Nic Rigby
BBC News

A police royal protection officer from Essex died as a result of a road traffic collision after being run over by a lorry on the hard shoulder, a coroner has ruled.

Sgt David Jennings, 48, of Ingatestone, was returning from Ikea when his Vauxhall Agila hatchback swerved sharply across the M25 and collided with the central reservation on 31 March 2016.

It rolled and came to rest facing the wrong direction in the slow lane, and Mr Jennings was seen getting out of the driver's side on to the hard shoulder, the inquest into his death at Walthamstow Coroner's Court on Monday heard.

Moments later Mr Jennings,  fell "underneath the trailer of the lorry and underneath the path of the rear wheels".

The lorry, driven by Romanian Andre Logigan, had "effectively passed" Mr Jennings when he stepped out of the car, the coroner Ian Wade said. 

"What follows is David, having emerged from his crashed car, tumbled to the ground and what then happened couldn't be avoided," he added.

PC Clive Austin, collision investigator, told the inquest he did not believe Mr Logigan's "use of the hard shoulder" was "inappropriate". 

The coroner ruled that there was "simply no basis" that Mr Jennings had been unlawfully killed, and said that he did not know "exactly why" he had fallen.

Ben Parker
BBC Suffolk sport

The Suffolk Senior Cup final will be the only county cup final held at Ipswich Town's Portman Road stadium this season.

Town have cited renovation works and the forthcoming Sir Elton John concert as the main reasons more could not be held at their ground. 

The Premier Cup final, Women's Cup final, and five others will be held instead at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, external in Colchester. 

Nick Garnham from the Suffolk FA said: "We went down, we had a look, we were very impressed with what Colchester were able to offer us."

A care home comes up with a bright idea to prevent falls and help residents get about at night.

Kate Scotter
BBC News

It's just been announced here at Ipswich Crown Court, that the Weybread murder trial is being adjourned until Wednesday, when the closing speeches will be made.

The defendant, who denies murdering Peter and Sylvia Stuart, claims to be Vital Dapi from Albania, while the prosecution say he is Ali Qazimaj, also from Albania.

Rebecca Marston
Business reporter, BBC News

A chain of 34 Budgens stores has failed to find a buyer and will close, with the loss of more than 800 jobs .

Image source, PA

The owner of the stores affected, Food Retailer Operations Limited (FROL), was put in administration a month ago after hitting "difficult" trading conditions.

The stores are spread around the UK, and include two each in Cambridgeshire, Essex and Norfolk. They were bought from the Co-op in 2016.

The closures do not affect the remainder of the Budgens chain, which has more than 150 stores.

The branches affected in the region are:

• Norwich, Norfolk
• Rochford, Essex
• St Neots, Cambs
• South Benfleet, Essex
• Watton, Norfolk
• Wisbech, Cambs

The Budgens brand is owned by Wellingborough-based food wholesale giant Booker, which is currently in the process of being taken over by Tesco.  

Kate Scotter
BBC News

I'm heading to Ipswich Crown Court for the latest in the trial of a man accused of murdering Peter and Sylvia Stuart, who lived at Weybread near Harleston.

The couple were reported missing from their house on 3 June and Mr Stuart's body was found later that day in neighbouring woodland. The last recorded sighting of them alive was at a farm shop in Pulham Market on 29 May. 

Mrs Stuart's body has not been found and she is presumed dead.

A man who prosecutors say is Ali Qazimaj, 43, from Albania and formerly of Tilbury in Essex, is in the dock.

He denies murder and denies he is Ali Quzimaj, claiming he is a 44-year-old Albanian called Vital Dapi.

The trial began four weeks ago and we have heard the  prosecution and defence cases .

We are expecting closing speeches followed by the judge's summing up today.

A care home in Colchester has come up with a bright idea to help residents get about at night.

The Haven on Harwich Road has placed luminous footprints on the floor, with further illumination on light swtiches and toilets.

It's aimed at preventing accidents and falls if residents do need to get up when it's dark.

A care home has come up with a "bright idea" to help residents get about at night. 

The Haven on Harwich Road, Colchester, has placed luminous footprints on the floor and on the toilets. 

It is aimed at preventing accidents and falls if residents do need to get up when it is dark. 

A man who was seriously injured when he was knocked off his motorcycle has said he wants drivers to be re-tested regularly.

Image source, Family Photo

John Michaels, 44, from Great Dunmow, was hit by a car that was being driven by an 85-year-old man near Hatfield Heath Common last August. 

He broke his leg and has a frame holding it together. He has been told it could be another eight months before it can be removed. 

Mr Michaels said a licence is a "privilege, not a right" and he wants changes to the law.

"Accidents happen. Everytime you get in a car or on a motorbike you run the risk," he said.

"But it could have been avoided with more regular testing. 

"Every five to 10 years, every driver should be tested." 

The number of missing child reports in Essex has risen by more than 60% in the past year, according to figures.

Image source, Getty Images

The data from the National Crime Agency, external  shows  Essex Police, external  dealt with about 15 cases a day.

Almost 5,500 missing person reports were recorded by the force between April 2015 and March 2016.

In total, more than 3,200 individuals were reported missing. 

Compared to the same period in 2014/15, reports of missing children rose by 63% and missing adults 52%.

BBC Weather

Feeling very spring-like in the sunshine although some areas will see the odd outbreak of drizzle later this morning.

Fresher today with temperatures reaching 12C that's 54F. 

BBC Weather  has more local forecasts. 

Good morning and welcome to this sunny morning here in Essex. 

We'll be bringing you all the news, travel, weather and sport from the county until 18:00.

But first we'll have the all-important weather forecast.

Nic Rigby
BBC News

The Essex Live team is signing off now, but we'll return at 08:00 tomorrow.

Scroll down to read more on these, and other stories from across the county.

Stuart Woodward
BBC Essex

A German World War Two bomb has been detonated at the Ministry of Defence Shoeburyness Range near Southend:

Julie Reinger
BBC Look East weather

Showers should become very isolated into this evening and overnight, so it’ll be largely dry with some clear spells. Temperatures may fall low enough to give a patchy frost.

After a chilly start, tomorrow should be largely fine and dry with sunny spells and a few showers in the north-east of the region. A band of rain is expected to spread in from the west after dark.

Highs tomorrow of 9C (48F).

BBC Inside Out

Businesses in the East are raising concerns about government plans to expand the apprenticeship system by introducing a tax on businesses with a payroll of more than £3m.

From April the government is expanding the number of apprenticeships by taxing big businesses to fund training. They can claim the money back if they take on an apprentice.

Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, said many businesses won't take on apprentices, and those that do, may not do it for the right reasons.

He said there is a "possibility" that some businesses will simply take on apprentices to claim back the extra tax they've paid to fund the training "as a means to an end for them so they aren't out of pocket".

You can see more on Inside Out East tonight on BBC One at 19:30.

Pollution levels were excluded from air quality assessments due to an "incorrect" classification.

Richard Smith
BBC Essex

A man who attempted to save a Colchester pensioner from a house fire last year says he was "a genuinely nice guy".

Fred Payne, 78, died in the blaze at his home in Rochdale Way.

Last Friday, Lisa Connelly, 42, who was living at the property, was jailed for 12 years after admitting manslaughter and arson with intent to endanger life.

She had been staying at his home and had helped herself to a "sizeable" chunk of his pension, Chelmsford Crown Court heard. 

Dale Coppin (pictured), 30, who ran into the burning building to pull the Mr Payne out, told the BBC: "I know people have a limited amount of time. I was just trying to get him out.

"My nose seemed to explode from the pressure of the fire and then the emergency services arrived and they got him out and tried to resuscitate him.

"A few times I'd seen him. He was always about in his garden - genuinely a nice old guy."

A German World War Two device has been detonated at the Ministry of Defence's Shoeburyness Range in Essex.

It came after a long night of careful work by bomb disposal experts from the Royal Navy and British Army at the building site where it was found on Thursday in Brondesbury Park in north west London.

The SC 500lb bomb, which was dropped from an aeroplane, was found during excavation work on the site, and the Army’s Royal Engineers were called to the scene.

Nic Rigby
BBC News

An Essex woman, whose uncle and his partner died in the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, says she is still being affected by tragedy 30 years after it happened.

Special services are taking place today remembering the 193 people who died; 15 of whom were from Essex.

Image source, Getty Images

Kim Spooner, 38, who's from Eastwood near Southend, has told BBC Essex that it had a devastating impact on her life.

Ms Spooner's aunt and uncle Neil "Billy" Spooner, 37, and Mary Smith, 44, died after taking advantage of a cut-price day trip offer in a newspaper.

She said: "I have never recovered from it to be honest. 

"I get quite angry when I hear it described as a freak accident because it wasn't. 

"There were people and corporations to blame. It's as simple as that."