal with the problem.

Both admitted offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Connect has been fined £65,000 with £8,150 costs to pay.

Creo was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay £8,149 costs.

HSE inspector Nikki Hughes said: “After this asbestos was identified, both companies should have acted promptly and effectively to control the potentially lethal risk to which their workers were exposed.

"Asbestos-related disease has a long latency period, so we cannot predict the consequences this failure to manage asbestos may have on their workers’ health."

Dan Holley
BBC Look East weather

Mostly dry tonight but with extensive low cloud, mist and fog giving poor visibility and tricky driving conditions in places. 

Chance of a patchy frost where any clear skies develop. 

Light southwesterly winds with temperatures locally down to -2C (28F). 

Rather grey for New Year’s Eve with mist and fog slowly lifting into low cloud, perhaps a few bright spells developing into the afternoon. 

A freshening southwesterly breeze should allow temperatures to reach highs of 8C (46F).

Get the full forecast where you live, from BBC Weather.

Ben Fryer
BBC Essex sport

Colchester United boss John McGreal is in positive mood as his team lies four points off the play-off places as the year comes to an end at Stevenage on Saturday.

Some good news for Colchester United ahead of their League Two match at Stevenage on New Year's Eve:

Look East weather forecaster Dan Holley has tweeted:

Southend United are at home to Charlton tomorrow as they aim to extend their 15-game unbeaten run in League One.

Manager Phil Brown has been speaking to the BBC Essex sport team:

Hundreds of people attended a candlelit beach vigil for teenagers Reigan Knight and Liam Phillips, who died following a police pursuit crash.

A new study has been launched to see whether giving blood rather than clear fluid to air ambulance patients saves more lives.

Police have issued an appeal for help to trace a homeless man who disappeared while he was being treated for a head injury in Colchester town centre.

Paramedics said John Coupland, 32, was found on the corner of Crouch Street and Head Street at about 01:00, but he left them before his treatment had been completed.

Police said they were concerned for his welfare, although they did not believe he had been assaulted.

Image source, Essex Police

He has shoulder-length black hair, a moustache and was wearing a black puffed jacket, blue sweater and ripped jeans when he was last seen.

Friends of Reigan Knight and Liam Phillips have been remembering the 17-year-olds after they died when the car they were passengers in crashed while being pursued by police.

Andrew Woodger
BBC News

A 19-year-old artist has painted a portrait of the Star Wars actor Carrie Fisher, who died earlier this week.

Jack Browning, from Mayland near Burnham-on-Crouch, has put the picture on display at Allegro Music, external in Chelmsford, where he is working during a gap year while he waits to find out if he's got on an art foundation course.

Image source, Jack Browning

He is welcoming bids for the painting via the shop or his Facebook page, external and the bidding currently stands at £100.

His mum Karen, 52, has life-limiting health conditions and money raised will go to the Make-A-Wish, external charity, which his family has used themselves.

Jack said: "Star Wars is my favourite film series of all time, so the death of Carrie Fisher [who played Princess Leia] was a horrible way to end 2016, so I thought a painting could turn a negative into a positive for charity."

The auction closes on Sunday.

A survey by the Halifax, external puts Basildon at number four in the charts for house price rises over the past year. Here's the mortgage-lender's top 10:

1. Luton, Beds: £256,636 average house price - 19.4% rise
2. Barking and Dagenham, Greater London: £296,946 - 18.6% rise
3. Dunstable, Beds: £253,799 - 17.9% rise
4. Basildon, Essex: £258,068 - 17.2% rise
5. Chatham, Kent: £237,545 - 17.1% rise
6. Tower Hamlets, Greater London: £411,495 - 15.8%
7. Watford, Herts: £418,080 - 15.3% rise
8. Basingstoke, Hants: £303,541 - 15.1% rise
9. Slough, Berks: £390,560 - 14.7% rise
10. Redbridge, Greater London: £365,438 - 14.4% rise

Image source, Google

Martin Ellis, a housing economist at Halifax, said: "Most of the areas that have seen the biggest house price rises during 2016 are either within close commuting distance of the capital or in outer London. 

"Demand in these areas has risen as substantial property price rises in central London over the last few years have caused increasing numbers of people to seek property in more affordable areas."

Reigan Knight was an apprentice at Monarch Communications, which installs fibre optic cables across Kent, Essex and London.

Wayne Morley, managing director, said: "I was trying to nurture him and it's just sad that he will never fulfill what we were hoping for him. 

 "I think he would have gone a long way. He had the right attitude, was funny and charming."