Updates for Friday, 31 March, 2017
Teenager jailed for killing two passengers in his car at Christmas
Shopkeeper to sell shop after fraud bid
Police find large cannabis factory
Weather: Mostly bright and just the outside chance of a shower
Today will be mostly dry and bright with variable amounts of cloud, allowing some sunny spells at times - especially during the afternoon.
There's a chance of rain this morning in places and it'll feel pleasantly warm by afternoon, with south-westerly winds freshening things later.
Maximum temperature 16C (61F).
Here's my latest forecast...
For more, head to BBC Weather .
Craig Lewis
BBC News
Good morning and welcome to today's live updates for Essex.
We'll bring you the weather for the day in a few moments, followed by all the latest news, sport and leisure from across the region.
Patrick Byrne
BBC News
That's it from the Essex Live team today so goodbye and have an enjoyable evening.
We'll be back from 08:00 tomorrow, bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather as it happens.
These are some of the stories we've covered today:
If there's anything happening that you'd like us to know about, you can contact us via email , Facebook or Twitter, external .
Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather
It will turn cloudy with some patchy rain across the BBC East region, but it'll be mainly dry this evening and overnight .. and much milder than last night with lows of 9C (48F) in light south-westerly winds.
Tomorrow will start mild with one or two showers first thing. It will be generally dry and bright later with sunny spells. Winds will be light to moderate south-westerly. Highs of 16C (60F).
For a full forecast visit BBC Weather .
Patrick Byrne
BBC News
A senior Colchester councillor responsible for community safety is reassuring residents after a woman was raped near the town centre.
Image source, GoogleThe victim was attacked in a graveyard behind the Arts Centre in the early hours of yesterday after a night out with friends.
Labour councillor Mike Lilley told BBC Essex the town is safe with so many CCTV cameras in the town centre but he's urging people nevertheless to be cautious.
"There is CCTV on the road leading in to the Arts Centre on both sides and we are trying to see if local shops have coverage, too," he said
The woman suffered life-threatening injuries but her unborn child is thought to be unharmed.
Read MorePatrick Byrne
BBC News
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children ( NSPCC, external ) has spoken out about the case of a youth council representative jailed for eight years for crimes against boys.
Connor Allen-Howe, 21, from Halstead, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court for grooming vulnerable children online.
“Allen-Howe went to great lengths to commit horrifying crimes against young children across the world," a spokesman said.
“The victim who came forward in this case must be praised for his incredible bravery – he has helped to bring Allen-Howe’s sickening campaign of abuse to an end.
"Online safety is one of the major 21st Century child protection challenges and we know the internet is used as a gateway by abusers to commit hundreds of offences against children each year.
“It is vital that parents speak to their children about the risks they could face online, so they know how to stay safe.”
Connor Allen-Howe is jailed for eight years for targeting children as young as 12.
Read MorePatrick Byrne
BBC News
A pregnant woman left with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a car in Leigh-on-Sea had been trying to stop an attempted fraud at the shop where she worked.
A grey Volkswagen Golf hit her while attempting to make off from the scene on Monday at about 17:00.
Forensic officers have been at the shop in London Road today.
The woman is being treated in hospital for head, face and internal injuries. Her condition is described as stable. It is not believed the baby was harmed, police said.
A 25-year-old man was arrested in London in the early hours today on suspicion of dangerous driving, assault, fraud by false representation and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
He was taken to Southend police station where he remains in custody. A car has also been recovered.
Det Insp Stuart Truss said: "The shop was very busy at that time of day and there were also a lot of people in the area who may have seen what happened.
"I would urge anyone who witnessed the incident or has any other information about it to come forward and contact us."
Andrew Bennett
BBC Essex
Judge Emma Peters described Connor Allen-Howe as "devious and manipulative"'.
Jailing him for eight years at Chelmsford Crown Court, she said, "You have deeply troubling perversions. You were calm and controlling. There were a significant number of victims, with 15 of them being under the age of 16.
"Had you committed all of the crimes when you were over 18 years of age, you would be looking at a much higher sentence.
"Each one of these offences merits a prison sentence. Your victims' self-esteem will be affected for many years."
Allen-Howe committed the offences from November 2012 to June 2014. During this period he discovered he was homosexual and became a recluse. He also self-harmed.
He admitted 21 counts of causing or inciting children to engage in sexual activity, eight counts of causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography, and two counts of making indecent photographs of children when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday 10 March.
He was placed indefinitely on the sex offenders register.
Andrew Bennett
BBC Essex
A Halstead Youth Council representative Connor Allen-Howe, 21, pretended his webcam was broken so he couldn't be identified when luring schoolchildren into "deeply perverse" sex acts over the internet.
Image source, FacebookAllen-Howe, when living in Colchester, posed as a young girl, sending fake pictures to boys to win their confidence.
On one occasion a boy was asked to creep into his young sister's bedroom and touch her sexually while she slept.
Judge Emma Peters described Allen-Howe as "devious and manipulative in committing disgusting acts, including asking victims to perform sex acts on their sister and being asked to drink urine".
Det Sgt Clayton Ford said: "Allen-Howe used the anonymity of the internet to target young boys, deceiving them into believing they were talking to a teenage girl, before tricking them into the most depraved sex acts and recording them for his own pleasure. "From his computer he was able to target victims all over the world and this case highlights the dangers our children face in talking to people online that they do not know personally. "I would encourage children and parents to look at the www.thinkuknow.co.uk, external website and Essex Police’s website for further advice."
Andrew Bennett
BBC Essex
A youth politician, who was living in Colchester, has been jailed for eight years following a series of "deeply perverse" sex crimes against children.
Connor Allen-Howe, 21, posed as a young girl when he contacted teenagers over Skype. After persuading the boys to carry out sex acts, he would record them and later watch them from his home.
Image source, Essex PoliceHe admitted a total of 31 offences, including 21 counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Allen-Howe, originally from Halstead, asked some of the male victims to carry out sex acts with siblings and dogs. One was encouraged to drink his own urine, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.
Police were alerted when a boy from Colorado, US, spoke to his parents. A child exploitation team in the US contacted Essex Police and Allen-Howe was arrested.
Patrick Byrne
BBC News
A pregnant woman has been seriously injured after being hit by a vehicle in Leigh-on-Sea while trying to stop a robbery.
Police believe she had been trying to stop a robbery at The Turnpike, a nearby shop.
Officers were called to London Road on Monday afternoon and found an injured woman in her 30s. She was taken to hospital for treatment to head, face and internal injuries.
Her condition is described as life-threatening. It's not believed the baby was harmed.
A 25-year-old man was arrested in London earlier today on suspicion of various offences, including dangerous driving, assault, fraud by false representation and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
He was taken to Southend police station where he remains for questioning.
Patrick Byrne
BBC News
Two off-licences in the Braintree district have had their licences to sell alcohol revoked after a council committee heard illegal workers had been employed in the shops.
Costcutters in High Street, Halstead, and Nisa Stores in Cross Road, Witham, were raided by Home Office immigration enforcement officers last November.
Image source, Google
Image source, GoogleAn illegal worker was arrested at each store. Members of Braintree Licensing Authority heard the proprietor of the stores had not made the proper checks on the employment status of staff.
Gordon Ashford, at Essex Police, said, "This is a good result which sends a clear message to any in the licensed trade tempted to employ illegal workers.
"The overwhelming majority of businesses in Essex are highly responsible but anyone employing illegal workers risks a £20,000 fine and the loss of their businesses."
Patrick Byrne
BBC News
The case against ex-Youth Parliament representative Connor Allen-Howe, from Halstead, who posed as a teenage girl to dupe young boys on the internet to carry out sex acts, has been described by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) East of England as "a shocking warning of the dangers that exist online".
Image source, GoogleMichelle Brown for the CPS said: "Connor Allen-Howe was 16 years old when his offending began in November 2012 and ended in June 2015.
"He posed as a teenage girl, aged 16 or 17 years old, and made random contact with young males online and then encouraged them to chat with him via Skype chat and messenger."
He was jailed for eight years at Chelmsford Crown Court today.
"This case is a shocking warning of the dangers that exist online, not only of how easy it is for a stranger to make contact with young boys, but also to persuade them to carry out sexual acts on camera," Ms Brown said.
"Mr Allen-Howe is responsible for luring these young victims into a sexualised world where perverted behaviour was encouraged and recorded for his gratification."
Adam Jinkerson
BBC Local Live
Rock fans will be rejoicing as news of a new site for the Cambridge Rock Festival, external has been announced, meaning it will take place this summer on 3-6 August.
This year's edition, the 13th, will be held at Horseheath Lodge, Horseheath, home to Haverhill Euromillions winner Adrian Bayford.
Image source, Babz BellNine Below Zero playing at the festival in 2007
So let's look back at the history of the festival...
The owner of a garage in Boxford, near Sudbury, says he's seeing cars almost every day that have been damaged by potholes.
Speaking as the state of our roads is being highlighted by the Asphalt Industry Alliance, Howard Watts from Riddelsdell Brothers Garage said: "Every day, or every other day, we have cars in with broken springs, destroyed ball joints, tyres which have splits on the side wall where it's gone in the sharp edges of the hole.
"Most road wheels today aren't steel any more, they're made of aluminium alloys - they just buckle - and of course when you do an MOT on a car, if it's got a buckled wheel, it'll fail."
Richard Smith
BBC Essex
A fundraising page has been set up for a police officer from Braintree badly hurt in last week's London terror attack.
PC Kris Aves, 35, was hit by the car being driven by Khalid Masood along Westminster Bridge and is being treated for broken limbs in hospital.
Image source, EPA/ANDY RAINTwo other officers who were with him were also hurt. They had all been walking back from a ceremony where they'd been given commendations for their police work.
Police Hour is raising money for PC Kris Aves who suffered life-changing injuries. He may not be able to walk the streets of London again doing the job he loved, the organisation said.
"We would also like to raise some money for fellow officer PC Roger Smith who suffered leg injuries and required a number of operations," it said.
"A third officer, PC Bradley Bryant, was discharged from hospital following treatment for minor injuries."
Sue Marchant
BBC Eastern Region radio presenter
The news that the Haverhill Euromillions winner, Adrian Bayford, will provide a new venue for Cambridge Rock Festival is welcome news for rock fans.
Now in its thirteenth year, the family-run festival has made its mark on the calendar, specialising in providing a platform for classic rock and blues artists while also giving a "gig" for fresher bands who are trying to break on to the scene.
Over the years there have been some epic performances by The Enid, Asia, Australian Pink Floyd and Focus.
As the festival heads to Horseheath Lodge this year, it will be essential that top headliners grace the stages to encourage new visitors.
As for the already converted, they'll no doubt take the leap of faith and again enjoy an incredibly friendly comfortable rock experience.
Andrew Bennett
BBC Essex
A 21-year-old former Essex youth politician who posed as a teenage girl on Skype to groom underage boys has been jailed for eight years.
Connor Allen-Howe, from Halstead, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to 31 counts and he will also be put on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period.
Judge Emma Peters spoke of the Youth Parliament representative's devious manipulative acts before sentencing at Chelmsford Crown Court.
