Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

On-loan midfielder Nico Cotton caught the eye for Lowestoft Town, external in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Metropolitan Police in the Ryman Premier Division, external.

Image source, Southend United

The 20-year-old midfielder joined the Trawler Boys on loan from Southend United last week.

"Nico's ready to play," said boss Ady Gallagher. "I thought he made a really good contribution in the first half."

"Nico's come in and we've had to juggle our finances to get him in and unfortunately there'll be people who'll have to go in order to balance that out, because that's the position we're in."

Diplomacy may be dead thanks to social media, and here is a top five of some of the most un-diplomatic tweets.

One of Alastair Cook's predecessors as England captain has been rreacting to the news that the Essex player is to step down as Test captain after 59 matches in charge.

Michael Vaughan captained England to the Ashes in 2005, while Cook did the same in 2013 and 2015.

Colchester United left-back Matt Briggs describes his nine months out of action as a "tough rollercoaster".

Some 64 years ago this month, residents of The Avenue, Canvey Island, were evacuated from their home during the disastrous floods that hit the Essex coast.

Image source, Getty Images

A 50-year-old man, questioned on Saturday on suspicion of the murder of notorious criminal John "Goldfinger" Palmer, attended voluntarily and left after being interviewed, Essex Police said.

Image source, PA

Palmer, 65, was found dead in the garden of his gated home in South Weald near Brentwood in June 2015.

Although Essex Police originally thought he died of natural causes, it emerged he had been shot six times.

Police said they had questioned a man originally from Tyneside but currently living in southern Spain.

The force says the man was not arrested, but volunteered to be interviewed at a police station in the UK. 

Palmer, once described as Britain's richest criminal and thought to have been worth £300m, got his nickname after he was arrested on suspicion of melting down gold from the Brink's-Mat robbery, although he was never convicted.

The robbery in 1983 took place at Heathrow Airport when £25m worth of gold was stolen. At the time it was the biggest robbery to have ever taken place in the UK.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

There have been times when we have agreed, others when we have disagreed and when I have criticised him.   

The task of being honest about a player, but fair enough that they will still speak when you put a microphone under their nose, is a tightrope a sports journalist must walk.

We have also had our moments of fun.

Just on this last tour of India, I was cajoled into having a pedicure by an Indian barber. Who should walk in, but Essex County and England cricketer Cook, complete with camera. He took great delight in showing the photo to everyone he could find, as well as making sure he got it out to the world. I let him enjoy that one.

And so he departs. For Cook, the nature of the end of his tenure as captain very much reflects the type of man he is.  

BBC Essex

Mother of 46-year-old Essex prisoner who killed himself at HMP Chelmsford feels "let down" by the system:

The Essex rail firm Greater Anglia, external is warning of further cancellations and delays after faulty overhead power cables disrupted this morning's commute.

At least a dozen trains were cancelled between 06:00 and 09:00, hitting passengers on both the Southend Victoria and Great Eastern Main lines. 

The rail company says all lines are now open following problems in east London. It's apologised to communters after many complaints on Twitter. 

BBC Sport

Braintree Town and Chelmsford City will both feature in today's FA Trophy quarter-final draw.

Image source, Getty Images

But they'll need replays this week to confirm their places in the last eight.

Braintree travel to Dulwich Hamlet tomorrow night and Chelmsford host Tranmere on Wednesday.  

BBC Sport

Colchester United's Matt Briggs is hoping his hip injury and personal issues are now behind him. 

The left-sided player returned to action for the first time in nearly nine months in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Blackpool.

Image source, Getty Images

"It's been very difficult and frustrating. I had a hard time with the premature birth of my son, and then getting this injury on top of that was a very hard rollercoaster for me," he said.

"I've had the support of my family, and now I'm happy I'm back."

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew says Alistair Cook has had the "toughest ride off all recent England captains".

He writes: "As England's highest Test run-scorer he has always been admired for his batting, but there have always been questions, particularly over his tactics, during his 59-match reign as skipper.

"In a funny way, the constant criticism forced him to improve, to reflect on the things he had not done well and to try new things."

Image source, Getty Images

Read Agnew's full analysis.

There is praise for cricketer Alastair Cook, who has resigned as England Test Captain, from his Essex club:

BBC Sport

Former England bowler Matthew Hoggard has been speaking to BBC Radio 5 live after Essex county cricketer Alastair Cook's resignation as England Test captain.

Image source, Getty Images

“It’s a hard decision I’m sure for Alastair Cook," he said.

“He will be remembered as the most successful captain, and not only as a great leader but also as a genuinely nice bloke. Everybody who has played with him and under him won’t have a bad word against him.

“We’ve seen Alastair Cook evolve as a captain. In the beginning there were questions marks over how he placed his field and how he went about his business but we’ve seen him evolve into a better captain. He will have regrets but everybody does.

“Whatever Alastair Cook decided would have been the right decision. He has the backing of everyone who played under him and going forward he would have had the backing of the team."

BBC Sport

Essex county cricketer Alastair Cook has resigned as England Test captain.

Image source, Getty Images

Former cricket captain at Bedford School, Cook, 32, led his country in a record 59 Tests and skippered them to Ashes victories in 2013 and 2015.

However, during the 4-0 Test series defeat in India he admitted to having "questions" over his role, and has ended a reign that began in 2012.

"Stepping down has been an incredibly hard decision but I know this is the correct decision for me and at the right time for the team," said Cook.

"Playing for England really is a privilege and I hope to carry on as a Test player, making a full contribution and helping the next England captain and the team however I can."

Essex's Alastair Cook has announced he's resigning as England captain.

Richard Smith
BBC Essex

A crowdfunding page has been set up for the teenager who was knocked off his bike and killed over the weekend in Colchester.

Image source, Google

Jayson Gibson, 15, was in collision with a vehicle in Clingoe Hill at about 12:00 on Saturday.

A 54-year-old man from Clacton, arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving, has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Shane Yerrell from Waltham Abbey has raised thousands for good causes in Essex - he's now set up a fundraising page to help the family pay the funeral costs.

"I've met so many people who've lost loved ones and sometimes it's so cruel and this is one of those situations... it shouldn't have happened," he said. 

Samantha Dalton
BBC Essex

New figures show every main hospital in Essex was almost full in December and January and the bed occupancy rate was at an unsafe level, according to NHS guidelines.

Image source, Google

The guidelines say hospitals can't operate safely if more than 85% of beds are full.   

The BBC has seen figures for the number of beds available to patients between 1 December and 22 January and at Harlow's Princess Alexandra Hospital (pictured), 99.7% of beds were occupied over the winter period.

Southend had the lowest occupancy level at 94.5%, but this is still well above the recommended safe operating level.

It seems Essex isn't alone in this - only 15 hospitals in England were below the safe limit this winter.

NHS England said: "It's not uncommon for there to be pressures across the NHS at this time of year, especially as we're facing very high levels of demand.

"The NHS takes steps each winter to maximise bed availability, and hospitals are rightly prioritising emergency and urgent patients at every opportunity."

Richard Smith
BBC Essex

The mother of a man who took his own life in HMP Chelmsford says she feels let down by the service. 

Father-of-two Craig Royce, 46, was found in his cell on Christmas Eve.

Image source, PA

Like Dean Saunders, who also killed himself at the prison, he had psychotic episodes and had threatened to take his life before.

In an exclusive interview with BBC Essex, his mother Janet, says she thought he was safe.

"They came out to get me because I had no way of getting there, where I saw him for the first time for over four months and it's not a good way to see your son is it?" she said.

"I really didn't belive that he would be able to do it, I thought that they were looking after him and that he wouldn't get an opportunity to do it."