Footballer performs drum solo for fanspublished at 08:23 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2017
Centre back George Elokobi literally banged the drum of success after his Colchester United team's 2-0 win over Cheltenham Town.
Read MoreSummary
Updates on Friday, 6 January 2017
Car 'driven into library and set alight'
Double-fatal crash: Essex man still in custody
Footballer performs drum solo for fanspublished at 08:23 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2017
Weather: Mostly dry and cloudy with some sunshine laterpublished at 08:15 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2017
Georgina Burnett
BBC WeatherBecoming mostly cloudy through the morning with a little patchy rain.
This will clear during the afternoon with some sunshine breaking through but it'll feel cold.
Temperatures will fall quickly during the evening with frost forming.
Maximum temperature: 7C (45F)
More from BBC Weather:
Good morning from Essex Livepublished at 08:07 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2017
Patrick Byrne
BBC NewsWelcome to Wednesday's look at news, sport, travel and weather stories from across the county.
This morning we begin with a private ambulance firm working with the NHS in Essex whose former drivers say they were given just an hour's training to drive under blue lights.
There will be plenty more during the day and a weather forecast from Georgina Burnett will be next.
Between now and 18:00 the team here will keep you updated on what's happening in Essex, so if there's anything we're missing, we'd love to hear from you.
You can get in touch by email, Facebook, external or Twitter, external.
Ambulance drivers 'got an hour's training'published at 01:40 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2017
Some staff at a private ambulance firm say they had an hour's training to drive under blue lights.
Read MoreOur live coverage across the daypublished at 17:57 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
Mariam Issimdar
BBC NewsSo that's it for our first local live day for 2017. Do scroll back and take a look at what's been happening today. Among the stories we've covered are:
- A Paralympics GB star recalls how she was "humiliated" after she "wet herself" on a train because no working disabled toilet was available
- Tests prove 'inconclusive' as to how a Jaywick man died over New Year
- And the chief executive at the troubled Southend Hospital has resigned
We leave you with this dramatic blue hue of the sky at dusk in Clacton-on-Sea. Enjoy and have a good evening. Team will be back from 08:00.
Image source, Weather Watchers/ShantelleWeather: Cloudy and dry overnightpublished at 17:53 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
It'll be slightly warmer than last night with cloudy skies, but on the whole a mainly dry night across the BBC East region, with some clear intervals. Temperatures staying above freezing at 2C (36F).
Wednesday will start cloudy with the risk of light rain or drizzle moving in from the north but drier and brighter later with sunny spells and a top temperature of 6C, 43F.
BBC Weather has more local details.
Fly-tipping incidences soar for woodland charitypublished at 17:33 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
The Woodland Trust says it's suffered its worst year on record for fly-tipping with almost 200 incidents on its land.
Image source, Woodland TrustThe charity, external says it's spent £42,596 on clearing up 196 incidents of fly-tipped waste, bringing the overall bill for dealing with litter in its woodlands nationally to around £354,000 in 2016.
Costs are up substantially on last year, when the trust spent £31,360 on tackling fly-tipping, as part of an overall waste clearance bill of £192,000.
A meadow in Theydon Bois -- planted by members of the local community -- is one of their worst hit sites.
Holly Anderson from the trust has told BBC Essex what happened: "We're still not entirely sure who's done this or how they got into the woods.
"By the looks of things it must have been a lorry backing into the entrance of the woodland and somebody just shoving stuff out of the back."
In September the BBC reported how the problem is getting worse with councils facing huge clear-up bills.
Essex sport headlinespublished at 17:25 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
BBC EssexSouthend, external boss Phil Brown says home form will be key as their push for a League One play-off place continues.
Up next for the Blues -- are three games at Roots Hall against fellow promotion hopefuls.
Despite being in a National League relegation battle, Braintree Town, external boss Hakan Hayrettin says it was the right call to sell Simeon Akinola.
Hayrettin let him go to Barnet for £40,000, saying he'd have otherwise gone on a free in the summer.
Shot man flown back homepublished at 17:18 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
A former Essex schoolboy who was shot in the head on Christmas Day in Antigua has arrived back in the UK.
Chris Tester was flown by air ambulance from Guadeloupe, where he was being treated, and landed in the west country late last night.
He's now been transferred to a hospital in Devon, where he now lives, and friends say he's very tired but stable.
Charlotte Williams, a friend of the family in Antigua, helped organise an appeal to get Chris home and it raised more than £100,000.
"It had been a completely crazy time since this happened," she said.
"We're just delighted that we had such generous support from everybody and we could get Chris home."
Watch: Syrian cafe helps both locals and refugeespublished at 16:40 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
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End of twitter postVideo: Paralympics GB star 'forced to wet herself' on trainpublished at 16:26 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
Anna Wafula-Strike talks to BBC about her "humiliation" after wetting herself because the disabled toilet on a train was out of order.
Crash car pursued by police driven by stabbing incident suspectpublished at 15:48 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
Helen Burchell
BBC NewsMore information has emerged about a police pursuit that led to a car overturning on the A12, injuries to two police officers and an arrest related to two serious stabbings in Ipswich on Sunday, 18 December.
BBC Online addressed the key questions below to Essex Police who had pursued a car believed to have been driven by a suspect who was later arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Nine people have now been arrested in connection with the stabbings.
Essex Police's operational support group tweeted about the crash last night:
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End of twitter post- Q: Why were you pursuing the vehicle. Was it in relation to the Suffolk murder or another reason?
- A: There was a short pursuit. There was a marker listed against the vehicle in connection with the Suffolk incident.
- Q: Where did the accident happen on the A12?
- A: Colchester
- Q: Were two or three of your officers injured? Twitter is saying three but you say two.
- A: Our information says two.
Troubled Southend hospital chief resignspublished at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
Mariam Issimdar
BBC NewsThe chief executive of Southend Hospital is leaving her post.
Image source, GoogleSue Hardy who's been in charge for the past two years said: "I now feel it is the right time to step aside and pursue other opportunities as the trust moves into a new era."
In August, the hospital was rated as requiring improvement by the health watchdog the Care Quality Commission, external, after an inspection expressed several concerns including leadership at the trust.
Meanwhile the financial government watchdog, Monitor, external, has had to put a financial plan in place after the trust "reported a £19.5m forecast deficit in 2015/16 against a planned deficit of £7.0m and has signalled the need for distressed financing from the Department of Health in March 2016 and 2016/17."
Monitor says "there are concerns about the licensee's short and long term financial sustainability".
Plans for more housing will not lead to 'expanded villages'published at 15:23 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
Mariam Issimdar
BBC NewsClaims from campaigners that their community won't be able to cope with more than 2,000 new homes have been rejected by the leader of Brentwood Borough Council.
Image source, Geograph/Andrew SmithYesterday it was announced by the government that Dunton Hill would be one of 14 "garden villages" in England which will each deliver between 1,500 and 10,000 properties and establish new villages.
The scehme has been welcomed by the former government communities secretary and Brentwood MP, Sir Eric Pickles.
Conservative councillor Louise McKinlay says they'll make it work.
"Rather than expand existing village settlements which by their nature are why people chose to live there, we say 'okay, let's take that and actually build a new village', which is what we're doing at Dunton."
Dead man was a 'fun-loving person' says familypublished at 15:14 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
The family of Anthony Cansdale has released a tribute via Essex Police.
The 40-year-old from Clacton died in Jaywick on Sunday morning after a suspected assault.
Image source, Essex PoliceQuote MessageTony was a well-liked and fun-loving person, who lived life to the full. He was loved by his family and friends and we will all miss him dearly."
The family of Anthony Cansdale
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of his murder and released on bail.
Rail fare rise winners and loserspublished at 14:48 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
Rail fare increases have been called a "kick in the teeth" by critics. Yet commuters using annual season tickets in some parts of England find themselves worse off than others.
Read MoreTests on dead man 'inconclusive'published at 14:41 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
Andrew Woodger
BBC NewsEssex Police are confirming the identity of the man who died after being found unconscious at an address in Jaywick on New Year's Day.
Officers were called to Bentley Avenue at 06:40, but Anthony Cansdale, 40, of neighbouring Clacton, died at the scene.
Police believe he had been assaulted.
His death is being treated as suspicious, but an initial post-mortem examination has proved inconclusive and further tests will be carried out.
A 41-year-man and a 37-year-old woman, both from Clacton, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
They have been released on police bail until 28 March.
Police name man found dead in Jaywickpublished at 14:27 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
BreakingPolice have named the dead man found in Jaywick on New Year's Day as 40-year-old Anthony Cansdale.
More details to follow...
Video: Dust off the decks - vinyl trend soaringpublished at 14:23 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
If you're a DJ or a collector you will know the value of vinyl. Now it's official, the black discs are back in fashion and it's all about the feel as well as the sound.
More than 3.2 million vinyl records were sold in 2016, a rise of 53% on the previous year, according to the BPI, external, which represents the music industry.
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End of twitter postProtests over rail ticket price risepublished at 14:17 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
Sonia Watson
BBC EssexProtests have taken place at railway stations in Chelmsford, Colchester and Basildon, as part of a nationwide campaign organised by Action for Rail over the latest annual fares increase.
Ticket prices have gone up by 2.3%. The government says the extra cash raised will help modernise the network.
But Action for Rail, external says the hike is a "kick in the teeth" for passengers and wants rail services to be returned to public ownership.
Darren Ireland, from the RMT union, agrees: "Last year we've seen £520m paid out in dividends to the private train operators who are funded by the tax payer and £1.5bn of public subsidy. Well, why not stop the dividends and lower the fares for the passengers?"
But Paul Plummer of the Rail Delivery Group, external, which represents train operators and Network Rail says while he understands some passengers are frustrated he insists improvements are being made saying "it takes time and we are in the middle of that upgrade."
