Meanwhile, Colchester's under-23s recorded a notable win in the Premier League Cup last night. 

They beat Manchester City 2-1 at The Community Stadium.

The Colchester United head coach John McGreal says a goalkeeper and a striker are possibly on his wish list for January.

The club has just under two weeks to make any more additions to its squad.  

Colchester are at Exeter in League Two on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

With road bosses preparing to suggest options for widening the A12, one resident from Rivenhall End has put forward what he believes will be the least disruptive idea. 

Proposals to widen the stretch between Chelmsford and Marks Tey - currently around 16 miles long - will be published on Monday as a public consultation begins.

Image source, Google

Dave Beard believes his property is at risk from a widening scheme. 

He said: "The cheapest option, and probably the less disruptive, to most of the residents would be to bypass the road completely and pick it up the other side of Kelvedon. 

"So it's gone the back of Braxted, and I know it's going to go through green belt and that upsets loads of people, but at the end of the day, we've got to look at the cheapest option because nobody's got any money today, and it's the least disruptive."

A number of people living near the A12 at Rivenhall End have said the village needs to be bypassed as part of a major project to upgrade the road.

Proposals to widen the stretch between the Chelmsford and Marks Tey to three lanes are due to be published on Monday. 

A number of options will be put forward for consultation. 

John McCrae, who lives near the A12, said: "That road is appalling, most of it was built in the 60s, bypassing Hatfield Peverel, Boreham, Witham, Kelveden, Feering, most of Marks Tey. 

"But it went straight through the middle of Rivenhall End, demolishing about 25 houses, five or six big businesses; it smashed the community...and the community just re-built, and the road still goes through the middle. 

"Now it is time that the road is bypassed around Rivenhall End."

A county councillor says "we can't carry on" with the A12 as it is, days before plans to widen the road to three lanes between Chelmsford and Marks Tey are published.

BBC Essex has been told a number of options will be put forward in a public consulatation by Essex County Council which begins on Monday.

Image source, Google

Speaking on Sadie Nine's BBC Essex breakfast show, which came live from the Bungalow Diner in Mark's Tey,  theConservative councillor for infrastructure Kevin Bentley said people should contact their MPs, county, district and parish councillors.

"If you have a concern, it's very important that concern is heard," he said.

"What is important as we move forward is that we can't carry on with what we have. It must improve."

The unexploded World War Two bomb found in the Thames forced the closure of bridges, roads and stations.

League Two side Colchester sign Cardiff midfielder Tommy O'Sullivan for an undisclosed fee on a deal until June 2018.

An American ex-pat living in Colchester has filmed himself tearing up his passport in protest at Donald Trump's inauguration as President of the USA.. 

Bill Bailey describes Mr Trump as a "shambles of a man" and says he wants to distance himself from being American. 

He says his age means he can't take to the streets and protest.  

"Too old and too arthritic to take to the streets as I have done during the civil rights campaign in the '60s, the Vietnam protest, the great miners' strike, the printers' strike and marches against the Iraq war in Britain. 

"The only definitive protest I can now manage is to publicly destroy my American passport, which is still in date."

Meanwhile, you can watch an alternative set of views from Mr Trump's supporters here:

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

The fire in the HGV parked on the M25 is still burning but under control, and two fire engines have been in attendance. 

Highways England, external is waiting for clearance from the fire brigade to inspect the tarmac.

The lorry was carrying wooden pallets, and is parked underneath a bridge, which is structurally unaffected.

East Anglian Daily Times

Here's the front page of the Essex edition of the East Anglian Daily Times, external:

Image source, East Anglian Daily Times

After a bitterly cold night, and a frosty morning, the idea of a duvet day was very tempting.

How cold was it for you?  BBC East weatherman Dan Holley's tweet may have the answer.

Kate Williams
BBC Local Live

Police were called just after 07:00 to the heavy goods vehicle fire on the M25.

There are no reports of injuries and police remain at the scene working with Highways England to clear the incident and re-open the road. 

They're unable to say when that will be.

An elderly couple was left homeless after a fire was started by the sun being reflected into their house by a mirror, it emerges.

Chris Flynn
BBC Essex

The jury at an inquest into the death of Dean Saunders at Chelmsford prison will continue to consider its conclusion today.

Mr Saunders, 25, from Basildon, was on remand after stabbing his father during a paranoid episode. He was found dead in his cell in January last year.

Caroline Beasley-Murray, Senior Essex Coroner, has asked the eleven jurors to record one of three possible conclusions about his death - either that he killed himself, that he died as a result of an accident, or a narrative verdict.

A narrative verdict will mean the jury will answer 24 questions, including whether the decision to take the inmate off suicide watch, was based on financial considerations.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

The lorry fire on the clockwise M25 in Essex is affecting both directions of the motorway..

The clockwise carriageway is closed between the junctions 27 and 28 and while all the lanes on the anti-clockwise carriageway have re-opened, traffic is queuing for seven miles and congestion goes beyong junction 29 for Romford.

Get the latest updates from BBC Travel.

Image source, Highways England

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Motorists are being advised to expect delays on the M25 in Essex as emergency services deal with a lorry fire.

Police were called shortly after 07:15 to the vehicle which is under a bridge on the clockwise carriageway between J27 for the M11 and J28 for the A12.

No one has been injured.  

A rolling road block has been put in place and motorists are advised to follow the diversions.

Check for updates with BBC Travel.

Elizabeth Rizzini
BBC Look East weather

There will be some mist and fog patches around this morning, but these will clear to leave a dry and bright day with plenty of blue sky and sunshine. 

Despite this, it will feel rather chilly outside with a high of 6C (43F).

Here's my full forecast...

There are more details on the BBC Weather website.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Good morning and welcome back to the live page for Essex where we'll bring you all the areas' news, sport, weather and travel as they happen until 18:00.

Today, the jury at an inquest into the death of Dean Saunders at Chelmsford prison will continue to consider its conclusion and we'll bring you any news from Chelmsford Coroner's Court as and when it happens.

But first, there'll be a full regional weather forecast.